Ballroom Dance Lessons

[smoothdancer]

Princess,

I am really surprised with your post... Now I did not sail QE2 but QM2 and the dance hosts were quite different.....We had lunch with a host we met at one of the balls and he told us how much he hates the cruises where the ladies do not want to dance, very boring for them.... In the Queens room, being one of thoes who like to people watch, I watched and they danced with all the ladies, young and old, sought them out no matter where they were sitting and they gave them a great night of dancing..... BTW, the hosts were pretty good dancers at that!!......All of the ladies in the ballroom were in full ballgowns(including the teens) most men in tux and it absolutley had the feel of a wonderful and elegant ball..... It was so much the highlight of our cruise.... Only a 4 day cruise and I walked off the ship with horrible blisters on my feet from so much fantastic dancing!! Perhaps you ough to try the QM2!!!

 

We did not attend any dance lessons, saving the balls of my feet for the balls!!! I am so sorry you did not get to experience, in my mind, the very best part of cruisng on Cunard.

[smoothdancer]

Nah.... Ol lance is not on an Island all alone... Although modern technology has moved this along a bit in the USA. In the regional comps that we do there are many rounds, some couples being eliminated while others go on to the next round.

 

Just a few years back there was a person (called runners) who collected all of the hand written scores from the judges, delivered them to the next person who would tally all the scores to figure out who goes on to the next round, who does not..You could get maybe a 5 minute break while they tally the score before you go out to do it again.... This may not sound like much time, but it is.

 

Well now, the judges have these hand held gadgets that transmit the scores to computers that talley the scores...As you are walking off the floor your number is on a overhead screen if you made the next round, maybe a 10 second break before you are back on the floor again for another 5 dances. Depending on the rounds and number of competitiors, sure you can be doing this for a good hour.... Thus my constant moaning how you need incredible stamnia to compete.

 

It is a funny feeling, you dont know weather to feel happy that your number is on the screen, moving on to the next round or feel complete relief that you are not on the screen so you can rest!!... Man how I hate that screen!

[mummsie]

Nah.... Ol lance is not on an Island all alone... Although modern technology has moved this along a bit in the USA. In the regional comps that we do there are many rounds, some couples being eliminated while others go on to the next round.

 

Just a few years back there was a person (called runners) who collected all of the hand written scores from the judges, delivered them to the next person who would tally all the scores to figure out who goes on to the next round, who does not..You could get maybe a 5 minute break while they tally the score before you go out to do it again.... This may not sound like much time, but it is.

 

Well now, the judges have these hand held gadgets that transmit the scores to computers that talley the scores...As you are walking off the floor your number is on a overhead screen if you made the next round, maybe a 10 second break before you are back on the floor again for another 5 dances. Depending on the rounds and number of competitiors, sure you can be doing this for a good hour.... Thus my constant moaning how you need incredible stamnia to compete.

 

It is a funny feeling, you dont know weather to feel happy that your number is on the screen, moving on to the next round or feel complete relief that you are not on the screen so you can rest!!... Man how I hate that screen!

 

Gee that would be good here - we still use the old fashioned runner system for all comps and its a job I have done at least 6 times over the last few years. By the end of the night your feet feel like they are going to fall off. The only good thing is you get free entry and food. A good way to see a comp without having to pay entry fees :D Still it would be nice to have the recalls go up straight away - its a pain having to hang around the marshalling area for the recalls to go up on a piece of paper on a noticeboard. Mummsie :p

[tropicalsunset]

Our dance studio is doing a cruise to the Caribbean in Feb.. on NCL Dawn-We are already booked with friends On Century which is our annual getaway...

 

We are enjoying our sessions with our new Teacher,,, Christie, she is the Manager of our studio... so I don't think she is leaving any too soon.. She is really focusing on the finer points of our technique!! We are now at the point where we are "allowed" to make close body contact on our Smooth dances...!!!!! :cool:

 

Princess: we are usually disappointed with the ships classes.. as dancers we are always checking them out but often leave pretty promptly.. to us, they are a form of entertainment for the geusts on sea days and not really for someone really interested in persuing dance.

[tropicalsunset]

OK... has everyone vacated the premises to that other thread???

 

Gene: are you OK there with all the rain you have had this summer??? We are hoping the Port of Galveston has not been moved up to HOuston!!!

[mummsie]

Hi Tropical. Yeah it looks that way. Very little activity here at the moment. The other thread has been busy - its a little more balanced as this thread was mainly US stuff - the other one has everybody :-) Mummsie

[GCurry]

OK... has everyone vacated the premises to that other thread???

Gene: are you OK there with all the rain you have had this summer??? We are hoping the Port of Galveston has not been moved up to HOuston!!!

We are right on the coast, so we haven't gotten flooded like much of Houston. This past week however we almost got hit by Humberto, it slid 50 miles up the coast and came ashore as a hurricane.

 

Your studio cruise sounds like fun, perhaps some day we'll do a dance cruise. One of our instructors goes dance cruising on Costa each year. She says they have some good floors for a cruise ship.

 

You are right, ships classes are very basic.

 

How's it going Mummsie, winter about over down under?

[mummsie]

Hi Gene, Yep winter finished last week summer started yesterday - we went from the electric blanket and a doona to a sheet within 2 days. We had a magic weekend although dance practice on Saturday was hot and sweaty. I organised a work bbq on Sunday for just our team - managed to drag about 12 staff along plus spouses plus kids so we ended up with about 35 all up. Nice day with the kids all playing in the park.

Practice has ramped up a notch - only 11 weeks until the Australians in Melbourne so really trying to get the stamina up. On Saturday there weren't too many people at practice so we only ran one heat. Three of each of the 5 dances so we ended up doing 15 in a row. Then the New Vogue we danced all but 3 of them so another 15 or so in a row. Felt pretty good after it so I must be getting fitter.:D

Got another practice session tonight at an independant studio - they just run the music (full tracks) and you dance what you want. We have been trying to do pretty much all the full tracks of most of the dances so its been really interesting. Gary and I have been managing to do it but Kieran and Laura have been doing half tracks so I guess we must be fitter than the younguns or maybe we just want to do better in Melbourne :D Mummsie

[smoothdancer]

LOL Mummsie, more fit than the kids!! I love that. A lot has to be said for just wanting it more, dosent it? Our last competition our coach every week for a month just had us doing rounds for 45 minutes, plus entering and exiting the floor... If we stopped before she stopped the music then we had to do it all over again... I though for sure I was going to die, but it helped a great deal.... I would tell Nick I dont care what happens.... do not stop!! We compete in about a month again, and neither of us are any where near the shape we need to be.

 

Awww, Tropical we did not get up and leave you did we??? Our studios also does studio cruises, but we do not go. They cost much more than if we just go on our own... They do plan a lot of group stuff, but still not worth it to me. I have to tell you when I am on a cruise I dont want to take dance lessons each day,(I prefer a pool and a frozen drink) and dont want to hang out with a group all week... I just want to relax, dance when I want to dance, and not dance when I dont want to!

 

Well exactly today, it is just 2 months before we go on our 15 day Hawaii cruise... Cant wait!

[tropicalsunset]

Smooth: Hawaii?? awesome!!

OUr studio cruise seems high in price ... I believe they are traveling with a couple other studios..

 

We are on our final countdown for our cruise... my oldest son is moving into his condo he signed on yesterday... (amazing!)

 

we went out sat night and met some dancers from Wallingford... they gave us ideas of other venues -- but my husband doesn't want to travel too far...

 

Mummsie: I wish my boys were interested even a little bit in dance... not so.. maybe when a big event comes along...

 

anyone watch this seasons DWTS... I may start watching car racing...!! :D who'd've thunk??!! We will miss most of this season :( as we will be in Europe (I just can't say that often enough!!) :D :D

[smoothdancer]

Tell me about it... Now that race car dancers is plesant for the eyes, isnt he!!

 

This year I got into watching So you think you can dance, got teribbly hooked. I really was in awe of thier dancing talent and now DWTS seems to be coming up short for me in talent.

 

You are going to have to tell all about your cruise when you return. We have a short RCCL Euorpe cruise booked in 2008. It is a 7 day leaving from Barcelona, a port each day except one. We are looking at like more of the cruise ship as our hotel rather than a relaxing type of cruise. We have never been to Europe and it should give us a great taste, at least. Our Hawaii cruise is the complete opposite with 8 sea days.

[GCurry]

Ole Helio is Brazilian so he ought to be pretty familure with a lot of Latin, I can hardly wait to see his Samba, for sure this ain't his first dance.

It's funny how women seem to focus on him (Latin Lover?), when you've got that total hunk of a model/surfer Dude Albert. Or is he too "Pretty" or pretty gay for that matter? For a man his size, he can sure move.

We'll see how it goes tonight.

 

Yeah Tropical we want to hear all about your Med Cruise.

 

Are you doing a BtoB Smooth with 8 sea days, it sounds like you start and end in Calif.

[GCurry]

Sorry Smooth, I must leave my brain behind when I change threads, as you answered the Cruise question.

 

You are right, there wasn't a lot of time in each Port, but we still saw a lot of wonderful things. Which is why we plan to return in a year or so. Probably just to Maui, or perhaps the Big Island too, as we loved Kona.

Kauai certainly had the scenery, but one day driving up to the canyons got the most of it.

 

You should get in a lot of dancing with all those sea days.

[smoothdancer]

Gene

If you make your way back to this thread. I would really like to do most of Hawaii on our own with car rentals. I have no idea how to go about rentals.... Can you help me out getting started??

 

I was thinking however to do the helecopter ride over the Isalnds. Did your group do this?

 

Man, is Foxy not a hoot??? I love reading his stuff!

[GCurry]

Gene

If you make your way back to this thread. I would really like to do most of Hawaii on our own with car rentals. I have no idea how to go about rentals.... Can you help me out getting started??

http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/

One of our Spirit crew is headed there and says this is the best deals.

Where the cars were great was Hilo, Kona, Honolulu & Kauai.

However, I think Hertz might have a kiosk at the cruise terminal in Honolulu, which is about the only one where getting to the airport might take some time, although not all that much.

My email during the day is gcurry@utmb.edu I can send you a lot of links.

Just let me know your ports and times there and I can at least contribute from our time.

 

I was thinking however to do the helecopter ride over the Isalnds. Did your group do this?

If MSG Curry wouldn't come down with the shingles at the very thought, I would at least have done Kauai that way. As the canyons and North coast would be spectacular from the air, and you would see far more then from a car. The airport is about 10 min from the dock and you can book independently at a lower cost.

 

 

Man, is Foxy not a hoot??? I love reading his stuff!

Me too, at first I thought Jonquil was a fiction, but now, I'm not at all certain. The verbal dancing is great fun as well.

[dizzydancer]

hey leela, i am 23 and have found a partner to dance competitively with! I am so excited but I was wondering about cost of competitions?

 

Do youmake dresses for anyone and if so what sort of thing, or if you have any advice in general Iwould love to hear from you!

 

my email is sezslb@yahoo.co.uk!

 

Good luck for your comps!

[mummsie]

hey leela, i am 23 and have found a partner to dance competitively with! I am so excited but I was wondering about cost of competitions?

 

Do youmake dresses for anyone and if so what sort of thing, or if you have any advice in general Iwould love to hear from you!

 

my email is sezslb@yahoo.co.uk!

 

Good luck for your comps!

 

 

Hello, you would be better to go to the forums over on another board - http://www.dance-forums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7 - there is loads of info there about competitive dancing. :D

 

I make dresses for my family and a few friends but as I live in Australia it would be a bit tricky to make one for you !!!:) Mummsie

[mummsie]

double post - sorry

[smoothdancer]

The Dance-forums is mostly about US comps, although a fun place to go to. Have you tried the Dancesport site? I think there is a lot of UK information on that site.

[tropicalsunset]

We are off to Rome tomorrow... packing the dancing shoes... tho' we will be in a port everyday... we are checking out the Ballet in Odessa, and doing a Dinner and dance show in Istanbul... other excursions include the Amalfi Drive in Naples.. and a night tour of ROME this Thursday night..

 

Happy Dancing to you all...

 

Good luck Smooth in the Constitution Classic!!

[GCurry]

We are off to Rome tomorrow... packing the dancing shoes... tho' we will be in a port everyday... we are checking out the Ballet in Odessa, and doing a Dinner and dance show in Istanbul... other excursions include the Amalfi Drive in Naples.. and a night tour of ROME this Thursday night..

Happy Dancing to you all...

Have a great cruise Tropical, come back and tell us all about it.

 

Good luck Smooth in the Constitution Classic!!

Knock em dead Smooth!!

[smoothdancer]

I guess I did not get to tell Tropical to have a great cruise... Sure sounds great, dosent it?

 

We did not do that comp because we did not feel quite ready for it.... We are working at full steam now though and will be ready for a comp in Atlanta that we will do on the 18th another in Ct on the 4th.That is if the darn coach does not drive us to exaustion before then!

[tropicalsunset]

Smooth... Thanks for the well wishes... and right back at you for your comp this weekend..!!

 

The Med cruise was fabulous!!! The ports were just amazing...plus we were sailing with friends that we have sailed with before. A waiter friend was onboard and arranged for us to dine with the Chief Engineer the first formal night. He is now Restaurant Manager in transit for another assignment.. He did take us to a roof top restaurant in Istanbul for tea and glorious views of the city just a couple blocks from the Blue mosque... sunset and then we saw everything lit up at night.. absolutely perfect!!

 

We didn't do alot of dancing... there were quite a few very serious dancers onboard... several of them were with an Asian group... beautiful to watch but they never SMILED... (is that forbidden??) one of the bands "rhythmn of the night" we had danced to on a previous cruise... they are a great ballroom group--played a couple cha chas and swings for us!! The one man band in the solarium we knew from previous sailing... his music is more easy listening... but we danced to several of his tunes.

We had several early morning tours . The group playing in the Martini BAr played great tunes... but no room to dance!!:rolleyes:

 

We went to the ballet at the Odessa Opera House... for $40 on a dreary day we got a bus ride through town.. the interior of the Opera House is just Magnificent...!! The staircases in the foyer were absolutely beautiful. They showed one act of a traditional ballet and one act of Carmen done in a modern style... great performances!!!!

 

I had reserved private drivers on the last day for the Amalfi Coast ... the same company I hired to do a Rome by night tour pre cruise.. both excursions were customized to our desires and were wonderful.. I highly recommend doing this!

 

now if the airlines could just do something about those horrid transatlantic flights....... too uncomfortable and too expensive.. please....

 

and oh, don't let me forget sailing the Bosphorus and sailing into Istanbul is truly an experience!! Pictures don't come close to capturing the beauty and grandeur of the ports in this itinerary... I geuss I will just have to go back someday!!! :D :D

 

Lorraine

P.s. is anyone still watching DWTS??? I guess Helio is still dancing! :)

[GCurry]

Smooth... Thanks for the well wishes... and right back at you for your comp this weekend..!!

 

The Med cruise was fabulous!!! The ports were just amazing...plus we were sailing with friends that we have sailed with before. A waiter friend was onboard and arranged for us to dine with the Chief Engineer the first formal night. He is now Restaurant Manager in transit for another assignment.. He did take us to a roof top restaurant in Istanbul for tea and glorious views of the city just a couple blocks from the Blue mosque... sunset and then we saw everything lit up at night.. absolutely perfect!!

 

We didn't do alot of dancing... there were quite a few very serious dancers onboard... several of them were with an Asian group... beautiful to watch but they never SMILED... (is that forbidden??) one of the bands "rhythmn of the night" we had danced to on a previous cruise... they are a great ballroom group--played a couple cha chas and swings for us!! The one man band in the solarium we knew from previous sailing... his music is more easy listening... but we danced to several of his tunes.

We had several early morning tours . The group playing in the Martini BAr played great tunes... but no room to dance!!:rolleyes:

 

We went to the ballet at the Odessa Opera House... for $40 on a dreary day we got a bus ride through town.. the interior of the Opera House is just Magnificent...!! The staircases in the foyer were absolutely beautiful. They showed one act of a traditional ballet and one act of Carmen done in a modern style... great performances!!!!

 

I had reserved private drivers on the last day for the Amalfi Coast ... the same company I hired to do a Rome by night tour pre cruise.. both excursions were customized to our desires and were wonderful.. I highly recommend doing this!

 

now if the airlines could just do something about those horrid transatlantic flights....... too uncomfortable and too expensive.. please....

 

and oh, don't let me forget sailing the Bosphorus and sailing into Istanbul is truly an experience!! Pictures don't come close to capturing the beauty and grandeur of the ports in this itinerary... I geuss I will just have to go back someday!!! :D :D

 

Lorraine

P.s. is anyone still watching DWTS??? I guess Helio is still dancing! :)

What a wonderful vacation, we'll aspire to that. I've noticed the same thing, the Orientals are dead serious about dancing. We've met some very nice oriental dance couples in our cruises.

[smoothdancer]

I am so glad you came back to post about your cruise. It sounds like you had a great time. We have a 7 day med cruise booked for August 2008. I am not thinking about it much as it is so far away but when the time comes I will have to pick your brain for suggestions!! This is an RCCL that is round trip from Barcalona, and a stop a day. I look at like more of a floating hotel then a cruise.

 

I have not caught Dancing with the Stars a real lot this season but yea our race driver is still there!!