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Worthing
Congress 2003
Saturday
26th July
Lindy
Hop
Richard Marcel and Julie Oram
The
first lecture given by Richard Marcel was on the
Lindy Hop. This is a very attractive dance, using
medium paced Swing music, a type of Line dance.
Everyone enjoyed learning the Shim Sham Shimmy,
a popular dance adopted from Tap dancing. Very
well taught by Julie Oram.
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Lindy
Hop, Richard Marcel and Julie Oram |
Saturday
Night Social Dances
Rachel Wadey
Next
we had Rachel Wadey, looking very elegant, and
with her partner Colin Piper giving us some Saturday
night Social Dances. First a lovely Sequence dance,
the Queen of Hearts Rumba. This dance would also
be useful in any Latin class. Then a lively dance,
the Safari Swing. This would make any party go
with a swing.
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Saturday
Night Social Dances,
Rachel Wadey |
Free
Styling
Paul Streatfield
Paul
Streatfield was assisted by Vanessa Gover and
two dances were shown, a medium tempo and a slow
tempo. They were danced with an easy relaxed style,
with a soft, natural use of body and arms. This
could be a welcome trend for Disco/Freestyle.
Paul also gave a choice of various arm actions.
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Free
Styling, Paul Streatfield assisted by Vanessa
Gover |
Old
Time: From Medallist to Champion
Craig Bedwell and Angela Painting
Craig
Bedwell and Angela Painting gave us a very interesting
lecture. Beautifully demonstrated dancing, and
many important points were shown by Angela, with
delightful poise and style. As with all Champions
it was the attention given to details of action
and the depth of thought that gave this lecture
its impact.
Rock
'n' Roll
Pat Lait
This
lecture was a real hit with me and many of the
teachers present. Shown with the original authentic
styling, very natural dancing with the emphasis
on rhythm. Very well taught by Pat Lait and well
danced by Bruce Lait and Crystal Main. We all
enjoyed dancing to Elvis!
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Rock
'n' Roll, Pat Lait danced by Bruce Lait and
Crystal Main |
Country
Connection
Margaret Banks
Wings
of an Angel was a lovely soft Waltz with very
nice movements, looking equally good as Man or
Lady. Next a partner Circle dance, Little Chapel,
mostly danced with sweetheart hold. A very good
'swing' feeling. Clearly explained and taught
by Margaret and presented by a smart team of her
dancers.
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| Country
Connection, Margaret Banks |
Sunday
27th July
Salsa
Richard Marcel
To
start the day what better than Richard, partnered
by Caroline Rice, bringing everyone on to the
floor for Salsa. Some very interesting moves taught
clearly and with enthusiasm by Richard.
Argentine
Tango
Ralf Schiller and Kele Baker
Next,
a great contrast, the appealing music, style and
actions of the Argentine Tango. Ralf was partnered
by Gillian Cook and we all thoroughly enjoyed
their demonstration. A very authentic look and
beautifully taught as usual by Ralf.
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Argentine
Tango, Ralf Schiller and Kele Baker |
Lady
in a Leading Role
Margaret Preedy
Margaret
was welcomed onto the floor to give the first
Modern Ballroom lecture of the day. Obviously
and extremely experienced teacher with a wealth
of knowledge, she made this half hour slot simply
evaporate away. With the help of an enthusiastic
class, she emphasised the importance of correct
technique, paying particular attention to foot/body
alignments, controlling lowering actions and the
connections of the 'leader's' right side with
partner. Margaret then went on to explain how
important it is for a female teacher to be able
to switch, both mentally and physically, from
one role to another.
This
she demonstrated beautifully with the help of
Mark Willemite, who also proved that he was equally
'finely tuned', changing roles with considerable
ease.
A
Star in the Making: Paso Doble and Cha Cha Cha
John Byrnes
John
and his partner Jane Lyttleton Byrnes produced
an excellent teachable Paso Doble group and showed
with use of shape in the body and artistic arms
how good syllabus figures can look. A lively Cha
Cha Cha using a Natural Top and Cuban Rocks, both
groups useful for Gold Star work. Good teaching
hints.
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A
Star in the Making: Paso Doble and Cha Cha
Cha, John Byrnes |
Grade
1 Examination
Marion Lane
Marion
gave a very informative lecture, clear and detailed,
on the Grade 1 examination. This new exciting
examination will be available from 1st January
2004. Terry Collard, a 10 year old pupil of Marion's
and Alexa Hilton from Margaret Preedy's School,
beautifully demonstrated warm up exercises and
preparatory dance exercises for the set dances,
Latin American, Rumba and Jive, and Ballroom,
Waltz and Quickstep. The audience were quiet and
enthralled, taking in all the information.
Easy
Variations: Waltz and Tango
Diana Hearn
Thinking
of something new is often tricky - also having
to make it easy to dance simply adds to that challenge!
However, Diana never ceases to impress in the
way that she always comes up with a new magic
recipe. Teaching her Tango group first, followed
by the Waltz, she gave really excellent guidance
as to how to achieve the most out of each variation,
offering many useful tips with regard to positioning,
timing etc. Both amalgamations were superbly demonstrated
by Anton du Beke and Erin Boag in a very professional
manner. All in all, a first class lecture for
a dedicated and gifted teacher.
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Anton
du Beke and Erin Boag assisting Diana Hearn's
lecture, Easy Variations: Waltz and Tango |
Gold
Dust for your Class: Rumba and Jive
Alison Lacey
Alison's
first lecture for the ISTD was well presented,
showing excellent teaching methods using a clear
voice. The groups in Rumba and Jive were well
constructed and superbly danced with very good
use of arms. Thomas Smith ably assisted her.
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Gold
Dust for your Class: Rumba and Jive
Alison Lacey assisted by Thomas Smith |
Masterclass
Margaret Redmond
One
would probably consider it an impossible task
to conduct a Masterclass within half an hour.
Although a very short period of time, Margaret
packed so much into her lecture that it could
easily have spanned the whole day! She described
so clearly some of her priorities when teaching:
the need for good posture, combining muscular
control through the back and shoulders. How when
taking up dance hold we should work from 'inside
to outside' and give more consideration to the
fact that the hold is based on many triangular
shapes. With the help of newly turned professionals,
Ronald Jager and Jenny Sheeran, Margaret also
explained how she tries to develop a slower closing
action on beat 3 of the music in Waltz, thus preventing
the rise being completed too soon. Moving onto
Tango, Margaret taught a short amalgamation, consisting
of a Contra Check, Right Lunge, Telespin and Five
Step. Many of the lady dancers taking part looked
slightly anxious when their partners were asked
to release hold (ladies maintaining the Contra
Check hold), and circle around them - it was a
good test of individual balance and control! An
excellent lecture offering much food for thought.
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Masterclass,
Margaret Redmond
assisted by Ronald
Jager and Jenny Sheeran |
Competitive
Styling
Mark Robertson and Luani Fanni
Mark
and Luani showed us how good a routine of syllabus
figures in Rumba can look. The audience then participated
and even changed partners. Mark explained how
a 'courtship' is needed between the couple, also
by delaying the action speed of turn is increased.
It looks easy, but it is not!
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Competitive
Styling, Mark Robertson & Luani Fanni |
Fun
Dance for Kids
Nicky Miles
Although
entitled Fun Dance for Kids, Nicky's lecture certainly
proved most captivating entertainment for all
of us 'grown up' kids in the audience. We were
treated to a mini time warp production of the
Sound of Music, from which Nicky, with the help
of a much aged and heavily disguised Mark Willemite,
Liz Young (also in disguise as a brown paper package,
tied up with string), and his Von Trapp family,
transported up from the 1960's to the present
day. It wasn't long before everyone was on the
floor enjoying his adaptation of the Viennese
Wing to the recent chart track, Favourite Things
by Big Brovaz. An excellent, almost instantaneous
to learn, fun dance with the added benefit of
being suitable for solo or couple dancers. Nicky
has certainly set a standard which even he will
find difficult to surpass!
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Fun
Dance for Kids, Nicky Miles, assisted by Liz
Young |
Monday
28th July
FUNdamentals
for Kids
Johnathan Reed
A
wonderful start to Monday. Johnathan gave us an
entertaining lecture assisted by six of his children
from the Star Dance posse. Using excellent teaching
ideas he showed the children clapping to music,
exercising arms with chiffon scarves and generally
having fun. Johnathan has the ability to think
like a child, which can be invaluable when dealing
with them. It was good to see children looking
like children.
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| FUNdamentals
for Kids, Johnathan Reed,
with some of his pupils
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Easy
Variations: Waltz
Samantha Harris
In
her first lecture for the Imperial Society, Samantha
Harris presented an easy variation for classwork
in the Waltz, a beautiful presentation, with her
partner, Thomas Persson, that will surely be of
great use to the members.
Easy
Variations: Quickstep
Robert Singer
This
was followed by a Quickstep group by Robert Singer,
partnered by Suzanne White - another 'first time'
lecturer - who had great control of the crowd,
whilst teaching this free-flowing, lively and
challenging variation.
Cha
Cha Cha Update
Lorna Lee
Lorna,
as usual, treated us to a very professional, positive
and informative lecture: Updating the Cha Cha
Cha. She said that she was disappointed that the
new technique was not always applied in a practical
way with Medallists and Medallist competitors
- the 'Peddling Action' had not disappeared. She
showed the various Chasses, e.g. Split Cuban Break
Chasses that can replace compact Chasses. She
stressed that people should work to avoid ugly
leg lines.
Walk
In, Dance Out
Vernon Kemp
‘Walk
In, Dance Out’ was the title of a most thought-provoking
lecture by Vernon Kemp, who gave an insight into
his class teaching methods for complete beginners.
Vernon’s experience in dealing with pupils
of all standards and capabilities was clear for
all to see, but importantly placed the emphasis
on producing ‘natural movement’ through
the correct application of our technique. An excellent
lecture based on a sound knowledge and years of
study of what actually makes Ballroom dancing
successful to the very highest level. Congratulations.
'Gold'
that Sparkles: Cha Cha Cha and Jive
Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace
One
of my favourite lectures of the weekend. Variations
clearly and precisely taught with good humour.
Good Cha Cha Cha, tricky timing, but Flavia showed
a slower alternative. Snappy Jive, should be fun
to teach in a class trying to avoid broken arms!
They received a terrific ovation from the audience.
As Lorna said, 'absolutely fabulous'.
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'Gold'
that Sparkles: Cha Cha Cha and Jive, Vincent
Simone & Flavia Cacace |
New
Professional Examinations
Anne Lingard
During
the final day of Congress, the ISTD were delighted
that Anne Lingard was able to present to the members
the outline of the syllabus of its new professional
qualifications, which are due to commence on 1st
January 2004. The recent government accreditation
through QCA of the ISTD examinations and procedures
has now been successfully completed and provides
their teachers with the facility to hold qualifications
that will stand alongside all sectors in the future.
Social
Sequence
Jill Bush
Jill
was assisted by Mark Willemite and first showed
us the Social Samba. A very lively Samba, with
danceable movements which everyone enjoyed. To
follow was a very good arrangement of Waltz figures
in the Candleglow Waltz, a winning dance for Jill
at the British Dance Council in May 1988. Stylish
dancing by Jill and Mark, Jill teaching with her
usual mix of authority and charm.
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Social
Sequence, Jill Bush assisted by Mark Willemite |
Modern
Trends in Latin
Michael Stylianos
A
genius at work! In half an hour Michael gave so
many up-to-date developments in Cha Cha Cha, Rumba
and Jive. Samantha Harris partnered him brilliantly,
not knowing quite what to expect from him. As
Lorna summed up, 'he is never lost for material'.
We are so lucky to have characters like Michael
in our Society.
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| Modern
Trends in Latin, Michael Stylianos partnered
by Samantha Harris |
Easy
Variations: Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep
Richard Miles
Finally,
Easy Variations in Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep
were presented by Richard Miles and his charming
partner. Both groups were well constructed using
basic figures and were equally suitable for classwork
and Medallists. Expertly taught by Richard, in
a relaxed manner and most enjoyed by this knowledgeable
audience.
A
Star is Born: Rumba and Samba
Lorraine Kuznik
Last,
but not least, were two very teachable variations
by Lorraine, assisted by Neil Dewar, in Samba
and Rumba. Good use of basic figures showing interesting
developments. Very clearly and confidently taught.
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| A
Star is Born: Rumba and Samba Lorraine Kuznik
assisted by Neil Dewar |
All
in all, a wonderful Worthing Congress - roll on
2004!
Ballroom
report: Barbara Grover and Jill Bush
Latin report: Paula Goodyear
Alternative Rhythms, DFR and Sequence report:
Marion Brown
All photographs: Ron Self
Buffet
Dance
It's
Sunday night and time for the Buffet Dance at
the Assembly Hall in Worthing. Surprisingly the
weather had not been up to its usual high standards
and this year we had actually experienced torrential
downpours rather than the usual sunshine we are
accustomed to in Worthing.
Upon
arriving at the Assembly Hall, for those who have
attended the Congress during the day, it is great
to see how the staff have transformed the hall
from a space used for the dance lectures to one
that can be used for the Buffet Dance. Prior to
the buffet commencing guests had the opportunity
to mingle at the bar and reflect on the Congress
so far.
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Cabaret
by Craig Bedwell &
Angela Painting |
The
Buffet Dance gives everyone the opportunity to
dine and dance the night away under the inimitable
guidance of DJ and compere Nicky Miles. Guests
were also treated to a wonderful Sequence Dance
demonstration by Craig Bedwell and Angela Painting.
Their performance was warmly received by an appreciative
audience. The Buffet Dance also provides an opportunity
to raise funds for the ISTD Benevolent Fund through
an end of evening raffle. Nicky Miles and his
helpers ensured that if you were not fortunate
enough to win one of the wonderful prizes you
could still enjoy the experience!
Jon
Singleton
Head of Marketing & Publicity
See
you next year!
Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th & Monday 26th July
2004
Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex
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