Ship-shape & Bristol fashion!

The question I have been most consistently asked during my year on the road is "where are you off to next then?" The second most often is "Don't you miss having a home/base/place of your own?" To which I always answer in much the same vein: "No. Not at all". (They usually tilt their head, or mutter a 'hmmmm' at this point)... "I can see that by the end of the year I'll likely be happy to think about a place that's 'just mine', but for now (I'm halfway through the year), I wouldn't swap the freedom for anything." The answer is routinely met with everything from nods of understanding to bewilderment. I reckon I understand why. Conditioning. It's not standard for a woman to wander 'untethered' for any sustained length of time. Certainly not one 'over 25'! ;) ... And ofcourse, it's personal choice that may avert people. To be fair, a life on the road isn’t for everyone. Hell, who knew it was even for me til I actually did it?!

And that’s exactly my point, I knew no better than you whether it would work out for me or not. All the questions practical types asked me have turned out to be completely relevant & part of me wishes I'd taken heed of some points more, but the reality was I had to 'just do it' to see how (if!) it could be done. If it works for Microsoft...!
The difference between me and the next person could have been I felt had nothing to lose by trying. It definitely was a product of desiring to break out of the status quo. Perhaps that’s all it takes. I’ve posted previously about when one’s back is against the wall, so I won’t repeat myself, that’s not what this tea break of yours is for, that’s what archiving is for! Cue wise saying:

Amen

My 10 days in Bristol were interspersed with teaching Lindy for SwingDanceBristol, Balboa & Blues privates & checking out the SS Great Britain. Here I am dancing in the dining room - love tall ships - this day was ace!



Perhaps understandably given my current lifestyle, I consistently ponder the wonders of risk. It’s so easy to quickly become attached to the things we are used to. The perceived danger from 'the unknown' for most people far outweighs the rational analysis of what actually could be. Recently, I had a very engaging conversation with a dancer friend who presented me with an article regarding risk here. Ask yourself this - why are 'reality tv' programmes such as Dragons Den so successful? Admit it, we can’t help but watch most people crash & burn under the panel's scrutiny. We are ready to accept the canny few may make a deal, that's the television element after all, the small chance, against all odds etc... I'd wager that living vicariously suits most of us - for example, where would the James Bond franchise be if we were all superb at espionage!? Not so many people would be queueing up to watch action flicks & romcoms if the kind of content within happened to us all everyday I'm sure.

My mum & partner tell me they like checking in on where I'm 'swanning off to' next & not wishing to disappoint them, nor you, dear reader, I travelled the following day to the fair city of Cambridge. It would have been Frankie Manning's birthday last Saturday, so in his honour, swing dancers across the globe jazz danced their hearts out a little more than usual! I'm delighted the following film has reached it's initial goal to be made and fully legally licensed & urge you to check this out. A few more donations are needed to ensure closed captioning & graphics for the hearing impaired. The story of American Social dance... can't wait!
But first I'm going to go actually contribute to the cause myself...!



The story of social dancing continues of course & we’ve been very busy with prep for the bluesFusion weekend these last few weeks! We are inviting dancers to share with us why they love dancing – Blues or Fusion dancing specifically, because we want to celebrate this & engage people to make sure we give them what they want for this seminal weekend! From next monday, we will be posting a clip online & in the facebook group each week, showing why the top international guys love Blues & Fusion so much - we hope you join in & tell us why you love it here too!

Epilogue: Cambridge meant re-uniting with dancers friends not seen in years. A quite epic weekend was had, I thank my recent hosts with the mosts as always for sharing their lives with me for the brief moments we spend together. They are a key part of this amazing journey I'm making.
Oh, and where am I off to next? Manchester, Stoke, Coventry & Birmingham in the next 6 days. Amsterdam Lindy Exchange is on the horizon too. #ThisIsTheLife

Win win

#epicwin about sums it up. The last month I mean. & not just for MCFC! I've done so many of my favourite things - I'll list them later all later, to be sure. But I begin with a shout out to a fantastic dancer I had the great privilege to work with on friday, one Miss Cat Foley. I link to her blog here as she has just been booked to stage manage for the Herrang dance camp. Swing dancers of the world will instantly know this is a BIG deal. Non Swingsters, take a look at the link if you want the background, but it's basically the biggest Swing camp in the world, occurring in Sweden yearly since 1982 & everyone who is anyone has been or is going.

Well, except for yours truly that is, you'd think that my 'year of dance' would have to include said festival, wouldn't you? But due to other travels, events & work, I simply couldn't fit it in this year. I am often a bit hesitant to do things when I hear 'you must go, everyone else is going'. I'm so not in with the in crowd, & never have been. That's not necessarily always a good thing perhaps, but I am what I am. Cat will fly the flag for @vintagedancers for me I have no fear.

So, on to this month's learnings & the list of my favourite things 'bagged & tagged' this month. That means done, mum! ;)

I laughed, I cried (with laughter & with sadness), I danced to loads of great music. I caught up with old friends & made new ones, I witnessed generosity & kindness from many quarters... I slept!
I ate well, I sampled fine wines & national drinks (60% Slovakian plum liquor to be exact - #notforwimps),  I contorted my body in new ways (see below please), I had a spa day, I went to the pictures #avengersassemble.

I made it halfway up my first climbing wall, tried my first off ground assault course (you're tethered on a rope storeys up, & you swing, jump & balance yourself across tightropes, moving logs, rope walls etc. All in the name off fun. Apparently. I literally did cackle my way around most of it, have one actual panic, & get stuck in properly for the rest of it (honestly! ;) )

The night before we had partied til 8am (not a typo) and this video is of an impromptu social dance 'performance' with a lovely guy from Kilkenny. I'll post the video in the comments box below when I get a copy. I'd met him that day as he'd attended the day of workshops I was delivering for JiveInferno. What a crowd! They really embraced the bluesFusion we did.

I loved having the time to stay a few extra days & attend one of their weekly nights. An afterparty til 5.30am with dancing in the front room brought the last night of the weekend to a perfect close. A BIG shout out to my 2 awesome chauffeurs for the weekend - you know who you are!

Learnings? Well, they say you get out out what you put in - I think I'd rephrase & say you get what you think you deserve. Harsh perhaps, but true. This is all at the subconscious level ofcourse. I'm sure when it happens most of us don't consciously believe we deserve to be messed around, ignored or used. Yet we can let that happen if we're not consciously demanding better. I'm speaking both professionally & personally here. As per. You'll know what I mean if I explain it thus...

You know when you go into someone's house & if it's really spic and span you're on your best behaviour to keep it so? Then there are those times when you go somewhere & it's frankly a tip. Some people 'do a Monica' and try and clean up the tip, but most people will be tidier in the tidy house than they will be in the tip - we naturally preserve the status quo, unless our values (or OCD) are stronger!

So, I urge anyone that hasn't already - figure out how you want to be treated & set the standard! And as I often say - always, always seek to upgrade, every time you can darling! Oh and ALWAYS be brave and ask that gorgeous guy or gal to dance!

Everything in moderation...

It's my Dad's birthday today. It's also my sister and brother-in-laws wedding anniversary.  So I'm taking time to celebrate all 3 of them today.

Here I sit backstage at an international dance event to rival most: Bristol Swing Festival. Instructors have flown in from Canada and around Europe and the UK to impart their wisdom with the 180+ participants. I attended the event as a punter last year and am excited for the people about to launch into this year's event!

So whilst the excitement builds during the first taster class and people begin to mingle I have positioned myself neatly in the staging area (aka the back office) so I can take some time to celebrate the wonder that is My Dad.

As you'll likely have read, this tour has presented me with many wonderful ups and a couple of spectacular downs. Throughout it all, my family have been a constant source of support: financial, emotional, practical, whimsical...

As part of my tour I set myself several goals, most of which have been shared here before. What I may not have shared with you is that for significant dates and birthdays throughout the year, I am creating gifts, rather than buying them. For someone who cannot draw or make things with her hands (to an aesthetically pleasing or functional level in any case), this means the gift of song, the gift of poetry, the gift of film & now, the gift of prose.

So I'm going to wish my father a very happy birthday by sharing with you lots that I love and appreciate about him, & by celebrating the times we have shared as well as the ones he has helped to finance. So this one's for you Dad: :)



... One of my earliest memories is of my dad's bright yellow Corsair (I think this is the right one!). It was followed my a metallic aquamarine Honda Civic 5 door hatchback methinks. I know he had a Vauxhall Viva, but the memory is hazy... If memory serves on one trip in particular we broke down, and in the days before mobiles we had to hot foot it to the closest phone box - the AA callbox we used to #phoneafriend is still situated approximately 1 mile from the BP garage near Knutsford on the A556 & I smile every time I pass it to this day. I had been visiting him for the summer and had literally brought half my bedroom with me, we had a 1 mile trek with Casio keyboard with plastic cover, which I remember blew about in the wind a lot, suitcase(s), brown faux leather 12"record case, which I think possibly broke during the walk....

What I'm impressing on you is not my elephantine memory (which has been remarked upon many times afore), but rather his commitment to just 'get on' with the task at hand. He does this better than anyone I know.

Fast forward a good few years & we find ourselves in Hong Kong to celebrate the union of my sister and her long time love & now father to my gorgeous nephews. We stayed in a Philip Stark designed hotel don't cha know! The wedding took the day and my dad and I, with beer, banter and monkey nuts took the night. A wonderfully vibrant city, offering amongst many things a stunning skyline, welcoming atmosphere & rather fabulous afternoon teas. A hangover from colonial times which we can debate another time, suffice to say several emporiums were sampled & provided an elegant sufficiency. Sufficiency of the afternoon tea or the beer you ask? Why, both of course!


Time in mainland China was spent with a host family (my brother in law grew up with a their son and they had not long migrated back to their native land). We marvelled that each table in the restaurant had it's own grill in the middle. You selected your choices from a fantastic array of meat, fish & vegetables at the very large buffet style counter, and then grilled your food at table to your own personal liking. This is a win-win (my favourite thing!) for us as I like chicken and red meat 'just safe', my dad and sister enjoy them 'well done' enough to be what can best be termed 'nuked'! I approve of this approach in a restaurant and wish there were (more?) eateries like this in the UK...

But I digress, again... Birthdays are funny things - we celebrate the passing of time since our mums 'got on with it'. My Dad's mum was surely the most warm-hearted of women. For me she literally defined the word 'lovely' & despite over 15 years passing since she departed this earth I know we all think of her & celebrate her beautiful spirit often.

So this post is about taking the time to say thanks to our blood, in laws & loved ones. Those that make time when they have none. Those that smile, make a brew & listen to my tales from the road when their day has been long and their activities often strenuous.

In short: I say thanks to My Dad. I wish my sister & brother in law every happiness always & salute their daily investment to be amazing parents.

A toast, dear reader: To My Dad (& of course yours should you wish to join in). May he remain a source of quiet strength & inspiration, may he 'live long & prosper', may he enjoy a steady 'few scoops' this evening (& beyond) &... may he have enjoyed these words!

Victor/victorious

You might be shocked & saddened to hear that I experienced a rather large loss just 48 hours ago. At a dance night someone helped themselves to my leather jacket (with smartphone & car keys in), and my bag containing my best dance shoes, purse, perfume, event flyers, shades, torch... all the essentials for a girl on the road!

After the initial shock had worn off, I, as is customary for me, thought about how I could turn this into a positive? It didn't take me long. In my last post I think I mentioned something about me wanting to reduce the time and energy I spend on facebook - quickly accomplished! I am STILL without a phone and have another 72 hours to endure yet - the longest since I purchased my first one over 10 years ago!

I consider it a gift that I have been left with more of my own thoughts during inbetween times yesterday and today - eg upon waking, at the bus stop (my spare car keys were on their way to me), in a queue, any spare second used to be spent checking for messages, updates, new likes on my page! & whilst I doubt I'll abandon facebook any time soon, the amount of time I have regained is noticeable, so I thank you thief, for that. New hard soled brogues with a block heel (on my list of things to acquire - now accomplished!). Thank you thief. 

In addition, the outpour of support and help from all quarters has been so uplifting, again, I choose to thank the thief! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating thievery as an admirable profession - even though I DO love Hustle! I am pointing out that we can't control what happens to us but we can control how we react to it, & every so often something happens to show us something exciting about ourselves that we just keep overlooking. I always knew I was generally pretty great in a crisis, but during this one I was assisted very closely by a very new friend during my 'critical' 24 hours afterwards. Numbers for lost/stolen cards & phones were found for me, supper was prepared for me (at 2am). Firefly was deployed to suitably distract me til I finally gave in to sleep around 4am... Emergency cash was also lent to me - by someone I had met only an hour or so before! AND surrounding roads and gardens were scouted for me, in the hope of finding a jettisoned pair of #sweatysize4s.

Next morning, a replacement designer leather jacket was offered to me & I woke to dozens of well wishes on facebook - #oohtheirony! 

This post was due to be about how much I enjoy dancing Switch (Lead &/or Follow), hence the Victor/Victoria pun. I still wish to celebrate that but may save some of it til next time. Before all this drama I had just been back up to Newcastle for a Love Balboa weekend with Zack Richard & Maryse LeBeau. Fab dancers, cool types - they invited me over there to stay with them. Looks like I'll have to fit in Canadia too when I pop across the pond. Shame... Here's a (very short!) video of me dancing with Zack from Montreal, courtesy of Jazzy Lemon, #photographeextraordinaire!

Soon after dancing here I swooped through Yorkshire for another couple of quick Balboa fixes with BalboaNorth (Leeds) & Bella Balboa (Sheffield). Then, Cotswold Balboa Festival for a full one! What is there to say about this except well-executed event? Great crowd, inspirational teachers, oh and as is customary, an awesome afterparty. This came complete with pub dancing - told you I'm at home on this trip - other people wanna get up to it as often as me! Throw in a requested (correction, demanded!) acapella performance from me & superb cardistry from Gontran Galinier - one very talented and hard working guy, & there you have it! The teachers were all from Studio Hop in Toulouse so the people and families there really did have something to moan about this week. I consider myself very lucky to have just had possessions taken. I'd say blessed if I believed. Let's say I'm grateful, thankful... full!


So what was the new fact I needed to learn about myself...? I figured out (properly this time!) that whilst I'll always be strong, resilient, self-reliant, obsessively efficient, a leader, an entrepreneur, businesswoman, performer, entertainer, resourceful - in short, worthy of praise for what I have done / can DO...
I am in fact, loved and cared for - by virtual strangers as well as family and friends - because of WHO I AM.
I daresay the same can be said of you - if you just look again. So, before we all rush to prove ourselves & chase 'new likes', let's BE at peace with who we know we are and the rest will surely follow.

Oh and Gontran and I did a Switch dance - he is 6'5" and it was videoed so you'll see it as soon as I get a copy...Til then, adieu! 

Relocation, relocation, relocation

As promised, the Granite City Livin' the Blues was an epic weekend in more ways than one. Having the privilege to work with Ruby Red and Justin Riley again so soon - this time appearing on the same teaching bill (result)... exactly 4 hour sleeps each night and waking wide awake a few minutes before the alarm, refreshed & recharged? Yes please - that never used to happen!`

Spending lots of time rediscovering solo movement & having the opportunity to dance to a wide range of music throughout the weekend truly helped me reconnect with my mind, body & spirit in a way I've not done for some considerable time. What made it even more special was that I could feel many of the dozens of other dancers around me making the same journey. Taking part in my first Solo Riffin' & Cuttin' competition was liberating & awesome, particularly for a show off like me ;) ... Given that I only discovered this artform 2 weeks ago, coming 2nd in the competition for it was a strong enough debut for my liking.

Not forgetting I sang with The River Devils - one of the strongest Bluesin' outfits in Scotland - for the opening night & I had epic fun doing so! Confessing now that I enjoyed watching the dancing whilst I sang Titanium that it's now officially part of the repertoire, #sothere



A quick video of a bit of social dancing on my last night in Edinburgh. The microphone pick up on the video camera is very sensitive - it seems to hone in on horns (& my vocals) and distorts them ... blurgh...

To round up, as it's time I did: when all around you are losing their heads and blaming it on you? It's time to make a change. I suggest movement - specifically, connect with your body, and then the ground. (In a dancer's case this is the floor, of course!) Always seek to ground yourself before you seek to connect with others. To all my anchors that are there for me whilst I enact 'relocation, relocation relocation': I thank you. Every time I say good bye it is in the knowledge that the parting is only temporary and we will be united again, whether it be through our love of music, dance or some other connection. Whilst the dancing can only be done together, the rest may be felt as we close our eyes an breathe in. So do that if you haven't already. Go on, close your eyes, breathe deeply and think of the best ever connection you ever made. If it was with yourself embrace that with pride. If it was with another, breathe them in too... Who knows, they may be doing just the same thing at this moment...

Stop the Cupidity

An eventful jaunt over to Sheffield occured last thursday whilst on the way to teach Balboa,  as I noticed a small, but nonetheless definite puff of clear smoke emanating from under the bonnet of my trusty Rover 214. Given that this was  the night of the severe weather warnings & I was about to head onto the Snake Pass alone, at dusk, I felt it prudent to summon a roadside assistance representative. I WAS very pleased to see him by the time he turned up 1 hour 10 mins later, whilst the rain poured, the sun departed and the temp dropped... and dropped...
Once Green Flag's Mr G Sharp (I kid you not) had arrived, he did his job superbly, & even collected me from the McDonald's down the road where I had fled (still in the freezing rain) for a well overdue pitstop. My host in Sheffield was also most understanding & a Balboa-related disaster was, you'll be pleased to know, averted.













This week I focus on messages - over and above what we ourselves type, what messages are we set to receive? What (literal & metaphorical) messages are we putting out there all the time, and how conscious of them are we?

Depth charged fun delivering a Blues workshop for bluesFusion in Edinburgh. Not one to disappoint the fans I sang a couple of songs and on Facebook the next morning they declared: "You have an amazing voice, beautiful  tunes on Sunday, thank you, xXx" This is the kind of message I travel, at varying levels of comfort and & get to bed/get up at 4am where necessary for!

A late night commute back to Glasgow, abundant with banter, snacks & a 2 am round up after a fine vintage. That'll do. A lovely vibe & my guest spot was fun - a mind-expanding intermediate class rounded off the night:  "Great class, very useful tips that made a real difference to the look and feel of the dance - thanks Velody, catch up with you again soon!"
Sarah, Glasgow Lindy Hoppers.

4 Valentine's in the inbox & I felt quite loved up the next morning. Mind you, I choose to feel that way! Not least because I place a high value on connection & embracing the entire experience, whatever it be.

Again, the messages I work for continued this week as I shared a recent song for the new likes on my facebook page (I'm entrusting the universe to achieve 500+ likes for my birthday!)

"nice song, it calmed me down" ... From what, he didn't expand but it spurs me to continue my lyric writing for tunes I'll be debuting in Aberdeen for Livin' the Blues. Who knows what we all go through between our connections? I do know this, I choose to boldly go...

We're jammin'

Gratifying as it is to achieve the recognition of one's peers, elders, betters, wisers... this post is about recognising when we make brave choices & highlighting how our lives are enriched when we do so. I have seen this in others so frequently over the last week or so. Despite muscle aches, lack of sleep, & not packing a hat for this week in London (brrrrrr!) it continues to be an unadulterated pleasure to walk (& dance!) on this earth.
Last weekend I had the privilege of compering and singing at DJam, a highlight on the UK Swing weekender calendar, & it brought a lovely end to my first & longest residency whilst on the road for my year of dance (& related activities). It's been a pleasure to start my year with Lindy Jazz & I look forward to next year's DJam!

A breath in between killer teacher social dances...

European Blues Invasion was at once uplifting, humbling & eye-poppingly stunning. It is not an underestimation to say that it has changed the way I will move forever. Not one to be shy at getting down I was surrounded by many likebodied others & from the moment the first class kicked off I just knew I was home. Whoever said you can't live on the road and still have one hasn't met this crew!

For those of you that want to see what I'm on about check the feedback & feel the love on facebook.
Watching & getting into solo dance offs (called cutting) at a level I've only previously seen onscreen really was something - the vibe in there was MASSIVE! Whilst I have wicked admiration for our visiting instructors who keep this alive at world class cutting edge level, an even bigger shout has to go to people who'd never done this before - including beginners - who all went in with serious attitude & kicked ass!
Oh and yours truly made it into the Finals in my first Blues Jack & Jill competition too - that was a seriously fun comp! ... If you are reading this and are in possession of a cool image or video from the jams or parties, then post away here!

Swingin' out between singing and MCing!

I took the plunge and did a dance clinic in public (where you get a mini private lesson whilst people watch you). If you ever thought those watching would be looking for your flaws, I can tell you I only felt respect and admiration at going first (or even at all). I picked up some great pointers as did the whole group. Which brings me neatly back to making brave choices and being proud to do so - we hear phrases like no pain no gain & throw them away, but ALL the instructors were inspirational to me and not just because of what they can do now. It's the commitment they've consistently made over the years to get where they are & that they encourage those following in their awesome footsteps to be courageous too. I had a moment on the dancefloor last night where time literally stood still & I suddenly cried in joy at how my life is moving forward. Whenever I am asked why I put up with with 4 hours sleep or less per night for days on end whilst working it for 15+ hours per day I can only reply thus: The freedom, connection & courage that we build through dancing...? Priceless.

So, adieu til next time, when I report back from my first Balboa class with Jeremy & Laura tomorrow night & head off to pass that inspiration onto dancers in Sheffield.