Save the date - Christmas Speakeasy

Christmas Speakeasy

7:30pm-late, One Church, 14 December - Brighton

What’s happening?

Dapper up to celebrate the return of the Twenties at our Christmas Speakeasy! Swivel across the dance floor with our DJ and enjoy our ‘Performance Show’ where our fantastic students get to be the stars of the night in their end of year performance. Ragtime Rascals, Our fun-time flappers, will also be there to entertain you and help you pick up the steps on the dance floor.

Who’s Performing?

You! This is your chance to take centre stage as all students who take part in the final course of the year can perform their end of year dance. This is a great chance to invite friends and family who can see what you have been up to in the studio and just enjoy dancing in an relaxed and supportive environment. Performing is not compulsory but we do encourage you to dress-up and to give it a go! Book onto the November course here

Our fantastic all female dance troupe of flappers, Ragtime Rascals, are also rustling up a brand new routine to debut at the party! whilst Fiona and Elena will also be putting together a teachers number. Take a peak at their last duet at Brighton Spiegeltent.

What should I wear?

Don your pearls and braces and step into the Christmas Speakeasy for an evening of Hot Jazz, decadent dance and outstanding performances. Think Bright Young Things and Great Gatsby! Embrace your inner Louise Brooks, Josephine Baker and Coco Channel. Tassels, furs and sequins are a must. It’s Christmas, so the more sparkle the better. If you need tips on hair and make-up check out our blog piece on how to get the 1920s look.

Where can I get an outfit from? See below our recommendations

Dresses

Shoes

extra bits

Where is it?

The Christmas Speakeasy will be taking place at One Church, Gloucester Pl, Brighton BN1 4AA

 

Where can I get a ticket?

Tickets are £12 in advance or £15 on the door but tickets are limited so book in advance to avoid missing out.

Can I request a song?

Absolutely! We are creating a Stick on Playlist so if there is a song that you would love to dance to in keeping with the era (No Spice Girls please) then add it to the list below and see look forward to seeing you there!

MOVE IT 2019

MOVE IT is the world’s biggest dance event, celebrating all forms of dance and the performing arts across three amazing days. Big names in the dance world grace the stage at the Excel London every year and 2019 was no exception. This years headliners included Strictly Come Dancing power couple Neil and Katya Jones, JLS frontman Aston Merrygold and Greatest Dancer winner Ellie Ferguson. Needless to say that once we had been accepted to perform on the Main Stage and teach at this years show I felt excited, nervous, honoured and a bit sick…

Move it 2019 - Main Stage

When you are dancing and sharing a stage alongside the hottest artists and talent in the UK we had to pull out all the stops. Planning started back in December with Fiona and our dance captain Rachel on what our show stopping performance was going to be. After hours of brain storming we chose the song ‘Hold that Tiger’ by the California Feetwarmers and put together a circus themed routine: The Ringmaster and her Tigers. 

Over the next 9 weeks the team worked endlessly on every little detail on the performance. Rachel put together a fantastic routine and our 12 piece troupe worked extra hours in bringing it together. Alongside of this everyone chipped in on the finer details. One afternoon Elena and dance troupe member Mila spent 6 hours preparing the dresses and making 22 tiger ears! Another dancer, Serafine, was awake until 1.30am the night before sewing the ringmasters costume whilst Rachel spent the day painting a barrel to turn into a podium. These may seem like small things to worry about but all the small details bring the performance together. Alongside of music, there is also the logistics, the extra studio bookings, the music that needs cutting, the transport to get there and the hair and make-up which needs to uniformed.

Fiona Ring and Elena Collins at MOVE IT 2019

The energy on the day was electric however the team were controlled, prepared and pulled out what we consider one of our best performances to date. Our number was between the Greatest Dancer finalists and we delighted by the crowds energy and enthusiasm for us on stage. We were the only Charleston act there, nearly everything else was contemporary or street so we felt we brought something totally different to the stage. We were properly also the oldest dancers there, most performers where bendy 16 year olds auditioning for stage school but we felt proud to show that dance is for everyone regardless of age… and how unbendy you are!

After the performance I felt quite emotional. I am so proud of our dancers and of how far our team have come together. Fiona, Rachel and I started working together 5 years ago and I never dreamed that MyCharleston would be on the Main Stage of MOVE IT. It really was a dream come true… and to top it off we even got a snap with Neil and Katya from Strictly!

Rachel teaching at Move it 2019

Rachel and Elena with the Strictly Come Dancing Pros.

After the performance we taught a sold out workshop which was a master class in Charleston where Portsmouth and Ryde teacher Mel joined us. It was great fun and a privilege to be the only people teaching Charleston over the whole weekend. 

Our video from the performance will be released soon so keep an eye our for the final video! 

Elena

The Ring Master and her Tigers. MyCharleston dance troupe at Move It 2019.