Free Taster Class - 31 August

Join our free Charleston taster dance class on 31st August 10-11am at Open Space Studios, Hove.

At the taster class you will learn to dance solo Charleston and other classic vintage steps moves from the Roaring 20s. With music that will put a swing in your step and a smile on your face this fun class is open to all levels. We will cover the most iconic moves from the Golden Age of Jazz and put them together in a short group routine. All our Charleston dance classes are solo, so no need to bring a partner.

Places are limited so sign up for free.

The Free taster day is in partnership with the Open Space studios, Open Day. We’re expecting these free classes to be busy, so it’s essential you book your free place so you don’t have a wasted trip.

Location

 

Directions

The studio is down a very small mews by 64 Davigdor Road. If you are travelling from Seven Dials it is just after the zebra crossing by Montefiore Road. Go past St Mary and St Abraam Coptic Church and the mews is on the left directly opposite Preece House, a large red brick office building. There is a sign at the top of the mewes.

There is no parking down the mews so please park in the large Wickes Car Park. You are allowed to park here for a maximum of two hours for free. If you park at Wickes, come up the car park, turn left and the mews is just a 30 second walk, on your right side before the church.

5 and half tips on how to Charleston Partner Dance

When I first started to learn how to partner dance I thought it wasn’t for me. I found it very hard to adjust to being led, where traditionally the male dancer leads his female partner around the floor and he dictates the steps that the pair will do. Having danced my whole life by myself, it felt quite alien to have to hold onto to someone, let know being told what to do! However, over time I have fallen in love with this style and now regularly teach private partner Charleston lessons.

Over the past few months, I have been working with a few different couples. Some have focused on traditional 1920s Charleston where we cover each week different steps and techniques. With another couple, I have been working on their first dance for their wedding. A romantic ballad with simple partner steps.

Having worked with many couples, you begin to spot common things that people find tricky. If you are wanting to start to partner dance or you have just started, here are my 5 (and a half) tips which you can add to your personal practice.

1. Have a strong frame - Frame is vital, not only in partner Charleston dancing but, in any genre. It’s how the dancers are connected and move as one. If you have a weak frame it becomes impossible for the two dancers to know what is coming next as partner dancing is all about responding to each other’s signals.

2. Keep eye contact - Eye contact is everything in partner dancing, if you can’t look your partner in the face how are you going to be able to read what is going to be next. Sometimes it does feel a bit weird staring at someone you have just met in a social situation but don’t let it put you off and enjoy being in the moment. 

3. Take decisive steps - If you are the lead and commit to a turn, a walk or change of direction, you must be clear in your move so the follow understands your decision. If you are too timid the follow cannot guess what move you are trying to do. Equally, the follow must respond with a decisive move too. 

4. Practicing switching roles - If you have a regular dance partner, try switching roles to see what it is like for other dancer. This technique will also help you work on your frame and the signals you give to each other for each move.

5. Listen to the music - Find your groove with the song and try your best to dance to the beat of the track. When you lock in with the music, the dance becomes a lot easier and more enjoyable for the both of you.

Oh and my final piece of advice, is to remember to laugh and embrace mistakes! Learning to partner dance is all about the enjoyment of learning to dance with someone special, so if things go wrong it doesn’t matter as practice makes perfect.

If you would like to find out more about booking private lessons or need help with your first dance just fill in the enquiry form below.

Elena :)

Private Lesson Enquiry Form

Everything you need to know about a Charleston Hen Party

Planning a hen party for your best friend or yourself can be a lot of hard work. Many things starts to crop up such as budget, location and accommodation not to mention what the activities are going to be. Having just organised my own hen party, the most important thing is to find an activity which is inclusive and breaks the ice. There will be groups of girls who may have never met each other before so finding an something which gets everyone participating in, and most importantly having a good laugh, is ideal. 

Our Charleston hen parties tick all the boxes in terms of getting the party started. A vintage dance lesson is the perfect afternoon activity as they are inclusive, you can dress up, you will have a giggle and learn something new - maybe even a routine to perform on the wedding dance floor?

If the bride to be loves all things vintage then this is also the perfect opportunity to transform her into iconic flapper girl. Grab your pearls, bring headbands and pull on your gloves. Of course, if dressing up is not your thing, you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in but it’s a nice touch to add a spot of glamour to your day especially if you are planning a vintage hen party. At the dance class we will factor in some short breaks so you can take snaps and videos of you in your finery and the teacher can take some group shots at the end of the session.

At the Charleston hen party, your packages include an hour and half dance class including warm up, fun games and a simple Charleston routine. We ensure that the routine is something that can be done at whatever your level and always includes the most iconic steps of the era.. We have 4 packages on offer which include learning the Charleston, a Chorus line routine or a dance inspired from the musicals Chicago. We put a lot of effort in putting together a great playlist to match to get your toes tapping and knees knocking!

MyCharleston hen party

MyCharleston hen party

MyCharleston hen party

Our most popular slots are straight after lunch and perfect if you are wanting to combine it with other vintage activities. 

We host all our hen parties in public venues, in the best dance studios in the centre of city which we can source for you making sure you have exclusive use of the space for the afternoon making you feel as comfortable as possible.

Prices vary depending on group size so please get in touch for a quote as we would love to host a Charleston hen party for you!

Make an enquiry

We're making a Busby Berkeley style film and we need you!

This years summer courses will culminate in a film project inspired by Busby Berkeley. This is our second year of running a programme of adult dance classes for those of us who are still around in August! Having done a number of big film projects, this summer we thought we would change things by using a new filming technique. To hear the grand plan, watch my VLOG below!

My background is in documentaries and in many ways I haven’t moved with the times since leaving production. But my awareness of drone cameras and gimbals as affordable technology gave me a new idea - the big aerial shot! Kaleidescope images and chorus dancers instantly filled my imagination, they were of course, inspired by Busby Berkeley.

If you don’t know his work then prepare yourself for the surreal, giant golden bananas, cameras tracking through an alley of legs and geometric patterns created by an army of dancers, to incredible effect.

It comes as no surprise to discover Berkeley was in the Army; In charge of 1,200 men, split into six ‘batteries’. He arranged to give each of the six batteries a unique plan to create interesting patterns of marches. He was also an aerial observer, giving him experience in viewing formations from above.

This view point was later realised in his film work. His iconic aerial shots created patterns, which seamlessly changed shape although the dancers who created them got little credit. In Berkeley’s numbers it was the camera that was the star and it’s been said that he treated the crew with a greater respect than the dancers.

Berkeley was as much a filmmaker as a choreographer but to me he is a master of movement composition. He created techniques that combined moving sets, with moving dancers, with moving cameras to create an effect that tricks the eye. The fantastical illusions he created have been copied through the decades and each reinvention feels fresh.

I am someone who has to work hard to scale down my vision. Like Berkeley I tend to think big and more than once Elena has had to bring me back down to earth. Since conceiving the idea we’ve found out the laws around using drones have recently been made much more restrictive. But we are so inspired by Berkeley’s work, we’re not going to retreat now.

So how are we going to do this? Well I hate to get technical but we do have a gimbal and a ninja rod! All we need now is an army of dancers … or the very least a ‘battery’.

The course dates are 6-27th August from 6-7pm at Open Space Studios in Hove. The filming date is provisionally set for evening of 30th August in central Brighton. We really hope you can join us for this project and you can sign up below!

This weekend: Charleston Ceilidh with South East Dance

Charleston is a social dance from the 1920’s it’s highly energetic and works perfectly as a Ceilidh.  As a social dance the Charleston uses patterns, rotating partners and wedding arches to create a dance which anyone can join in. We call the moves, set the positions and after a quick walk through you’ll be dancing to music.

We will be running a thirty minute Charleston Ceilidh at Tarner Park on Sat 29 June at 6pm. It is part of a big dance event called ‘Our City Dances’ so there are loads of opportunities to watch and learn throughout the day.

We are particularly excited about the Charleston Ceilidh, although we have been doing what is effectively a Ceilidh for years this is our first official event and we have three great dances ready for you to try. 

If your interested in dance but have never made it to a class then this is a great way to try it out.  We will of course teach you the basic Charleston and then get you into groups and walk you through the first dance. We’ve have cherry picked the best dance moves, so you get to experience the humour and energy which characterises this dance.

We hope to have a core group of people who dance with us regularly so they can support those who are joining for the first time. The Charleston community is known for being friendly and inclusive so do tell your friends and encourage them to come along for what promises to be a great event.

For the full programme Our City Dances click here

Guest Blog: A journey through dance and anxiety

Dance has always been a part of my life and listening to music causes my imagination to create dance routines in my head. So when I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety I sort refuge in dancing.

Enabling my brain to shut off the anxious voices for an hour and absorb myself in the music and routine, helped me refocus on my positive thoughts. These hours were the highlight of my week and would help me get out of bed in the morning.

Students in a MyCharleston Class

The fact you can express yourself through dance is also something that focused my mind. Charleston is a very cheeky dance, so your face has to show that. By putting on a happy mask, it reminded me of what it felt like to smile and it became easier to do it again and it was good to feel those happy hormones in my body.

Dancing (any exercise) has been proven to release the positive hormones in our bodies, which help rebalance the chemicals in our brain. I was strongly encouraged by my doctor and the ladies at My Charleston to increase the amount of physical activity I was doing throughout the week to encourage the production of these hormones. 

I strongly believe that dance has helped speed up my recovery. I would advise anyone to find the things you love and hang on to them - remind yourself in those dark times of your illness how good life is and how much enjoyment you get from it. I know this pulled me back from oblivion a few times.

If you are experiencing anxiety or depression you can access services through your GP. If you would like to try dance but feel nervous we will happily chat to you about ways to softly introduce you into a class. 

Everything you need to know about The Black Bottom

The next course routine Black Bottom, has a fascinating history so before you learn the MyCharleston version, here is some background on the dance and a great selection of video clips for you to enjoy along with a sneak peek of the next course routine.  

The Black Bottom was the next dance fad to hit America after the Charleston became popular in the 1920s.  The dance itself consists of a number of moves the most iconic being the one where you slap the floor and then slap both bum cheeks. You would be forgiven for thinking this cheeky bit of choreography is how the dance got it’s name but it was in fact named after a district in Detroit. 

MyCharleston have been dancing the Black Bottom for many years the routine we originally learnt was by The Dance Jubilee Troupe and was filmed in the 1950s. I suspect the original dance was nothing like this, in fact it’s more of a foot shuffle. However in this routine you see a move where you jump between four contrasting postures, it’s like an exaggerated version of “Itches” and has become iconic within the Black Bottom catalogue of moves. 

Like the Charleston this is a dance which originates from African Americans and was then adopted by mainstream American Culture. The dance is so steeped in history that I could write a whole thesis on it but I won’t. Let me finish by saying there are many versions of the dance and the tune Black Bottom. For the next course we’ve selected the Spike Jones version. So pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy these clips of dancers, musicians and singers all performing the Black Bottom …

Black Bottom from the film The Best Things in Life Are Free

Singing Black Bottom - Judy Garland in A Star is Born

To book your spot on the MyCharleston courses, head over to our classes page

Original photos from 1920s

Original posters from 1920s

Ragtime Dazzle Dazzle Highlights

MyCharleston’s Brighton Fringe event, Ragtime Razzle Dazzle was a great success as we danced and partied through the afternoon. The ambition this year was to shift the emphasis from performance to participation, so we couldn’t be more pleased when we received a review saying, “It was the most glamorous and inclusive dance event at the Spiegeltent”

Dance Taxi

The “Dance Taxis” were a big hit as they created real engagement from the moment people entered the space. We gave everyone a dance card with a list of moves to learn. They could then hail a ride and a dance taxi showed them the essential moves. I think this old time tradition which goes back to the time of the Savoy, has definitely got some mileage at a modern day dance event. You only need to show people a few moves to make them feel more confortable about getting up and having a dance.

This year’s band went for an early jazz style and kicked off with a New Orleans inspired walkabout. It was a daring bit of theatre for us as we processed behind the sousaphone player, singing, clapping and dancing. Would people join in or just look at us blankly? We had barely passed the stage when I looked back and saw a full crowd of people had joined the line and were joining us in voice and movement. That moment was such a thrill to witness.

The afternoon flew by with some elements the same as previous years, we couldn’t loose the classes because that's the thing that brings everyone together on the dance floor. We dropped the ‘Strictly’ contest this year and that created a lot more space for dancing and enjoying the band. However, we still raised £100 for the charity Mind through the tips our dance taxis earnt. The dance off, as always was a big highlight, watching people go for it with absolute abandonment is such a joy. Thank you everyone for your giving it everything and a huge congratulations to Carol, this years winner. Thank you also to the new MyCharleston Troupe, watching all ten of them performing and dancing together in synchronicity has so much impact.

MyCharleston dance troupe

At MyCharleston we want to encourage anyone to give dance a go, we’ve never used the word ‘inclusive’ to describe ourselves but that's absolutely at the heart of what we do. Watching the two hours of footage from the event, everyone looks so happy but of course that's not all down to us. The Charleston community is such a vibrant collection of people who all seem to have two things in common, a sense of fun and a love of dance.  

Ragtime theme for this years Brighton Fringe

The MyCharleston Speakeasy has been part of Brighton Fringe for three years, so this year we decided on a new theme, The Ragtime. We choose the title ‘Ragtime Razzle Dazzle’ and the creative planning began.

It was important for us that it remained an event for people who love to dress-up, party and dance. We thought rather than acts and performances we would create a series of happenings that draw people into a procession of dance and music.

Happy Flapper letting loose on the dance floor MyCharleston Speakeasy 2018

Elena and I are big fans of New Orleans marching bands, it’s such infectious music you can’t help moving to it. This early jazz style was a development from ragtime, so we thought we would start with some simple stride piano and then get the party started with a New Orleans inspired walkabout.

As we continued to dig into the archives we discovered a tradition called “Dance Taxis” which dates back to 1906. At socials you could hire these dancers to show you the latest dance moves. The MyCharleston Troupe will be on hand at to show you the latest moves and any tips will be donated to the charity Mind.

The Dance Taxi’s service will be hosted by the MyCharleston Troupe

If you’ve never been to the Spiegeltent it’s a truly magical venue - a circular tent with colored glass windows, seated booths and a dance floor at its centre. Being in the round makes it a very welcoming space to have a boogie with friends. As in previous year Elena and I will invite everyone onto the floor to learn the Charleston and a short fun routine.

The band will be keeping the dance floor stomping with our lively team of Charleston dancers. These cheeky ladies have a few surprises planned to keep everyone on their toes! I don't what’s going to happen but when it happens we’ll know it.

Re-inventing a successful event like the MyCharleston Speakeasy means taking risks. For Elena and I, the old saying “if ain’t broke don’t fix it” was in our minds as we decided what to keep and what to lose.

The Ragtime Razzle Dazzle definitely shifts the emphasis from performance to participation. Our biggest hope is that we create a space where people can just let go and dance.

See highlights from last years Speakeasy, Brighton Fringe 2018 and book now for next weeks event

Cheeky Charleston dancers go on protest in Portsmouth

Five cheeky Charleston dancers slipped into Knight & Lee and sneakily filmed a hat swapping dance sequence on the escalators. They then tried their luck dancing on the staircase before making a hasty retreat. Many people wished them well and said how much they would missed the store when it closes in July 2019.

Bouyed up by the support the dancers then stopped traffic with a chorus line number on the zebra crossing. This small but quirky demo against the closure of John Lewis was good humoured and entertaining. The organisers at MyCharleston said they wanted to capture the store's charm before it closed. The video they have made is a tribute to all the staff at Knight & Lee, Southsea.

Fiona, co-founder of MyCharleston said ‘we wanted to capture the store's charm before it closes. We are hoping the footage from Knight & Lee can be part of a bigger project called I Charleston the World.’

MyCharleston began five years ago by making a film called 'I Charleston Brighton' film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqaJcW7Redo

MyCharleston have been running dance classes in Portsmouth for over a year,they have been really successful with courses often selling out. The Portsmouth group are very lively and always up for fun projects. The 'I Charleston Portsmouth' film will be set to a tune called 'Are You All Reet' by Cab Calloway. it's perfect for Pompey as it sums up the catch phrase 'All Reet'