Videos: Watch our Spring Jazz and Musical Routines

Watch the videos from our latest Jazz and Musicals Routines taught in Brighton and Hove and Online.

The Charleston ROUTINE

Intermediate Level

Musicals - One, Singular Sensation, Hove Group

Musicals - One, Singular Sensation, ONLINE Group

DO YOUR THING - JAZZ GROUP

Videos: Watch our 'Let's Take The Maxwell' Routines

Watch the videos from our latest Open Level Charleston Course 'Let’s Take the Maxwell’. This routine was taught across Brighton & Hove, Lewes, Eastbourne, Portsmouth, Worthing and Online. Our teaching team have also been busy in Darlington, Devon, Cleethorpes, Italy and Holland! See if you can spot yourself or a friend!

Hove Morning GROUP

hOVE Evening GROUP

Brighton GROUP

Lewes gROUP

EASTBOURNE gROUP

PORTSMOUTH gROUP

Worthing gROUP

Online gROUP

Videos: MyCharleston Speakeasy 2023

The MyCharleston Speakeasy is always a special event but this year we had the most fantastic and enthusiastic crowd ever. Without any encouragement people hit the dance floor the moment the doors opened and they were still dancing with gusto at the end. 

Big thank to our dancers, The Moxie Dolls, Sam and the Jazz Cats but mostly to everyone came and danced their little socks off for three hours. We’ve captured as much as the day as possible and here are performances from the Great Show and the official promo video

Thrift Shop Performance

This Charleston routine combines classic moves with a modern twist. The group who performed were our students from our intermediate group who are based in Hove, UK. This routine was taught part of a 6 week course and all students were invited to perform the routine at the Speakeasy on 20th May.

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The Charleston

An energetic and fun duet performed and choreographed by the founders of MyCharleston Elena and Fiona. We choreographed this routine earlier this year as we wanted to create a routine with included all the classic moves from the 1920s. The choreography includes Charleston variations, Windmills, Shoe Shines and plenty of swivel! This routine has also been taught at intermediate level too over the spring.

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Be My Guest

A cute and quirky solo jazz and Charleston dance routine about welcoming someone into your house. This routine was performed by our teachers who are based across the UK, Europe and Africa. Teachers flew in from Holland and Malawi to join us for this special performance. The teachers are their locations included

Jess - Lewes

Debbie - Eastbourne

Serafine - Worthing

Eleanor - Nottingham

Ellie - Devon

Natalie - Holland

Rachel - Malawi, Africa

Morgan - Brighton

All teaching team also taught this routine to the their open level Charleston groups.

To join an upcoming course this June. Please take a look at our timetable below.

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Find out more about our adult Charleston adult dances classes

Videos: What's on this Summer

Dance with us this summer and take a look at all the routines we will be teaching next term. Charleston to 'Heebie Jeebies’ or dance to 'America' in our West Side Story musicals course.

You can also learn our new ‘When The Saints Go Marching in' dance in our Intermediate Charleston course. Plus, we have a brand new Street course on the way to Lizzo ‘Good as Hell‘. Secure your spot here.

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CHARLESTON COURSE - Heebie Jeebies

we are happy to confirm this is a brand new routine and choreography to the 1920s tune ‘Heebie Jeebiesl‘

BRIGHTON & HOVE LEWES WORTHING PORTSMOUTH ONLINE Eastbourne

Course Dates:

Online via Zoom. Tuesday 12 June - 17 July, 6pm, BST

Brighton: Charleston Course. Wednesday 12 June - 17 July, 7:30-8:30pm

Hove PM: Charleston Course. Tuesday 13 June - 18 July, 6-7pm

Hove AM: Charleston Course. Thursday 15 June - 20 July, 10.30 - 11.30am

Lewes: Tuesday 13 June - 18 July, 6.30-7.30pm, The Body Workshop

Portsmouth: Tuesday 13 June - 18 July 7.30-8.30pm, CourtX

Eastbourne: Wednesday 14 June - 19 July 6:30-7:30pm, Leaf Hall

Worthing: Wednesday 14 June - 19 July 7-8pm, Dance House

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MUSICALS COURSE - WEST SIDE STORY ‘AMERICA’

Our next Musicals Course is inspired by the closing scene from the Musical West Side Story and we will be dancing to ‘America‘.

HOVE ONLINE

Online: via Zoom. Monday 12 June - 17 July, 7pm, BST

Hove: Charleston Course. Tuesday 13 June - 18 July, 7-8pm

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INTERMEDIATE CHARLESTON - The CHARLESTON

On our next Intermediate Charleston course will focus solely on all the classic 1920s steps which make up this genre. We will be focusing on Charleston variations, swivel and how to make your moves look effortless.

Hove: Thursday 15 June - 20 July 7-8pm Open Space Studio

BOOK NOW

STREET JAZZ - LIZZO ‘Feeling good as hell‘

A brand new track set to the tune ‘Feeling Good as Hell‘ by Lizzo will be available this spring and taught by Fiona at Open Space studios from 15 June - 20 July.

BOOK NOW

Hove: Thursday 15 June - 20 July. 6-7pm Open Space Studio

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MyCharleston Speakeasy, 20th May

We are delighted to confirm the date of our the annual MyCharleston Speakeasy is 20th May 2023!

We love hosting Twenties themed events but our absolute favourite is The Speakeasy at the Spiegeltent, Brighton Fringe. What makes the event so magical is the venue itself.  Built in the Twenties, from the outside it looks like a normal canvas tent but when you enter you will understand why Spiegeltent is the Dutch word for ‘Mirror Tent’

Built in the round with stain glass windows and velvet seating booths which surrounds the wooden dance floor, it is the perfect venue for social dancing. You don’t need any dance experience as we will teach you the Charleston and keep you on the dance floor with some simple dances and our six-piece jazz band.

This is a great people watching event too and you will see some fabulous vintage outfits swirling around the dance floor. So when you’re not dancing you can enjoy a cocktail and some entertainment from our Flapper dancers who will perform some classic Twenties routines.

Described as ‘The most inclusive dance event at Brighton Fringe’ we will create a space where anything goes. From glamourous dresses to dungarees, we have seen a full rage outfits over the years, we even once had spiderman! So don’t be shy when choosing your outfit for this event.

The Speakeasy is all about giving the people who come along a good time, it is not a show, you are the event. You will of course learn some dance moves, but you can also dance in any style you choose as we hand the dance floor over to you in the final DJ set.

If you have never been to the Spiegeltent before then take this opportunity to join us for a dance on Saturday 20th May

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Choreographing a Couple of Swells

When Theatre Company ‘Lemon Squeeze’ contacted us about working on the choreography for the latest performance ‘A Couple of Swells’ MyCharleston were delighted to take part. The show is about the lives of two music hall rivals Vesta Tilley & Hetty King who became global superstars as male impersonators in the early 1900s. Vesta was in her day England’s highest earning women, whilst Hetty was reputedly the highest-paid music hall star in the world.

Vesta Tilley & Hetty King - Male Impersonators.

Whilst some archive can be found of these two legends the main inspiration came from July Andrews performance of ‘Burlington Bertie from Bow’ but what appears to be a fairly simple dance routine was in fact a big challenge.

“The time signature is in 3/4 which is a waltz” says Fiona “So at first just locking into that rhythm was a challenge, the next was finding movements which reflected the words of the song but wasn’t relentlessly acting like interpretive dance. I have to say compared to choreographing a Charleston dance, this piece took a lot longer to create which is surprising when you see it as it looks so simple. As a choreographer simplicity is the Holy Grail, my greatest inspiration is Bob Fosse because he keeps the movements so crisp and stark. So throughout the creative process my mantra was pair it down and don’t be too literal”

In this performance of Burlington Bertie, Vesta and Hetty have been thrown together as performers, so the piece needed to show them working collaboratively whilst suggesting the sense of rivalry that existed between them.

Emma and Sarah in rehearsals

“I really enjoyed working with Emma and Sarah on the rivalry factor withing this piece” Says Fiona “As performers they were quite intimidated by the taking on the challenge of a ‘dance piece’ but as we worked together we were able to be playful with the situation between them, using their difference in height to add to the comedy. The fact that Emma and Sarah had an established relationship as performers really helped in the creative process. They were willing to take risks and play with giving their weight to one another and we even created a comedy fall at the end of the piece”

As creating Burlington Bertie was taking so long, Emma and Sarah signed up for our regular Charleston class in Worthing and were able to use that to create moves for the other musical numbers in the show including “Following in Father’s Footsteps. We then looked at these in rehearsal but very little needed to be tweaked as they had done a fantastic job.

“I’ve not read the script so I am really looking forward to seeing them perform it in the festival to see how the musical numbers link together. I think the performance will be a fascinating insight into the world of male impersonators” said Fiona.

If you would like to see the show there are two performances happening in May see below for full details. If you would like choreograph for your next show, MyCharleston have worked with Theatre companies and on films creating movement and dance in a full range of styles.

Full Details:
The Walrus, (Basement), 10 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD
5th and 12th May 2023, duration 55 minutes (no interval)

Pay what you can tickets, from £5
Ticket Link -  https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/a-couple-of-swells/

For a extra giggle, here is an outtake of me and Elena in rehearsals, practising Burlington Bertie:

Videos: Watch our Jazz and Musical Routines

Watch the videos from our latest Jazz and Musicals Routines taught in Brighton and Hove and Online.

Thrift Shop ROUTINE

Intermediate Level

Musicals - Rich Man’s Frug, Hove Group

Musicals - Rich Man’s Frug, ONLINE Group

LADY MARMALADE - JAZZ GROUP

Videos: Watch our 'Be My Guest' Charleston Routine

Watch the videos from our latest Open Level Charleston Course 'Be My Guest'. This routine was taught across Brighton & Hove, Lewes, Eastbourne, Portsmouth, Worthing and Online. Our teaching team have also been busy in Darlington, Devon, Cleethorpes, Italy and Holland! See if you can spot yourself or a friend!

We are just finishing off the edits of Intermediate, Musicals and Street which will be live asap so stay tuned for the remaining videos for last term.

CHARLESTON - Be My Guest ROUTINE

BRIGHTON GROUP

hOVE moRNING GROUP

hOVE Evening GROUP

Lewes gROUP

EASTBOURNE gROUP

PORTSMOUTH gROUP

Worthing gROUP

Online gROUP

Videos: What's on this Spring

Dance with us this spring and take a look at all the routines we will be teaching next term. Charleston to 'Take the Maxwell’ or dance to 'One, Singular Sensation' in our Chorus Line musicals course.

You can also learn our 'Do your Thing’ Street Jazz routine or ‘The Charleston' dance in our Intermediate Charleston course. Secure your spot here.

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CHARLESTON COURSE - Take the Maxwell

we are happy to confirm this is a brand new routine and choreography to the 1920s tune ‘Take the Maxwell‘

BRIGHTON & HOVE LEWES WORTHING PORTSMOUTH ONLINE Eastbourne

Course Dates:

Hove: Charleston Course. Tuesday 18 April - 23 May, 6-7pm

Brighton: Charleston Course. Wednesday 19 April-24 May, 7-8pm

Hove: Charleston Course. Thursday 20 April - 25 May, 10.30 - 11.30am

Lewes: Tuesday 18 April- 23 May, 6.30-7.30pm, The Body Workshop

Portsmouth: Tuesday 18 April- 23 May, 7.30-8.30pm, CourtX

Eastbourne: Wednesday 19 April- 24 May 6:30-7:30pm, Leaf Hall

Worthing: Wednesday 19 April- 24 May 7-8pm, Dance House

Online: via Zoom. Tuesday 18 April- 23 May, 6pm, BST

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MUSICALS COURSE - Chorus Line ‘One, SINGULAR SENSATION’

Our next Musicals Course is inspired by the closing scene from the Musical Chorus Line and we will be dancing to ‘One, Singular Sensation‘.

HOVE ONLINE

Online: via Zoom. Monday 18 April- 23 May, 7pm, BST

Hove: Charleston Course. Tuesday 18 April - 23 May, 7-8pm

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INTERMEDIATE CHARLESTON - The CHARLESTON

On our next Intermediate Charleston course will focus solely on all the classic 1920s steps which make up this genre. We will be focusing on Charleston variations, swivel and how to make your moves look effortless.

Hove: Thursday 20 April- 25 May 7-8pm Open Space Studio

BOOK NOW

STREET JAZZ - Do your thing

A brand new track set to the tune ‘Do your Thing‘ by Basement Jaxx will be available this spring and taught by Fiona at Open Space studios from 21 April.

BOOK NOW

Hove: Thursday 20 April- 25 May 6-7pm Open Space Studio

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Meet Natalie from MyCharleston Netherlands

A dancing mushroom, a dancing teddy bear, a dancing rabbit, a dancing farmer, a dancing cow on roller skates (!) and (less in keeping with my character) a dancing princess! These were all personas adopted by me before I found MyCharleston. Hmmm, maybe I should explain myself…

I have danced as long as I remember, I took the formal route of ballet, tap and later Jazz dancing and just loved performing! My love of dance was quickly side stepped by my love of acting (I created my own drama club at primary school at the tender age of 8 years old. We had 4 members. We created such stonking smashes as “Mum goes to the cinema” and “Sisters playing” - I went to an all girls’ school so it was limited casting, quite possibly why I went on to enjoy a career of playing many male roles!

My theatrical abilities did mature (slightly) and I went to the BRIT school in Croydon for 2 years, studying musical theatre. (Please no one ask me to sing!) It was a fantastic way of meshing dancing and acting together and I knew that I was hooked. I longed to be Victoria the white cat in Cats!! (Still do). I ended up as Milky White the white cow in Into the Woods, performing on roller skates! (By the way, anyone considering the BRIT school….it is utterly fantastic, I had the time of my life.)

By now, I was certain what I wanted to do in life and I was accepted to Italia Conti School for Dramatic Art, in London, on a scholarship. This time, I paused dancing and studied straight acting. (This,, in itself is hilarious as there has been nothing straight about my acting career, as the first line of this blog will attest!)

Fast forward 3 years and I was out in the big, not very wide, professional acting world! I felt like I had left dancing behind with (thank the lord) my singing. I was wrong, most of my acting career, I have literally sung and danced my way through, to today!

Most of my acting work has led me along the theatrical boards, but you can find me in TV adverts selling blenders and fluffy towels, not to mention gatecrashing Emmerdale and Footballers’ Wives amongst other film/TV credits.

I found MyCharleston about 6 years ago now. I joined the Brighton Marina class with Fiona and I was immediately hooked. It was perfect. I scratched my dancing itch and all those faces I learned to pull during years of classical acting training, were put to fantastic over-use during any dance I ever performed with them! After joining the performance troupe The Ragtime Rascals, I soon gained the nickname of Dance Gurner as whenever in doubt, there was another face pulled with my extremely malleable visage!

During this time I was also part of another dance troupe called Copperdollar. We performed at various events, dressed as skeletons, and immersively getting people dancing at festivals, weddings and cabaret events. Everyday a coconut! It was through one event, Voodoo Vaudeville, that I got the idea of creating my own solo act ‘L’homme adores la voiture’. I got the chance to debut this for my friend, Phoxy Qurvy’s, fantastic burlesque cabaret event and later for Voodoo Vaudeville itself.

These days, I have landed in the Netherlands. The land of chocolate sprinkles, clogs, speed skating and orange! Lots and lots of orange!!! (Where to find an orange flapper dress?). I joined the MyCharleston teaching team during lockdown and I am now bringing all the moves to the people of Alkmaar and beyond, and having a smashing time doing so. Last year, me and my class members hit the streets of Alkmaar town centre to perform and we were literally ‘stopping traffic’ (lets face it, mainly bikes!) with our swivels! I am also one half of our Alkmaar based theatre company VosFox Theatre, bringing Santa’s Grottos, Theatrical events and workshops, Murder Mystery events and kids parties to Noord Holland and beyond! (Contact us on the link above for more details).

The thing I love most about the Charleston, is the people it attracts. What a smashing bunch we all are! All of us full of fun, playfulness, cheekiness and happy to steer off that beaten track of normal life! (I’ve been beating that track my whole life). We are all squeezing our huge senses of humour into some fantastically snazzy and cheeky moves and it’s a delight to do so alongside the fabulous Elena and Fiona.

To see me in action, here are many versions of me Charlestoning:

Classes begin again Monday 6th March at the Wijkcentrum Daalmeer, 20:15 and run for 6 weeks until 17th April (with 1 week break on 10th April for Easter Monday). Link to book the Daalmeer class is here

Classes begin Tuesday 7th March at the Wijkcentrum De Oever, 19:00 and run for 6 weeks until 11th April. Link to book the De Oever class is here

Or if you’d just like to come along to the first class to try it and see if it’s for you, please contact Natalie at mycharlestonnl@hotmail.com for details on how to book.