What a wonderfully relaxing way to spend a dance festival!!!!

This was my third year at Celebrating Dance, I have always had so much fun but have found the running between workshops, or the mad dash back to the B&B to glam up for the evening a struggle. Timing has never been my strong point so for me or anyone with the same affliction this year’s celebrating dance was heaven!!!

Great accommodation, great food, sauna, Jacuzzi, pool, everything under one roof, and that’s without the great company and the dancing!!!!! In fact the only problem is that we were all so relaxed that we often forgot when we sat down to our wonderful Halloween themed 3 course dinner, that as we had taken 2 hours to leisurely change we hadn’t given ourselves time to eat and get to the shows in time, leading to them both starting more than a little late!!!

The Friday show had a wonderful mix of performers from all styles and levels of dancers, including some well known names like Kajira, Aziza of Cheltenham, Pamela, Teresa and many more. Afterwards we all let our hair down and had a jolly good bop!!!

The array of workshops was fantastic and I heard more than 1 person complain that they wanted to do 2 that clashed which is always a good sign that there is just too much good stuff happening under one roof!!

The much awaited Saturday show lived up to expectation, Dondi was wonderful, everyone was in awe of her dancing to a moving cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, it really made you want to imagine everything was as the song suggested, her drum solo was also brilliant. Aunty Rocky was also fantastic I always get worn out just by watching her and I don’t think I'm the only one.

As ever Vashti was truly amazing, and it wasn’t until we had all worked out that her skirt was long enough to hide a skateboard underneath that she dashed all our illusions and showed us that it was really all down to her skill and expertise (we still think there is something else going on underneath those skirts though!!!) Afra’s silk veil dance was beautiful, having got tangled up in one myself I can appreciate the skill that went in to making it look so beautifully light and elegant. Unfortunately I didn’t see any of the other performances as I was involved in painting a certain person gold, an experience that that both myself and Pamela aren’t likely to forget, and one that were not likely to be asked for again!!!!!

Sunday’s workshops were also really good, although most of us were a little muzzy from all the merriment the night before to take much in. I know that by the time I got to Vashti’s Azerbaijan I was pooped!!!!!

Congratulations Afra and John on a wonderful weekend, by far the best yet!!!

Rebekah