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This coming Friday is the second Friday of the month which means of course that it's time for another freestyle at The Vikings Hotel at Goole.  If you have not been before you might like to look at this very short video of the venue which was shot just before the doors opened at the last freestyle we had there.

Click here to see the Vikings Venue (empty).

It's a lovely venue isn't it?  And it's only half an hour from Hessle Town Hall and within easy reach of the M62.  Click here for more details. 

It's another event where Hessle Members get it at a reduced rate: just £5 for dancing from 8 pm until midnight.  (£8 for non-members.)  This freestyle is a great way to get to know other members and dancers and to practice the skills you've learned in the classes.

If Friday is a bit of a rush for you, why not come early have your tea/dinner with other members in the bar?  A number of us arrive from 6.30 pm onwards.  We have a Hessle table booked, so just join us.  The food is excellent quality and value and then you have a great dinner dance!

Hope to see you there.

Jatinder (with Anna) came along this week (Wednesday 11th November) to give a demonstration dance and take our classes.  It was a fantastic night.  Click here to see the demonstration dance that they gave, most of the moves of which were included in their Intermediate Class.  The style and humour of Jatinder ably supported by the graceful Anna, made for a wonderful class night.

Jatinder is a specialist in teaching Modern Jive with a Latino feel.  He manages Jive Latino in Sheffield; the name says it all...

Leo and Becky came along on Wednesday 28th October and treated us to a great demonstration dance, a beginners' class, an intermediate class and as a bonus for us, they also took an additional advanced class in the bar area. 

We've had some very positive feedback from our members who were enthusiastic to see them return and the couple told us how much they enjoyed the evening and are looking forward to returning as soon as we have a space in our dance teacher schedule.

They run a company called Dance FX which holds dance classes and dance events around the Lincolnshire area.  They are really nice people, superb young dancers, full of enthusiasm and we are looking forward to their return - watch this space...

Keith Davies and Bev (from Revolution Dance) in cabaret

On Wednesday (14th October), we were treated to a great night when KEITH DAVIES and Bev from Revolution Dance in Manchester came along to Hessle to teach both the Beginner and Intermediate classes. Keith is an excellent teacher and a fantastic professionally trained dancer.  We have received many very positive comments about the challenging and superb classes that he delivered.

Keith and Bev then went on to give us an amazing cabaret. 

Click here to view the video of their cabaret performance.

As usual with Keith and Bev, they came onto the dance floor after their classes and cabaret and danced their socks off with the many members who literally lined up to have a dance with them.  A fantastic night and we thank the couple very much for making the evening such a success.

Click here to view

Many thanks to Laura Shepherd, Sam Knight, Tracy Lund and Tracy Oaks-Milner for volunteering.  Well done girls!

By popular demand, videos of Intermediate Classes will be posted each week from now on.  Our members have asked for this because it helps them to remember the moves, maybe go over them again at home.  How many times have we all learnt a good move and then promptly forgotten it again!

Each week before the Beginners' Class begins, you will be able to see a recording of the previous week's Intermediate Class over and over and practise the moves to music if you want to (the only way to remember a class is to dance it in Freestyle!).

There already exists a bank of Basic Class move videos (on the yellow folder on the left, 'Videos of previous classes').  There are only 20 basic moves and they are all covered by various dance teachers.

We hope you enjoy the videos and find them useful.

We're pleased to announce that this week (on Wednesday 26th August), we have yet another new face taking the classes at Hessle.  New to us that is, but not new to teaching.

Many of you will already know Janice Bywater who runs Northern Jive which has successful venues at Doncaster, Askern, Wakefield and Barnsley and has also recently opened a new venue at Hatfield Woodhouse. 

Janice has been involved with Modern Jive for over 10 years now, starting out at Blitz Jive in Sheffield.  She did her instructor training at Blitz and left Blitz in 2007 to open Northern Jive.

Janice's intermediate classes concentrate on delivering moves that are smooth, stylish and achievable in freestyle (i.e., without your partner having rehearsed the move with you and who may not have danced with you before...)  That's what most of us want in an Intermediate class!

Hope to see you there this week and help us to give Janice a warm Hessle welcome!

We are very pleased to announce that we have a new teacher coming along to Hessle this week (Wednesday 12th August).  New to us, that is because Viv is  actually a very experienced teacher. 

Viv qualified as a modern jive instructor in November, 2005 and these days she teaches most weeks at the well respected SPINZ Jive at Pudsey (Run by Matt Judge who has guested as a Special Teacher at Hessle) where they had the recently held the successful 'Day of Jive' with fabulous cabarets. 

Viv also makes regular appearances at Northern Jive which has several venues and is run by Janice Bywaters, who incidentally, is also coming along to Hessle to teach very soon (more of this in later newsletters). 

You may remember Jatinder who has been a Special Guest Teacher for us a few times now and who runs Alive for Jive at Chesterfield, well Viv also teachers there on occasion as well.  These are all great clubs and we delighted to be amongst them to have Viv come along to us as well now.

We think you'll really like Viv if you don't know her already; she has a smooth easy style and brings warm humour and a great sense of fun to her classes.  She loves tango, cha cha and rhumba and often modifies routines to suit modern jivers. 

If you are wanting to have private lessons to speed up your dancing progress, then don't be afraid to ask Viv about this on Wednesday because she comes highly recommended as a provider of private lessons and has in the past, choreographed 'that first dance' for newlyweds for example. 

Viv also choreographs team cabaret routines and last year she ventured into the rather glamorous art of Burlesque, running workshops in Leeds, Sheffield, Lincolnshire and Cambridge; Viv says "It's not what you've got, it's the way that you use it!"   Now there's a thought...

Hope to see you at Hessle this week and that you 'use it' as well!!

 
Viv Bolton and her demo Chris

This coming Wednesday (29th July), we are very pleased to have Mark and Tracey from Sheffield return and take another class.

This week, being the second Wednesday in the month, it is a Special Guest Teacher Week and we are pleased to tell you that our Special Guest Teacher this Wednesday night (8th July) is Kevin Hardy, ably assisted by Linda.

Many of you now know Kevin who is a keen follower of Hessle Jive and who looks forward to coming along to teach for us.  This week he will perform a cabaret dance with Linda and we are really looking forward to that. 

Kevin is a professional dance teacher and one of the most popular teachers in the North of England.  We're very lucky to have him come along and take classes for us so we do hope that you will come along too and join in.

After last Friday's Freestyle at Goole, two people told us, "It just keeps getting better."  Thank you!

On the last Friday Freestyle (in April), the air-conditioning broke down during the evening and we also found that the floor was a bit sticky from a previous function where drinks had been spilt on it.  So we made a special effort this time to get it back to how it should be and used to be... 

We provided seven large fans and three industrial air-blowers and as it turned out, the air-con was working this time as well!  So, needless to say, no one complained of being too hot...  And the floor was thoroughly cleaned and buffed by Claire before anyone arrived - no complaints about the floor either this time.

A great time was had by all, so thank you all to those who came along and we're looking forward to the next Friday Freestyle which is on 10th July 2009 because the second Friday in June has already been booked by a private party.

For more of the Friday Freestyles details, including location and directions, click here

This week (on Wednesday, April 8th) we are thrilled to have JATINDA returning to Hessle as our Special Guest Teacher. His warm personality, excellent teaching and original Latino dance style will make this a night not to be missed.

His last visit (see below on 11th June last year) was a phenomenal success and we have been asked repeatedly for him to return, so come along this week and enjoy putting a touch of Latin style into your dancing!

We now have an official page on Facebook and if you are a Facebook user, do please apply to join the Hessle Modern Jive group where lots of members are now swapping messages and keeping in touch with what's happening at Hessle.

If you are on our email newsletter list, you will already know most of this but not everyone has emails so for the benefit of those still living in the last century... 

Lots going on in March, not least of which is the Friday Freestyle at Goole on 13th March (yes, Friday the 13th...)  8 pm until midnight and if you've been before then you'll know it's a cracking good night out and Hessle Modern Jive club members get a discount on entry, so they only pay £5 instead of £8.  See Claire if you've lost your membership card and we'll give you another.  It's worth doing because your membership card will be getting you discounts on dancing related products and entry to various functions (to be announced but see below...)  Oh and don't forget that if you want to make a dinner/dance of it, then the food at the Vikings Hotel at Goole is very good (and good value too); several of us are having a meal there before going into the freestyle room. 

Matt Judge is coming to visit us again and he is offering a special deal to Hessle Modern Jive Club members (got your card??) so that instead of the usual £35 entry for an entire day of workshops and evening freestyle at Pudsey Civic Hall, our members get in for £25.  Click here for full details of this great day out.

There are a number of events happening this month at other venues which Hessle members will be going to and could well be of interest to you.  Click here to see details. 

Next week sees the return of the very popular Kevin Hardy who has been a Special Guest Teacher for us a few times now.  This week (Wednesday 4th March) Kevin will be taking the Beginners' and Intermediate classes but there will be no cabaret as it will be a regular class night.  Still a night not to be missed though as Kevin (from Manchester) is a professional dance teacher and one of the best in the UK.  We are privileged to have him come back to take our classes for us.

We would like to thank all of those who came along to our first Vikings Hotel, Goole freestyle last Friday.  It was a very well attended event and we've had lots of feedback (thank you again!) telling us how much you enjoyed it and how good Claire is at finding and putting together wonderful sequences of good tracks to dance to.  We believe that no matter how good a venue is, unless the music makes you want to get-up-and-boogie, the freestyle won't be a good 'un.  Experienced dancers make the best Modern Jive DJ's!  Well done Claire who did a great job ensuring that the dance floor was always busy.

It was great to see faces from several other clubs turn up for our first independent freestyle, dancers came from far and wide, many of whom were incredibly good dancers too.  Lots of very welcome beginners as well!  It's good to go to classes every week but a freestyle really does give you the opportunity to put into practice all the moves you have been learning, or at least have a go!  Nobody minds if you get it wrong, and our freestyles are all about being sociable events where there is a bar and a lounge for those who like to chat with friends.

By popular demand we plan to hold one of these freestyle at The Vikings Hotel in Goole every month, on the second Friday of each month but because of previous bookings at this popular venue, we can't begin until the next year, on the second Friday in January (Friday 9th January, 2009).  We have booked for every month next year for second Fridays but we were unable to book the venue for February and June.  We'll keep you posted with reminders nearer the time for each freestyle via this website and members newsletters.

We hope you are finding the benefits of being members of Hessle Modern Jive club worthwhile and we think you will agree that £5 entry for Hessle Members for a 4 hour non-stop dancing on a Friday or Saturday night is excellent value for money.  Incidentally, the super bar meals at The Vikings are really good value too if you were thinking of having a meal or a snack before a Freestyle.

Happy dancing!

Rod.

Watch video of Gus dancing at Hessle Modern Jive Club

We would like to thank all of those who came along and supported our Freestyle on 27th June, it was a fantastic night out and a sell out. 

Our thanks must also go to Carol of the Hase Pub who prepared the wonderful buffet and the staff behind the bar who worked hard all night serving us drinks, the Beverley Dancewear company who came along and put out a stunning array of discounted dance shoes with additional special 25% discount for our members who purchased that night. 

Also our thanks to Peter of The Ski & Rock Co who brought along with his promotional videos and leaflets and finally to Tequila Sunrise the band who came all the way from Hessle to be there! 

I dare anyone to say that they ever went to a better freestyle than we put on that night for £6!  It's only because our members turn out in number each and every week that we have been able to provide such value, well done everyone and here's to the next event (watch this space...)

Also, please see the entry below regarding the charity raffle, well done everyone!

Our thanks to Matt and Sue Judge who came along to Hessle Town Hall last Sunday (8th June) and held two workshops for our members. 

The beginners workshop last three hours at the end of which many of the participants expressed a renewed confidence in their dancing abilities.  Matt was able to give individual attention to any student that required help with their techniques and style.  The kind of groundwork that simply isn’t possible cover on at class night.  If you missed the beginners workshop and would like to be included on the next one, please let us know as we will not be arranging another until there is sufficient demand from our members for one.

The Blues workshop was a very enjoyable 3 hours and again, style and technique was the order of the day and leaning new Blues moves was only part of the workshop.  For those that took part in the workshop, a video of Matt and Sue dancing the moves taught is available from rod@hesslejive.co.uk.

Please let us know if there is any other type of workshop that you would like and if there is sufficient demand, we will arrange it.  Some have already asked for a dips/drops/seducers workshop.  Anyone second that?

Thank you all!  We’ve had so many wonderful messages congratulating us on arranging a fantastic freestyle, we’re really chuffed that our members and visitors had such a good time.

The tickets were a sell-out and we were delighted to see so many ‘faces’ – professional dancers, DJ’s, club owners, etc., from the dance world turn up to our freestyle at Hessle.

The hog roast meal, with coleslaw, salad and fruit/cream desert proved to be very popular and there were still plenty of seconds on offer. 

The Jive Aces were roundly applauded after each number and Ken (the Bass Player) told me that the band were very impressed with the club, ‘one of the best Modern Jive Clubs we’ve ever played at’ and the band were very pleased with the warmth of the reception they received from everyone.

In the usual style, they played their socks off and staged lots of antics.  They took two encores, they had the place jumpin’ – literally!  After finishing their set they danced with our ladies and I have to say, they can dance well too! 

Thank you Jive Aces for being such a professional and entertaining band.  Fantastic musicians and really nice blokes as well!  Shall we book them again?  Let us know, yes?

The Jive Aces on stage at Hessle Modern Jive Club on Saturday 19^th April, 2008

The Jive Aces take to the dance floor!

200 dancers and still room to dance!

There are more pictures taken of this event on our photos section.

Kevin Hardy sent a text message thanking us for the invite to Hessle Town Hall.  He asked if we would tell everyone that he had a lovely time that he felt most welcome.  The pleasure was ours Kevin!  Thank you and also to Jenny who is an incredible dancer as well. 

If you missed the night, you can open the link on the left and watch both demonstration dances.  One was performed to demonstrate musicality (or how to interpret and dance to the music).  I thought Kevin was very brave in letting us select which track to play and he had no idea what he was going to be dancing to until the music began.  He gives a commentary during his demonstration. 

The cabaret dance was fantastic considering that Jenny lives in Bradford and Kevin hails from Manchester; so they didn't have much time to practice this routine together, about three quarters of an hour only.  It's amazing what you can do after dancing for six weeks eh?  (JOKE!).

The evening was very well attended and our policy now is not to advertise for new members as we don't want to be overcrowded.  It's just about right as it is now.  The club is run for the benefit of our members, not for profit, so having enough space to dance is more important to us that the door takings.  What profits are made are allocated long before they come in!  We hope to soon have some air-cooling equipment (not just fans) which now that the warmer weather is approaching, I'm sure will be appreciated by everyone.

Unhappily I have to report that the Town Hall powers that be have been on our backs again, this time because the beautifully refurbished floor was damaged by somebody wearing stiletto heels on our first weeks use.  We did send out a newsletter and put a sign up but they went unnoticed unfortunately.  We are now obliged by the council to inspect footwear as people come in!  As long as there are no steel capped boots or stilettos, no problem, preferable with soft soles (no metal bits in the soles).  To be fair, the council has invested quite a lot of money in that floor and we get the benefit of dancing on one of the best dance floors in the country, so please take care of the floor, no dragging seats or tables along the floor please. 

I was told last week that our future use of the hall is in jeopardy if our members continue to block the fire exits with their vehicles or cause damage to the floor.  I'm sorry to be a harping on but it would be an awful shame if we lost this wonderful venue for the actions of one or two wouldn't it?  Please keep an eye out for anyone wearing inappropriate shoes or dragging anything across the floor so that they can be gently reminded of the consequences.  Thank you everyone for your cooperation.

We apologise for the delay in uploading the videos of the Beginners and Intermediate Classes taken by Kevin, the webmaster has been ill, but they will go up before next Wednesday.

Happy Dancing.

We are very pleased to announce that Kevin Hardy is our special guest teacher for April.  Kevin is a fantastic dancer who has been teaching Modern Jive for 7 years.  He is a professional teacher, working at 19 venues and also teaches private lessons from beginner to competition level.

Kevin has been dancing Modern Jive of over 15 years and has a fun and relaxed way of teaching; he is well received wherever he goes to teach and has given classes abroad as well as this country.
Kevin will be bringing along Jenny to dance with him and in addition to taking the Beginners' Class with style and a fantastic Intermediate Class, Kevin will also dance TWO displays for us.  The first will be a freestyle demonstration of lead and follow and the second will be a cabaret routine. 

During the freestyle sessions, Kevin will be available to dance with our lady members and amongst his many talents is his advanced drops and lifts, so this is a wonderful opportunity ladies to take advantage of dancing with a competition standard dancer.  Please don't be intimidated because he will be gentle with you!

We're absolutely delighted to welcome Kevin Hardy to our club so please make a note in your diary not to miss this one.