I forgot to mention that after Girljam, some of us took part in a solo Charleston contest at the Swing Pit. It was a laugh and a half! And a friend of mine won! It’s rare to find a weekend when you can learn so much about Charleston Dance.
Here we are, rather proud to discover that we had matching red cloche hats which also rather strangely match the London underground sign…. How very patriotic.
Another highlight of this year was doing some first dance choreography. Here’s one couple dancing the Charleston at their wedding. They’d never danced before, and were very proud of what they managed to achieve in just 4 lessons!
“I went to a marvelous party…” as Noel Coward famously said in verse. I know the feeling. The BDO Stoy Hayward Southampton branch Christmas Party was a scream – 50 dancing accountants on one black and white checked dancefloor. We had lots of fun, and they were brilliant – so very up for it and all dressed up in their Roaring Twenties finest for their corporate Christmas speakeasy do. I coached them on a Charleston flashmob performance too – the sports and social club performed this together.
And then there was a party in Pangbourne, at a wonderful American lady’s house. My friend Fifi Bonbon and I (Shimmy-lin) arrived late from Girljam in London, after a John Cleese style entry where we were picked up by the catering van and I had to sit on Fifi’s lap as there was only one seat… Then performed a little comedy duet about two very tired flappers who keep on falling over from two much gin… hmmm – a little close to the truth on that night, eh, Fifi? We then taught the Charleston and the Black Bottom to the uproarious party guests who’d had plenty of Mint Juleps already and were ready to flap.
More of the jolly guests….
And here’s some more lovely Charleston hens who chose the 1920s day out in Cheltenham, dancing then dinner at the Daffodil.
