News, Views and Feature Articles

Rafiq & Deb at the Rivoli Ballroom Whether you are a non-dancer wanting to find out more about the world of dance or a seasoned pro there is always more you can learn. Equally, everyone at Wright Rhythm has their own unique experience of the world of dance, for fun, to compete, to socialise or (for the lucky few) to earn a living. This section is devoted to sharing these views and discovering more about that wonderful world we call dance.

If you have something interesting you'd like to share with the the rest of Wright Rhythm and the world in general I'd love to hear from you. Your piece can be as short or as long as you like and can be on any subject related to dance, Wright Rhythm, competitions you have taken part in or watched, demonstrations you have given or seen.

Please submit your article using the feedback form or by giving it to any of the teachers. You don't need to worry about formatting, spelling etc. as I'll edit all articles before they are published. Some ideas for articles I'd like to feature in this section are...

My first experience of ballroom dancing
My first competition
My first Blackpool
Top tips for beginners/competitors
Performing and demonstrations
My favourite professional couple and why

I look forward to receiving your contributions. In the meantime, please browse the articles that have already been submitted...

Articles

Discovering Dance... - [12 July 2010 , by Chris Bond]
Sometimes you discover something that you'd never really thought of before and find a whole new world opens before you. Despite the recent media coverage Ballroom and Latin dancing is still a minority sport often not the first thing people think of when looking for a new hobby. Those who do discover our wonderful world, however, are usually caught up in the friendly, social, challenging and healthy nature of it and get hooked. This is the story of how Chris came to discover dance...

2009 - A Retrospective - [31 December 2009 , by Peter Normand]
As winter once again wraps its snowy arms around London and the world comes to a halt it seems like a perfect opportunity to take a look back on a hugely eventful Year for Wright Rhythm and a look forward to what the future might hold...

Carys' Silver Arts Award - [19 July 2009 , by Carys Woods]
As everyone at Wright Rhythm will have discovered, when you start to dance it has a habit of taking over your life. So when one of our star competitors, Carys, took her silver arts award (like the Duke of Edinburgh's but focused on taking part in arts) dancing was the obvious art to choose. In order to pass, Carys had to demonstrate knowledge, ability and leadership in many aspects of her chosen art. Having covered leadership by helping out with the younger pupils at the school and knowledge by giving a fun and informative presentation to a group of non-dancers, she decided that the best way to demonstrate her ability would be to win the biggest competition of year - the IDTA Nationwide Ballroom and Latin American finals at Blackpool. This is the account of her quest that she submitted and which helped her pass the award...

Attitude Towards Competitions - [15 January 2009 , by Andrew Dancer]
This article was originally written article in November last year. I was hoping to include it with some new features on the website but, due to time constraints these haven't materialised and with a new set of competitions upon us I didn't want to wait any longer. The article takes a look at how we can get the most from our dancing by thinking about what it is we want. It's an excellent, thought-provoking piece which will give food for though for the beginner and experienced competitor alike.

2008 Wright Rhythm Cup Winners - [01 January 2009 , by Peter Normand]
Every year we recognise the best, most committed and most improved dancers at Wright Rhythm by awarding cups at a special ceremony.

They think it's all over... it is now - [26 October 2008 , by Carol Elsbury]
We can't all be winners all the time. Carol has entertained us with her meteoric rise from ballroom novice to Supadance champion. Her words have given confidence and belief to numerous dancers who thought they couldn't do it and inspiration to all. But it's much harder to share your story when it is an unhappy one and so it's with great thanks that I publish Carol's latest edition. Carol is now such a central part of life at Wright Rhythm and has achieved so much over the last few years and one competition can't change that, but sometimes it can feel like it. Fortunately qualifiers and non-qualifiers alike we are one family at Wright Rhtyhm and must all continue to support each other as we always do.

The Nemesis Competition - [07 October 2008 , by Bec Emmott]
Everyone has one competition a year that they dread (some people have more than one) and Bec is no exception. However, with the right attitude and a little help from your friends you can free yourself from your 'bogey' competitions and Bec explains how.

Dweeb-Wap! - [16 September 2008 , by Steve Elsbury]
Steve's tale of his road to enlightenment in "The Way of the Bec", whilst preparing for his first Blackpool Nationwide Medallists' competition.

Carol's Blackpool - [28 April 2008 , by Carol Elsbury]
It's the moment all Carol's fans have been waiting for and, boy what a wait it's been! Carol has come a long way since her first tentative steps onto the dancefloor, she's had spectacular highs and a few lows along the way but she's kept us entertained through every step. Last we heard she was elated at having qualified for the IDTA Nationwide finals. Now she has to take that step onto the big stage, will her nerve hold out? Which Carol will take the floor, the confident performer we have come to expect? Or the shy girl who nervously stepped out onto the floor just a couple of years ago?

Laura's Blackpool - [07 April 2008 , by Laura Klysz]
Like many people, Laura took dance classes when she was young only to give them up during her teenage years. Fortunately for us (and her) she rediscovered her love of the sport last year and came along to Wright Rhythm with her Mum and younger brother (One of a number of familes who dance at the school). Since then she has become an integral part of the school, dancing on the Supadance team and regularly partnering at all levels. She also qualified for the IDTA Nationwide Latin finals, so last week she competed for the first time at the imposing venue of Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Now she has written an account of her experience...

Practice makes… - [26 February 2008 , by Andrew Dancer]
With the Camber Sands Dance Festival over and Blackpool looming everyone at Wright Rhythm should be getting in to their competative stride. We are probably all wondering how we are going to perform on the day and what we can do to improve that performance. This, then, is a timely article to help us think about our practice routines.

2007 - A Retrospective - [01 January 2008 , by Peter Normand]
A look back over 2007

This Time It's Personal! - Part 1 - [31 December 2007 , by Carol Elsbury]
Carols dancing career continues to progress seemingly beyond her control! This is the story behind her first Nationwide Qualifying event. See how far she's come since taking those first steps onto the dance floor. Apologies to Carol for taking so long to publish this (she wrote it last year!), however, I'm sure you'll agree it was worth the wait.

End of an Era - [10 December 2007 , by Peter Normand]
A tribute to one of Wright Rhythm's most enduring and successful partnerships - Nichole and Carys

Tripping the Light-Fantastic - [22 November 2007 , by Steve Elsbury]
The master wordsmith has done it again. Be prepared to be gripped by this evocative account of life in the Supadance fast lane.

Confessions of a Supadance Champion - [05 May 2007 , by Carol Elsbury]
It takes something special to be an elite competatitve dancer. Talent, dedication, fitness and an ability not to blank out half-way through your routine but even the greatest champions start with a first step. Just a few short months after taking to the floor for the first time Steve and Carol would be the first to admit that they are not world beaters, but they are champions - and they have the medals to prove it...

2007 Flora London Marathon - [24 April 2007 , by Peter Normand]
OK, I know it's not strictly dance related but everyone at Wright Rhythm has been so great in supporting me for the Marathon that I wanted to write a short article to let you know how I got on...

The Hot Seat - Charlotte's Interview - [12 February 2007 , by Peter Normand]
It's always great when the acheivements of Wright Rhythm dancers are recognised. Most recently it's Charlotte Field who has been getting her face in the local press (well, her school newsletter). She gave a great interview telling the world about the joys of dancing and that Wright Rhythm is the best club in the area, if not the world!

The Role of the Dance Partner - [05 February 2007 , by Anonymous]
Tell me I'm stating the obvious here but - you can't ballroom dance on your own! We're lucky at Wright Rhythm to have so many talented and enthusiastic dancers that everyone can find someone to dance with, from beginners to advanced competitors. However, this can mean that we just muddle along, taking our partner for granted when really this relationship will be the most important thing in shaping us as dancers. This anonymous article was recently send to wrightrhythm.co.uk and has some insightful observations and suggestions that may help you build a better partnership and so become a better dancer.

Two, Three Four-One by Steve Elsbury - [07 January 2007 , by Steve Elsbury]
An epic tale of one man's journey from dance-floor shuffler to ballroom champion. Read about the highs and the lows, the struggles and the sacrifices as you are transported into a world where following your dream is the only law of the land and destiny is what you wake up to every morning. Strictly Ballroom eat your heart out - this is the true story of Steve... the dancer.

2006 Wright Rhythm Cup Winners - [21 December 2006 , by Peter Normand]
Congratulations to all this year's winners.

The First Step by Carol Elsbury - [12 December 2006 , by Carol Elsbury]
Are you a ballroom virgin wondering what it's like to take those first few steps? Many people have the desire to learn to dance but their fear of the unknown puts them off making that first step onto the floor. A few months ago Carol and husband Steve were in just such a position, however, they took the plunge and haven't looked back since. Now Carol has written about their experience to make it a little less unknown for others...

Preparing for Blackpool - [04 December 2006 , by Andrew Dancer]
With so many people from the school qualifying for the Nationwide finals at Blackpool next April this is a very timely article on how we should all be preparing for this, the biggest competition of our year. There are some great tips on psychology and really helpful advice, I know I'll be applying the ideas suggested.

Gilli, Paula and Mark 2007 Qualifying Congrats - [21 November 2006 , by Peter Normand]
The past few weeks have seen some outstanding results for our competative teams, we hope that you are proud of yourselves.