Camber Sands Dance Festival
Weekend 15th - 17th February 2008 : Camber Sands
Sadly, last weekend John's father passed away and, on behalf of the whole school, I would like to offer our deepest sympathies to him at this difficult time - Our thoughts are with you John.
Match Report
It was one of the strongest Wright Rhythm teams ever that made the trip down to the glamorous location of Pontins in Camber Sands last weekend. The new year has brought a lot of changes at the school and for many couples this was their first major competition in a new partnership, it was also the last major competition before Blackpool in April so everyone was keen to get good results.
The weekend began with warm-up events on Friday night and there was an air of anticipation as the team gathered in the main ballroom. For some nerves were showing but for others (mostly those under 16) excitement was winning through and they were desperate to get out there and show what they can do. One couple that got off to a flying start was Angelina and Charlotte, competing together for the first start they achieved 3rd (I think) in the 16-21 years all girl ballroom and were dancing even better in the latin when disaster struck - Charlotte slipped and landed heavily injuring her back. The first aid team were quickly on hand and wisely kept her from moving to avoid further damage until the ambulance arrived. Fortunately Charlotte's injuries did not appear to be serious and she was able to re-join us for some of Saturday but she will need to rest for a few days, we wish her a speedy recovery. The proceedings continued and although there were some mixed results the overall feeling on leaving the ballroom (at 2am for some competitors) was positive with big hopes for the weekend ahead.
After a much needed, if short, lie in on Saturday morning (events did not start until 10am) it was back over to the Ballroom 
for a full day of dancing. Camber is different to most events in that there is no clear split between juvenile, junior and adult competitions or latin and ballroom, they overlap throughout the day. This makes for an interesting and varied competition but also means it quite hard to keep track of what's going on. Because of that you'll have to forgive me for not knowing all the results (to be honest I can't even really remember my own!) However, it has to be said is that every couple seems to be on the right trajectory (that is upwards towards Blackpool), there's always room for improvement and you can be sure that Gilli, Paula and Mark won't rest on their laurels but everyone from Wright Rhythm proved they are capable of achieving results on the 'big stage' which is extremely encouraging.
There were many superb performances over the weekend but one of the highlights was the 16-21 years ballroom final. Kyle & Jemma looked calm and confident as always and Connor & Rebecca, having found their zone in the Vienesse Waltz, really turned it on to prove they are ready to take on anyone. They were both stunning in the final and it's hard to believe that these partnerships have only been together for a few weeks - I can't wait to see them at Blackpool.
Two of the schools hardest working couples were among the highest achievers of the weekend showing that time spent in the studio is never wasted. Howard and Gillian now have some real presence on the floor and are looking confident and fluent. Steve and Thee have put together some elaborate and visually stunning routines which are really eye-catching, they are true performers to their core and look great together.
In the 'coming of age' stakes this was a red letter weekend for Jon and Carys. Although seasoned performers in their own right, they are a relatively new partnership and this was their first major competition together. Carys looked stunning in her new latin dress and Jon was clearly inspired to greatness showing a confidence and positivity that had been missing before. In both ballroom and latin they have started to believe in themselves and, as the best competitive dancers know, belief is everything.
The 21-35 years group has seen a huge growth recently at Wright Rhythm both in numbers and in quality. This was reflected in the four-dance finals where no less than 4 out of 6 and 5 out of 6 finalists in the ballroom and latin respectively were from Wright Rhythm. With Tim & Sophie leading the pack by winning both finals and Russell & Jo earning a well deserved if unexpected final place in the latin final we're developing a real strength in depth and with the team spirit and mutual support things can only get better.
With Connor and Jemma moving up from the under 16s this year there opened up a bit of a gap in the team for the junior category. It's just as well we have the likes of Alexandra & Ashleigh, who seem to be gaining in confidence all the time and Holly & Ellie, who after just a couple of weeks practice were looking great on the floor and achieved a superb second in the four-dance. Also, Chris and Hannah, another new partnership gave a solid performance, they might not have got the recalls they wanted this time but with a little confidence on the floor and support for each other the results will come. Of course Jon, Carys, Nichole and Charley will be hot on their heals so no room for slacking.
Throughout the weekend there was unstinting support from friends, family and for each other which undoubtedly contributed to the successes, indeed at one point it spilled over into part of the show with Ian, Laura, Lee and Bec and their impromptu cheerleading stage performance - pom-pom-arama! And I can't finish without mentioning the Saturday night competitions. Victory in the six-legged jive with their excellent "sleep" routine was thoroughly deserved by Charley, Nichole and Carys and the "60's Girls" (Holly, Hannah and Ellie) looked amazing. A fab 101 Dalmatians show put together by Alexandra and Ryan with all the Wright Rhythm juniors in tow ensured entertainment all round.
All in all a fabulous, if exhausting, weekend and a huge confidence boost for everyone (especially Gilli, Paula and Mark). Roll on Blackpool...
Photos
Phew, loads of good photos from the weekend, many thanks to all who helped (note that if you want prints you can quote the number that now appears on the bottom right of each photo, I'll be ordering several batches a year so if you let me know I can include yours in the next batch).