Ciara & JT Routine

Hi Guys

Just a very quick blog from me as I thought you'd like to see the routine from Friday night. The girls did a really good job as you will see with only a few prompts from me.  I'm sure I'll get a chance to teach this another time for those of you who weren't able to make it in this time.

As you'll see Sam has been busy busy trying to get the second studio ready. Unfortunately I didn't make it in on Sat to help out so I'm sure Sam will have lined up some suitable punishment for me!!! Not for a lack of wanting to but like Sam I am snowed with my work commitments and am also away most of this week in Wolverhampton so time is just escaping me. It also means I'm not in this Thursday for my normal teaching night so Sam will be beasting you all. 

In fact I'm not in for the Thursday after as again this year I'm representing the Art of Dance at the Run to the Sun festival in Newquay over the May Bank holiday weekend. The pole dancing was so well received last year that Nixi and I had already been pre booked but as you all know poor Nixi is still nursing her dislocated knee so isn't able to join me. The lovely Hayley though will be making her debut there so we're frantically trying to get costumes and bits organised for the festival and will be heading to rehearsals a week on Thursday. It should be a good weekend although sadly the actual event seems to be less about VWs now but the evening entertainment and show is always a good spectacle.

Hopefully I'll catch up with you all in Plymouth soon or at some of the rehearsals for the 7th June event. Sam is quite right that we're all feeling the pressure. I'm busy at work, my weekends are full with gigs, kids and family commitments, away for a 10th wedding anniversary party so I'm rapidly running out of any spare time to put a routine together and still haven't yet finalised what I'm dancing to. Hopefully in between my manic lifestyle I"ll find some time to pull it all together. I'm really looking forward to it as should be a great show from both the instructors and students and a great night out so if you want to come get a ticket soon as they're selling fast.

Ta ta from me now and will keep you posted how things are working out.

xxxx

Sadness and More Farm Antics

I'm starting my blog on a sad note as I attended a funeral of my DJ friend LLoyd Williams last Friday 24th April in Bodmin. I'd worked with LLoydie for 4 years in my dancing days at Destiny and was shocked by such tragic news of his death from a car accident. LLoydie was only 34 - a couple of months older than me it's hard to understand and take it in that suddenly he is no longer with us. He was a fabulous DJ, well respected and liked by all and this was so apparent at his funeral. Being a massive Liverpool fan we were all asked to wear either the football shirt or red and white and so many of LLoydie's friends and family turned up to give the "big man" a great send off. We went in to Rock DJ and went out on Littlest Hobo being the song he so often used to play out at the end of many a DJ night. The service was a fitting send off and his Mum and his family did him proud. My love and wishes are with all his family for losing such a great person with an infectious smile and laugh. Here is a great photo of just that smile... Rest in Peace LLoyd.

Well if you have read Sam's blog you will have seen we all had a trip to the farm last Saturday. I won't blog too much on this as Sam's blog filled you in with most of the antics and I know Sam is dying to add more photos and some clips of the falconry display that I managed to take. It was a fabulous excuse to be a big kid for the day and relax and enjoy some well earned time out with the rest of the Art of Dance team. We all had such a laugh and I'm sure the animals breathed a big sigh of relief when we left them in peace for the day. I'd had such a good time there though that I couldn't resist going back for a second time with Steve and his kids this bank holiday weekend making use of the vouchers Mark at Pennywell had kindly given us.

We'd obviously made an impression!!!! as he remembered us and had read Sam's blog so a big Hi to Mark and the team if you're reading this. 

Since the Art of Dance had visited the week before there had been some new additions to the farm - namely some gorgeous guinea pigs and some kids. Here are some photos of these. 

Sam I think we should have one of these babies as our new Art of Dance pet?!!!

The kids were so cute and there was also a tiny grey and white one fast asleep in one to the corners.

I'm pleased to report the piglet was still going strong and had grown slightly since we last saw him which was good news since he lost his brothers and sisters to a virus. Steve's children Morgan and Zoe really enjoyed their trip to the farm especially feeding the orphaned kids and lambs. Much to their amusement when we had fed our kid in it's pen and then cuddled a lamb, when we popped him back into his pen we discovered I'd managed to pick up the biggest and fattest one there!

Once again we were treated to a fantastic falconry display which was really spectacular as being a lovely sunny day we got to watch this outside with the amazing views for a back drop. I managed to get the barn owl in flight and the little kestrel was just as vocal as he had been the week before. Even the peacocks decided to treat us to a bit of a display.

Well we had to say goodbye to the farm but I'm sure we'll all be back at some point to see how all the animals are getting on. The rest of my bank holiday weekend was pretty chilled. Steve's best mate's birthday was on Saturday so we all met up for his annual beach get together on Sunday. We were hoping for a lovely sunny day and although it was, it was also a bit nippy when the sun disappeared behind the clouds and there was a fair wind. Despite the mile trek down to the beach with all our bits and pieces and forgetting the BBQ to cook our burgers on! we still had a very enjoyable afternoon. (We didn't starve as fortunately someone else was more organised than us and we got to use theirs and there was plenty of other food all round). It's hard work relaxing you know as by the time we came to leave Steve & I felt pretty tired so a night in on the sofa, DVD with a curry beckoned to us. We both had a pretty lazy start to Monday morning and I caught up on a few boring domestics like ironing! We both ventured into town early afternoon and caught up with Steve's Mum and bought a few bits in town. Steve had wanted to get a new book to read but somehow managed to find nothing that interested him while I came out with three. We then continued the bank holiday treat with late lunch/early dinner out before going home to start yet more work. 

Steve was off to Exeter to DJ and as I'm teaching a sequencing class this Friday 8th May at 6.15pm I thought it was time I started to put this together for you lucky people. I've got a minute so far and it's coming together pretty well so if you fancy coming along please book in as spaces are limited to 6 only so you have one pole each. It's to JT and Ciara's Sexy Love Magic so you never know you could be out impressing the crowds if you find yourself near a pole at the weekend. I keep the routines quite basic and dancey so all levels can have a go - beginner to advanced. It is good cardio work for you all and gives you ideas of dance moves to different songs as I know how you all love learning those body isolation moves in a normal class!! Hopefully I'll see some of you there on Friday and my normal Thursday night in Plymouth. I'll be back in Exeter on Monday night so will look forward to seeing my Exeter students then.

Catch up soon

xxxxx

Routine & Update

Happy Easter All...I hope you've all been enjoying the lovely weather this weekend. My Mum in Bedford has not been so lucky and has had to put up with a grey sky and drizzle for the last three days. We've been especially enjoying the weekend sun as a couple of weeks back I decided it was time for a change and treated myself to a convertible car. Such a thrilling and fun experience putting the hood down and off you go. My Mum loved it when I visited her for Mother's day and took her out for a spin. Not only did I surprise her by turning up unexpected but with my new toy!

We had a really good couple of girly days together. I managed to make it up for the Friday night as I new she was visiting her Mum on the Saturday so I planned it for us all to go together. My Nan will be 90 this year and I don't get to see her very often so it worked out really well. Mum and I spent the day traveling from Bedford to Guildford to see her, then back through to Milton Keynes for coffee and Retail therapy and then on to the Snow Dome where we had dinner. We rounded the night off at home with a Man in Tucks...well Daniel Craig in Casino Royale! We then enjoyed a fabulous lunch together on Mother's Day before I headed off in the late afternoon back to Plymouth. I don't get to see Mum nearly enough so this really was some special time together.

Talking of time together, Steve and I hadn't seen much of each other over the last few weeks due to a hectic work diary so the only way we could see to remedy this was to take a couple of days out and get away from it all. We opted to go to Bath and Steve found us a wonderful hotel right in the town centre which did a great breakfast, dinner and room deal. I must say the 3 course meals were excellent. I'm not a great fish lover but I opted for the swordfish on the first night and was very impressed. I just about found room for dessert too!! Steve and I enjoyed a lazy couple of days there, wandering round the many wonderful streets and shops and stopping in one of the numerous coffee houses every so often. The weir in the town centre is pretty impressive and I managed to get Steve to pose long enough to get a photo. 

We went to the Thermae Spa on the Monday afternoon for a spot of pampering. I particularly liked the mint and eucalyptus steam room as it made me feel very cleansed and invigorated. The roof top pool was great although it reminded me of the scenes in Mary Poppins and I had a very strange urge to want to get out and go running across the rooftops! Just as well I didn't. The only down side was that there weren't many showers and considering we were there on a Monday which is the quietest day I'd hate to be there when it was any busier as the attendants said you would have to queue to use them and the other facilities..which surely defeats the object of going to de-stress! 

I think I must have come back from Bath on a mission as since then I've been working my students extra hard as several of you have come in displaying some spectacular bruises. Don't worry I've been giving myself some too. Sam, Tamar and I were in on Thursday before my classes and I still have lost skin on my feet and legs and bruises under my arms trying to work out various spectacular new moves. I think I'll be leaving the Dove to Tamar though...I couldn't even reach the pole behind me when I tried it lying on the floor and my poor back is still complaining now! I've also taught several of you a new routine to Anastacia recently which everyone has been doing really well at. I told you I was getting an evil streak as not only did I put a verse and chorus together for it...the lucky students got to dance it twice through! 

Here are some of my Exeter students (and me!) being put through their paces. Thank you to Karenza, Amy and Claire for being willing victims and letting me film them and to Jayne who was an expert behind the camera.

There are no classes in Exeter this week as the gym is shut for Bank Holiday Monday so I'll be back there next. I'm in the Plymouth studio Tuesday night this week as I'm away with work for a meeting on Thursday so see you all then!

Before I go though I must quickly say welcome back to Jo who is back in this week to assume her position as Lordette and also a big get well to Nixi who dislocated her knee whilst on her Uni field trip. Big hugs and kisses.

xxxx

My performances from Saturday

As mentioned in my last blog, here are my videos from Saturday's Vestival:

Vestival & Update

Wow! what a hectic couple of weeks I've had..I feel my feet have hardly touched the ground. Well mainly because they have been up the pole a lot practising this last week in readiness for my performance on Saturday in Plymouth city centre with Sam and Hayley as part of Vestival.

We were all really nervous about performing as well as having to deal with the cold, and a freezing cold pole! but I think you'll agree watching our performances that we all put on a fabulous show which was really well received. I managed to pretty much keep to what I'd hoped to put in and pull off as well! Jo was there cheering us on and giving out flyers, as was Nixi who managed to dash out in her lunch break to support us and of course my gorgeous fiance Steve. Sam and I roped him into doing the footage for us so check out Sam and Hayley's blogs already for theirs. I'll be passing Sam my footage from my camera in the next couple of days for her to publish on our You Tube channel and put on my blog as I can't get it to upload the files at the moment!

Not only have I had to find time to fit in a bit more practise (never easy when you already work full time and teach at at least 2 nights a week)but Sam also gave me some more "homework" to do. I won't give too much away but will say that it has involved studying a current music video to death (well 4 hours has been plenty and I now cringe when I hear the song come on!)to choreogragh a minutes worth of a routine to teach 3 members of staff from Plymouth Sound. We had our first rehearsal after my normal Thursday night classes last week and I have to say it went brilliantly. Considering none of them are natural dancers and the routine is very, very fast they pretty much were there. We've done the first 20 seconds so at this rate we'll have it in the bag in no time. I'll keep you updated with progress and I think the end result they are aiming for will look fantastic.

I've managed to have some time off though and Steve and I went away for a couple of days over Valentine's weekend to my Mum's. We had a day together shopping in Milton Keynes on the way through (although not very successfully as the music shop Steve wanted to visit had shut down and I didn't find anything I really liked) so we just enjoyed some time together window shopping before having a very enjoyable meal in a restaurant in the Snow Dome. I even indulged in a cocktail!

We turned up at Mum's late that evening and then had the day with her on Sunday. We were treated to a top notch meal at one of her favourite restaurants and then popped over to see my Dad's niece and her husband in the afternoon.





It was a fleeting visit as we had to come away from Bedford on the Monday as we were both working back up in Exeter that night for pole class and DJing respectively.(what a dedicated member of staff you have Sam! hee hee). I'm looking forward to this weekend as well as Mum is coming down here to stay with us for a couple of days so I'll get to have some me and Mum time!.

I've a busy week as usual as I'm teaching Monday night in Exeter and Thursday in the Plymouth studio plus I have a meeting in Bristol on Wednesday so will have an early start that morning. I'm hoping I'll stop aching after Saturday's performance as I really did feel exhausted from dancing in the cold. Steve and I had a relaxing evening over Chinese dinner at a friends house in Exeter on Saturday and we took his kids up to Badger Holt on the moors today to take advantage of the gorgeous sunshine and indulge in a cream tea - so I think i'm almost there now and ready to give the Exeter girlies a beasting tomorrow.

Toodle pip for now and look out for the videos.

How long?

Hello people..yes I am alive and thought after over 4 months I had better get my act together and write on my blog! I can't believe I've left it so long.. there have been so many things that have happened over the last few months I'm not quite sure where to begin although probably the best place to start is where I left off and that was really in September and our holiday to Egypt.

Having just got engaged and Steve successfully managing to plot and plan a complete surprise we then jetted off to Sharm El Sheik in Egypt. We were still on a high and looking forward to 2 weeks of total relaxation in the sun. I'd spent ages trying to find a hotel that suited both of us so that I could work on my suntan but have enough activity so that Steve didn't get too bored and we hit the spot with the Blue Bay Reef Oasis. We'd pushed the boat out a bit but it was well worth it. The hotel was fantastic and being on it's own reef we used to spend the afternoon at the beach snorkeling for a couple of hours. The variety of fish were amazing and all the dive boats pitched up near our hotel to dive at the reef. Steve often amazed the shore divers free diving down to their depth with just his snorkel on! We managed to tear ourselves away from the luxury a couple of times having dinner and looking at the stars in the desert and not to be missed - the Pyramids. We'd booked in the UK and this turned out to be in our favour as we ended up with our own personal guide and tour bus - which often proved a welcome escape from the scorching heat of the sun. Cairo was scary as no-one obeys any traffic laws and there are about 6 lanes of traffic trying to drive in 3 lanes! The artifacts in the museum just take your breathe away as do the pyramids themselves - you really don't appreciate just how big they are until you are there.



Sadly the holiday had to come to an end (and so too did my tan a few weeks later!) but we'd lined up a few things to look forward to on our return. One of these was the addition to our family with our 2 kittens - Enzo & Tabitha.

We had seen them at Gables Dog & Cat rescue home when they were just 4 weeks old and decided to give them a home so they were ready to collect on our return. They come fully vaccinated, micro chipped and have just been neutered as part of the terms of taking a kitten from the rescue home. They took about a week to settle in and are now fully at home flying round the room and getting their claws into our leather sofa!!! As they've just been neutered we can now introduce the world of outdoors to them..although this last week when I have tried they have been somewhat reluctant to go out from the warm! - they're not stupid!

October fast approached and soon it was the 25th - my 34th (Arrrghh!) Birthday and our engagement party. My Mum came down from Bedford for the weekend and my brother joined us from London and we had a lovely meal with them and Steve's family at Zucca's before heading on over to Annabel's for our party.




For those of you that came thank you so much for sharing in our night, for Annabel for letting us use her venue and for Sam for organising putting up the pole so that my fellow instructors and my friend and student from Exeter, Nicole could perform for us. Thank you all for such amazing performances which really opened the eyes up of some of the work colleagues and family who were there - so much so that they are now students with us! I had a chance just to relax and enjoy watching everyone - well it was my party so think i deserved a night off!!! I escaped a hangover the next day although Steve and my brother were not so fortunate!

Christmas suddenly crept up on me - as it always does. I think I have loads of time and then suddenly it is upon me. I must admit I didn't really feel in the mood until we actually got to Xmas although I enjoyed some Xmas pressie shopping trips into town (funnily enough Steve doesn't share this view!). After some change of plans Mum and my brother arrived on Xmas day having driven from Bedford which meant I was solely in charge of cooking the dinner. I was a little nervous as I really didn't want to burn the Organic free Range turkey that had cost a fortune but thankfully it worked out well if I do say so myself.


Xmas day turned out to be pretty good. Steve's kids were with us in the morning and had fun unwrapping all their presents and then my folks arrived and we had dinner. I think it was about half eight before we got round to unwrapping our own..oh the control!

I'd planned a nice week off from work to relax and recharge with the family over Xmas but apart from Xmas day it didn't quite work out as I like the rest of the world got struck down by this flu bug. Fortunately we'd planned a romantic night in for new year's eve as this was the first year neither of us were dancing/DJing respectively so we had a nice dinner, settled down in our PJ's watching Jools Holland with a glass of champers (which my lovely boss and team from BT had given us as an engagement pressie) and saw the fireworks going off over the city. The bug and cough eventually shifted after nearly 3 weeks but came back this last week which I was not amused about! Fortunately it's not stopped me doing anything but I've been pretty tired and run down from it. I was partly disappointed that Sam had had to call off the AOD social this Saturday night as I'd managed to find a couple of hours to put most of a routine together - but then the other half of me was glad to be able to relax and put my feet up and have a beer - plus I have a routine I can carry on working on for the next event.

Sorry for the long blog but I think I'm pretty up to date now with the main events I've been up to. I think I've caught up with most of you in the Plymouth studio and the Exeter studio on Monday nights. We all experienced a bit of a slow start to the new year with the flu and finances being tight but I'm pleased to see many of my familiar faces back - particularly in Exeter and welcome to lots of my new ladies there - and my gent in Plymouth - Jeremy.
Finally as you are all fully aware the Art of Dance has gone National..and now Global with the recent events over Sam's latest performance - we couldn't have asked for better publicity. I'd just like to add that I too am proud to be an instructor for the Art of Dance and am proud of Sam for being such a great boss and role model in working on removing the negativity surrounding our art form. Go Sam!

Ta ta for now...and I promise not to leave it so long

xxxx