My Review of 2023

Looking back at 2023...

As we step into 2024, with so many exciting things to look forward to, I thought it would be nice to take a look back over 2023 and see what we all got up to!

As we fast approach our 18th anniversary, it is quite something to think that we have been running weekly Modern Blues classes for all that time! (With the exception of the Covid break- obviously).

As far as I am aware, we are the only dance event provider who has managed to do that – and we are still going strong!

In 2023 we taught 45 weekly classes at Buckden.

We held 41 freestyles over the course of the year:

• 11 x Blues Emotion
• 11 x Collaboration
• 6 x Worcester Blues
• 11 x monthly Freestyles in Buckden
• 1 x Freestyle in St Neots
• 1 x Boxing Day Blues
• 1 x New Year’s Eve event

We ran 12 workshops under the Blues Nites banner, and taught a fair few for other event organisers too:

• 6 in Worcester
• 5 at Blues Emotion events in Dry Drayton
• 1 in Buckden
• Some in Nantwich and Manchester too

In addition we ran 2 Blues BootCamps and a New-2-Blues course.

There were 3 UK weekenders in 2023:

• 1 with our friends at Pulse Dance in Scarborough
• And 2 x Blues Retreats in Bournemouth
• We also got back to see our friends in Sweden for a fabulous Fox/Blues weekender

And of course we had the absolute highlight of our year – the Crystal Blues Challenge!

Add to that between 5 and 8 private lessons every fortnight – and we have been kept mighty busy!

Along the way, and with your incredibly kind support, we have tried to do our best to help others too. Collectively we have raised In excess of £4500 – plus physical donations of food for the food bank, coats and clothing, toys and household items for those escaping domestic violence, sleeping bags, coats, rucksacks with gloves, hats, toiletries, Greggs vouchers, hand warmers etc for those who are living on the streets, hot water bottles for elderly people struggling with the cold, Christmas dinner boxes for those who would be going without at Christmas, and much, much more.

That all feels like something to be proud of so we’ll be going in to 2024 with the aim of doing it all over again in 2024

And as we are not ones to rest on our laurels – we’re going to set ourselves the challenge of doing even more.

With the opening of another new venue this month, and starting a new and exciting style of freestyle – we’re off to a good start.

I think 2024 is looking like a fabulous year for Blues dancers!

So let me take this opportunity to thank all of you:

• For your support
• For your kindness
• For your enthusiasm
• And for being a part of this fabulous Blues Dancing world that means so much to us all!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and dance-filled 2024!

I live to do this work I love. And I work hard to live this way.