Month: January 2018

Friday & Saturday we’re at The Biscuit Factory – a large industrial space with a painted concrete floor and lots of windows. This means it is spacious and light but may also be chilly. We’re going to pack in as much heating as we can but suggest you bring / wear plenty of layers. You might also want to consider trainers or shoes with padded inner soles for dancing on the concrete.

Door entry: Our venue is on the 2nd floor of the building and the entrance to the building is a locked security door. We will be manning the security door only during the registration times and the start of the socials. At other times there will be a doorbell system (a wireless doorbell if it works, if not then a mobile number to call) and someone will run downstairs to let you in – please be patient. Please do not wedge the security door open under any circumstances.

Due to major plumbing issues at The Baths, our main venue for Friday through to Sunday afternoon will now be The Biscuit Factory (upstairs).

Full details in the programme: Black Label Blues 2018 programme

We’re delighted to announce our other Community Heroes: Jess & Greg.

Jess met blues dancing via a stranger on a bus during a snowstorm. Greg met blues dancing at a house party, trying to make friends in a new city. Jess and Greg met – surprise, surprise – while blues dancing! They have gone on to dance all over the world and teach in the U.S., France, Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Known for being approachable and fun to dance with, Jess and Greg value self-expression, partnered creativity and comfort in their blues dances. They believe that dancing comfortably in one’s own body helps us dance comfortably with others, which is why their teaching frequently focuses on body mechanics and consent, endeavouring to let everyone’s inner (or outer!) dancer shine.

Their class will kick off the Saturday and set us up for the rest of the weekend:
You know the saying “you must love yourself before you can love somebody else”? The same can be said for connection! In order to connect our body to the floor and to itself, we’ll activate the joints and tissues from our feet through to our hands. We’ll pay special attention to the body mechanics of our shoulders, giving us the tools to find a relaxed and grounded frame. This class will prepare you to experience connection to your partners as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Not your standard blues band but we feel that Delightful Squalor is a good fit both for the venue (Unpretty Project’s The Baths) and for the Black Label Blues premium blues blend.  We look forward to seeing you dance to their unique sound. To quote the band:

Delightful Squalor is way of life; a celebration of ‘less is more’, a sweet and savoury something to fill your heart with song and light. It joins the seasoned talents of singer song-writers Lake Montgomery of Paris, Texas and Cera Impala of Flagstaff, Arizona. These ladies provide honeyed harmonies you can hope to taste delivering an authentic Americana duet project, unique in its charm. Guitar, 5 string Banjo and ukulele in hand, they craft songs that feel timeless, songs to help you forget a world gone mad. A taste of country blues, gospel, folk and old-time jazz, they take from a range of influences resulting in a sound that comes across as quite it’s own. 

Here’s a taster for you: Delightful Squalor House concert Nov 2018

We’re thrilled to announce our first Community Hero: Cee Jay

Cee Jay has been dancing for over 20 years, teaching for over 10.  He dances a number of styles, incorporating his experience as a classically trained musician to bring the music to life on the dance floor.  His class will be a relaxed affair, taking in the detail of a track and incorporating that into our dance.  We will explore styles of music and how that music will inspire our movement, the timing of that movement and the quality of that movement. It’s not about dancing to a track, or even with a track: it’s about dancing in the track.

 Cee Jay will also be taking us through the wee small hours of Saturday night with a special “Mariachi” DJ set from midnight to 3am.  Cee Jay has been a DJ for over 25 years known for his emphasis on tunage that allows genuine expression on the floor.  His “Mariachi” brand has travelled around and outwith the UK.  His sets focus on multi-layered music, usually based around guitar, which allows multiple dance styles to be expressed to the same track.