Black Label Blues 2019 announcement

Black Label Blues returns to Edinburgh in February 2019 (01st – 03rd) to continue building the blues dance community.
This time we are featuring:

– Foundations and General level workshops with Damon Stone
http://damonstone.dance/about/

– Classes with some of our blues community heroes
– 3 parties!
– An optional in depth teacher training programme with Damon Stone
– Live music
– Limited numbers to keep that friendly community vibe
– All in a boutique hotel in Edinburgh – limited residential passes will be available.

Registration opens 28th April 2018 at noon

Notes on venues

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.

There will not be a bar so you can BYO alcohol and there are no restrictions.

Sunday night we’re at The Voodoo Rooms which is licenced, has a wood floor and an open door 🙂

Introducing our other Community Heroes

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.

Announcing our live band for Saturday night: Delightful Squalor

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

Introducing our first Community Hero

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.

Social passes on sale + hosting for social pass holders

Social pass tickets are now available via WeGotTickets (subject to 10% booking fee) on the links below.  These will also be for sale on the door (door prices listed in brackets).

Venues are:
Friday & Saturday classes & parties + Sunday classes: The Baths, 121 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6JB
Sunday night party: The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2AA

The tickets available are:

Friday Social only £8 (£10), 20:30 – 01:00
https://www.wegottickets.com/sct/xjkSk66UQ7

Friday Foundations class with Lucky + Friday social £12 (£15), classes between 18:00 and 20:15, social 20:30 – 01:00
https://www.wegottickets.com/sct/adS3VG9gvc

Saturday Social only £13 (£15), 20:00 – 03:00
http://www.wegottickets.com/sct/HsQgr8W6zZ

Sunday Social only £10 (£12), 20:00 – 01:00
***Please note due to licensing the Sunday social is restricted to over 18s only***
https://www.wegottickets.com/sct/CNTNvyAeDD

Weekend social £27 (£30) – includes all social only passes above (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
https://www.wegottickets.com/sct/CR2yNceW8w

Hosting: should anyone be attending on a social only pass and can offer or would like hosting, please complete this form:  https://goo.gl/forms/im0tsg2qfnB4rP0C2

Venue update & early bird tickets closing

Venue update: After losing the venue we had booked for the whole weekend we have been searching and negotiating with venues around Edinburgh.  We are excited to announce that we will be at the fabulous The Voodoo Rooms all day and night on Sunday! For Friday & Saturday we are should shortly have the final confirmation for a great new venue in Leith.

Early Bird Tickets: a few early bird tickets are still available but we’ve decided to close the early bird offer in 2 weeks. Book before 23rd November to get one of the last discounted tickets at only £80 for the whole weekend.