Sunday 8 February 2009

WE DID IT!!! HURRAY!!!

Just a short note as I am totally asleep on my feet! Yesterday, was completely fantastic and we totally smashed our target! I did a rough calculation last night of our total and although not everyone knows exactly how much sponsorship they've raised our total should work out at about £7150!!!! And that was on erring the conservative side! Huge thanks have to go to the CLH Committee, and everyone that took part, including all the sponsored dancers, the bands, the DJ's, the taxi dancers, Alex and Holly for taking photographs and just everyone who was there. I will post some photos soon, maybe even some video and update our exact total as all the money gradually gets collected. Once again-
THANK YOU!!!!!

Thursday 29 January 2009

Crazy Booth!

We are very pleased that professional photographer Alex Beckett has kindly agreed to run a Crazy Booth at the Hopathon. For the bargain price of £5 get a professional 4x6 photograph of yourself and your dancing friends and all profits go to the CF Trust! We'll provde lots of silly hats and props but bring your gladrags or anything you might like to be photographed with.....

For more info on Alex and to see some of his recent work check out his blog-
www.alexbeckett.co.uk/blog

Saturday 17 January 2009

Raffle

To raise more money this year we are having a raffle of rather fantastic prizes. These include-

-Signed copy of The Jive Aces new CD “Recipe for Rhythm”.
Donated by the band
-“Let's Lindy Hop!” DVD
Donated by London Swing Dance Society
-London Balboa Festival DVD
Donated by Dan Guest
-Exquisite Silk Floral Hair Decoration
Donated by Lizzie Pauling
-Knitted extravaganza
Donated by Gill Bates
Plus assorted Lindor Chocolates, Biscuit selection and Wine!

Tickets are available at regular CLH classes on monday and wednesday and during the actual hopathon. They cost 50p each or £2 for a trip of five-Good Luck!

Friday 2 January 2009

Bands Bands Bands!

This year we are very lucky to have not one, but three fantastic swing bands to play for us at the Hopathon. They'll each be doing a set in the evening - tickets for which are the bargain price of £10/£8! Sponsored Dancers get in free.... First on at 7pm is-

Better Than TV
Based in Cambridge Better than TV are an extremely versatile band playing everything from swing standards to improvised Jazz. Regulars at CLH's The Speakeasy on a Monday will be familiar with their brass led swingin' sound.

The Rob James Swing Trio
Formed in July 2008, instigated by “Rob James” Cattermole a Cambridge based Jazz Singer and Guitarist. Rob has played guitar for 20 years and has sung over the past 4 years. A keen enthusiast for small combo Swing Jazz music popular in America during the 1940's, Rob decided to form a Trio styled on the famous Nat “King Cole Trio”. Musicians that play within the Trio have typically studied at respected musical institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music and are currently teachers in their instrument as well as regular performers in larger well known swing bands.

The Colin Hazel Trio
Back by popular demand after their smash hit performance at CLX08 we are very pleased to bring you Colin Hazel and his trio for another toe-tapping performance! Colin has always loved playing in the stride piano style of the 30s pianists, such as Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller, but had no outlet for this kind of music until he discovered the Cambridge Lindy Hop scene. Now with like-minded musicians in tow, mixing the sound of the swing era piano trios, jump blues and early soul, he likes nothing more then to play these old-fashioned grooves for todays swing dancers.

Even if you can't make it to the Hopathon during the day with three bands like these the evening will definitely be one not to miss!

Monday 15 December 2008

Huge Thank You!

We have to say a massive thank you to Katherine Watson and the company she works for Takeda Cambridge who have sponsored us a huge £250! This is a wonderful boost to our fundraising and is extremely generous.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited was Founded in 1781 and located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. Takeda markets a number of blockbuster drugs discovered through its internal research programmes including Actos®, Blopress®, and Prevacid ®. Takeda’s subsidiary in Cambridge, Takeda Cambridge Limited and its subsidiary in Singapore, have established world-class target identification and validation capabilities. Together they have developed a promising pipeline of novel drug discovery targets and compounds in key areas of unmet medical need such as CNS disorders, chronic pain and urology indications, endocrinology and metabolic-related diseases.

Saturday 29 November 2008

Why should you donate?

Reading the paper this morning I came across the tragic story of Jodi and Lucinda Dunmore. Please take the time to read this article in full by following the link to The Daily Telegraph's website-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3534412/Cystic-fibrosis-sisters-die-within-months-of-each-other.html
Both sisters had CF, both have sadly passed away within months of each other just aged 19 and 22. I cannot even begin to imagine what their parents must be going through, and I am incredibly thankful that my brother has been spared this disease.

Please, please help us to help The CF Trust find a cure for this devestating disease before it cuts more lives so terribly short.

Wednesday 5 November 2008

More Info!

So a few more details..... Like last year, sponsored dancing will take place between midday and midnight, with social dancing alongside from 7pm, and there will also be the now legendary Blues After Party so you can keep on dancing into the night! This year tho, we are planning to have LIVE MUSIC from THREE local Jazz bands in the evening as well as some awesome swing DJ's all day-more details to follow...So grab your dancing shoes for a fantastic day (and night!) of dancing!

We are also planning on having a fun beginners class alongside the sponsored dance, so bring your friends and family and they can learn to trip the light fantastic with us! Our hugely successful taxi dancer auction will also be back, only this time you can buy a dancer for 20mins- and for those 20mins you can ask them to anything (as long as its legal!). How about a mini class to learn some tricks and fun moves, or maybe try a new style with an expert or just dance for 20mins with some of the best dancers in the area and maybe from further afield..... And just to raise even more money there will be a raffle!

To take part or for more info contact Ros on 07811 186824 or ros@cambridgelindy.com Sponsored dancers get in free to the whole event, tickets for social dancing from 7pm are £10/£8 members & concessions.

How it actually works...
The only rule for the Lindy Hopathon is that there must be someone on the dance floor (actually dancing) at all times. You can be sponsored to dance for just 1 hour or any number of hours up to the whole twelve for the really hardcore dance fans! You don’t have to dance every dance in your alloted time, as this is meant to be a fun event not an overly exhausting one! If you only want to do three of four hours then you can do a couple at the start and then some more later on. There will be tea and cake to support all the sponsored dancers!