jenc
New member
Not the dreaded St Trinian's/Burlesque Fusion
UK International Belly Dance Congress 2009
- Thread starter Suheir
- Start date
Not the dreaded St Trinian's/Burlesque Fusion
~GreenFire~
New member
London's just up the road from me so I'm def going. It'll be my first belly dance extravaganza...unless of course I go to something else before then! Does anyone know how much tickets were last time? 
The first one, last year, was held at Butlins in Bognor Regis and was residential - you had to stay at Butlins. A weekend pass, which gave admission to all workshops (apart from Masterclasses, which were extra) and shows started at (I think) £119 if you booked far in advance and the price went up in increments - if you booked between 30 April and 31 July it cost £144 and if you booked after 31 July it cost £159. The accommodation was extra and the price depended on which sort of chalet you got and how many people you could find to share the cost.London's just up the road from me so I'm def going. It'll be my first belly dance extravaganza...unless of course I go to something else before then! Does anyone know how much tickets were last time?
If next year's event *is* at Lakeside, near Frimley, there are several hotels on site. We'll just have to wait until July, when the info's put on the Belly Dance Congress website, to see what the deal is.
The details are now up on the website, International Bellydance Congress 2007
It is Lakeside in Frimley.
The price has gone up since the first one, £139 before the end of this year and £185 thereafter. The same set-up as before, workshops can't be booked in advance.
"ALL THOSE REGISTERED by end of FRIDAY 11 JULY will be GUARANTEED two tickets if booked and paid for by midnight on SUNDAY 13 July. Those registering on or after 12 July, or those who are non-registered and buying tickets, will receive secondary priority to those people pre-registered" - do me a favour! It's going to sell out 14 months in advance?
" We are thrilled to be holding the Congress in such a lovely setting, with workshops in great spaces and a fantastic theatre for our shows. We also have a few surprises by the lake!" - not nude cartwheels by the bonfire. Please.
It is Lakeside in Frimley.
The price has gone up since the first one, £139 before the end of this year and £185 thereafter. The same set-up as before, workshops can't be booked in advance.
"ALL THOSE REGISTERED by end of FRIDAY 11 JULY will be GUARANTEED two tickets if booked and paid for by midnight on SUNDAY 13 July. Those registering on or after 12 July, or those who are non-registered and buying tickets, will receive secondary priority to those people pre-registered" - do me a favour! It's going to sell out 14 months in advance?
" We are thrilled to be holding the Congress in such a lovely setting, with workshops in great spaces and a fantastic theatre for our shows. We also have a few surprises by the lake!" - not nude cartwheels by the bonfire. Please.
karena
New member
Well I was still waiting for the 2008 one. Did I blink and miss that?? I'm sure that was happening
And, I thought Lakeside was a shopping centre. Oh no just googled it so am in the picture now. Home of world darts with Jim Davidson smiling at me :shok:
(Please forgive my confusion, I am feeling sorry for myself with a cold and it has addled my brain :lol
Woah, yeah, sheer class - tribute bands and racist, sexist comedians
.
Aniseteph
New member
Woah, yeah, sheer class - tribute bands and racist, sexist comedians
As long as the tribute bands aren't trying to bring the ceiling down in the room above the main theatre it will be an improvement.
He he he, just picturing Jim Davidson's face watching Khaled being cheered on by the masses, he would be appalled. :dance:
:lol: I just choked on my breakfast!
karena
New member
Now that I would pay to see! Organisers take note!
Maryam
New member
It is said on their web pages that workshops cannot be booked in advance. So, I have a question for those of you who visited the previous event in 2007: Was it difficult to enrol to those workshops you preferred? In other words, were you forced to queue for a long time before the workshop chosen started?
I also have a silly question referring to event in 2009: Are all the evening shows included to the weekend pass price or do you have to pay any extras for them?
Thanks for your help.
I also have a silly question referring to event in 2009: Are all the evening shows included to the weekend pass price or do you have to pay any extras for them?
Thanks for your help.
karena
New member
The problem for me was that there was no control on the numbers. So, some workshops were absolutely heaving. The one I did with Randa was crazy; at one point she asked why we weren't using our arms, we simply couldn't lift them without hitting the person next to us! Not extend the, just lift them from our sides. The room as crazily hot too.
I wish you had been able to queue for ages and then they would have said when they got to capacity and turned people away. I turned up early with that in mind but everyone who wanted to was let in. And it was no good thinking you could go early and get a more spacious spot, there was no such thing.
By the end of the weekend, I'd given up. If it got crowded I'd then just leave as I'd lost patience with it. Maybe they will have learnt and do things differently, but from what I've heard of Fantasia on here (never been though) maybe not.
I'm sticking to JoY on that basis.
And in 2007 the shows were included in the cost. Don't know about 2009.
I wish you had been able to queue for ages and then they would have said when they got to capacity and turned people away. I turned up early with that in mind but everyone who wanted to was let in. And it was no good thinking you could go early and get a more spacious spot, there was no such thing.
By the end of the weekend, I'd given up. If it got crowded I'd then just leave as I'd lost patience with it. Maybe they will have learnt and do things differently, but from what I've heard of Fantasia on here (never been though) maybe not.
I'm sticking to JoY on that basis.
And in 2007 the shows were included in the cost. Don't know about 2009.
karena
New member
Ticket does include shows by the looks of things
The International Bellydance Congress | Ticket information
The International Bellydance Congress | Ticket information
Aniseteph
New member
I thought the same as Karena about that Randa workshop, more like a sauna. They should have had a maximum capacity and stuck to it (and not put someone like Randa in a small room. Duh!!!). JimBoz was crowded out too...
But the ones in the big rooms were fine - just turn up. I really liked the flexibility of not having a rigid timetable of pre-booked workshops.
But the ones in the big rooms were fine - just turn up. I really liked the flexibility of not having a rigid timetable of pre-booked workshops.
Caroline_afifi
New member
There is a real problem with over loading worshops. I think the problem has a sort of chicken and egg situation attached to it. A teacher quotes a price, she attends and see's the workshop is packed out and calculates the profit made, so next time the fee goes up.
Some teachers command ridiculous fee's. Now unless they have a magic wand to wave over everyone, how can it be worth it?
I only once stood in a hot room with a famous teacher with one hundred fellow students and decided it would be my first and last.
Paul McCartney comes at a high price because of his fame and occasionaly he teaches at the academy of performing arts in Liverpool.
The seminars and workshops are for gifted and talented musicians and he attempts to move them forward and pass on his knowledge and experience.
Now tell me how this applies to a 100 plus in a hot room with mixed ability?
magic wand?
Some teachers command ridiculous fee's. Now unless they have a magic wand to wave over everyone, how can it be worth it?
I only once stood in a hot room with a famous teacher with one hundred fellow students and decided it would be my first and last.
Paul McCartney comes at a high price because of his fame and occasionaly he teaches at the academy of performing arts in Liverpool.
The seminars and workshops are for gifted and talented musicians and he attempts to move them forward and pass on his knowledge and experience.
Now tell me how this applies to a 100 plus in a hot room with mixed ability?
magic wand?
taheya
New member
The good thing i found with the congress is that you can leave the workshop if you want to and as there was no end of excellent teachers so this was not a problem. I would not of stayed in a packed workshop, I agree with Caroline- you cannot learn much in that environment may as well watch a dvd instead!
Caroline_afifi
New member
Oooh, I dont like the idea of 'revolving door' teaching.
You could run in and out of every class for five mins.
Your 'training' with 100 of the top international teachers will be on your dazzling website.
Mona Said hit the roof when this happend at Ahlan, she shouted at the top of her voice 'SHUT THAT F$%%$££ DOOR!'
I thought I was back in Liverpool for one brief moment.
In Ahlan they were in and out of the workshop doors like flies.
I personally think this sort of thing is a joke.
If anyone wants to leave, it should be quietly crawling on their hands and knees and out through a cat flap. :lol:
You could run in and out of every class for five mins.
Your 'training' with 100 of the top international teachers will be on your dazzling website.
Mona Said hit the roof when this happend at Ahlan, she shouted at the top of her voice 'SHUT THAT F$%%$££ DOOR!'
I thought I was back in Liverpool for one brief moment.
In Ahlan they were in and out of the workshop doors like flies.
I personally think this sort of thing is a joke.
If anyone wants to leave, it should be quietly crawling on their hands and knees and out through a cat flap. :lol:
:lol::lol::lol: I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Mona!
taheya
New member
Nah me either! :lol:
Honestly it wasnt like a revolving door.. i didnt see people choppng and changing workshops and walking out halfway through etc.. or maybe i was too engrossed.
Caroline_afifi
New member
Or maybe it was just at Ahlan?
which festival are you talking about, Belly dance congress?
I imagine it would be different to the chaos I witnessed.