Everything is brilliant in Leeds

[venta]

Long-term readers will know that around this time of year DERT happens. DERT - the Dancing England Rapper Tournament - is the annual competition for the style of folk dancing that I do. This year it's in Leeds.

This year it is also an unexpectedly big deal for Mabel Gubbins. Firstly, we're in Premier.

Competition is divided into three classes: Premier (the top-notch teams), Open (the beginner or part-time teams) and Championship (everyone who doesn't fit into either of the others).

There are always a few quirks, of course. This year Medlock Rapper are in the Open because they're a new team; this despite the fact that pretty much every individual has danced with a Premier team in recent years.

Anyway, last year we won the Championship. This means promotion, and we have to go and play with the big boys (and girls). We are so very not a Premier team :-)

We are, in fact, a "safe" team. We don't usually attempt the very ambitious figures, we do the easier ones well. I think our victory last year was because our nearest rivals (Mons Meg, from Edinburgh) put in some riskier figures and then cocked them up in one or two dances. The dances they pulled off scored higher than ours, but we were more consistent. Consistent competence ain't going to cut it this year. I'll be extremely surprised if we come anything other than last.

We had our final practice with all combatants this weekend, near Brighton. We've been trying to up our game, which in a lot of cases means "do it faster" or "do it more" (and, of course "do it better", though that's harder to quantify). I have the sort of bruises all up my left arm that might lead to people speculating whether everything's all right at home, and a frankly mysterious set of pulled muscles.

Mind you, we also found a pub in Brighton that not only let us dance, but had 43 different kinds of gin.

Secondly, as of this moment there are no takers to run DERT next year.

Each year, a different dance team as as hosts, and organises the whole shebang. Mabel, my team, did it in 2011 and we're definitely not quite ready to think about doing it again yet. It's a lot of work. As far as I'm aware - which is since 2000 - there's never been a year where the following year's hosts were not decided by the time of the competition (even if details are vague).

This year it's organised by Black Swan Rapper. They last did it, according to the t-shirt I had on the other day, in 2006.

I'm not sure if there's a plan; I don't know whether the competition will happen next year.

Anyway, if you're in or around the Leeds area, there will a range of opportunities for watching sword dancing in pubs a week on Saturday. You can watch the finest teams in the land, nay, the world! Or, of course, you could watch us (but only if you cheer violently and help increase our buzz score).

Which also brings me to my other question: I shall be free of swords and other such things by Sunday lunchtime, does anyone Leeds-based fancy meeting up for a pub lunch, beer, coffee, or other social engagement? strange_complex, maviscruet, nalsa, any others?

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

So am I right in understanding that you'll be here for the weekend of March 7th-9th? If so, that's unfortunately going to mean I completely miss you, as I am away in York for the whole of that weekend. Which is a very sad thing, as I haven't seen you since I left Oxford, and would have loved to do so. :-(

[venta.livejournal.com]

You are correct, and it is indeed a shame that you will not be there (though I hope you have a lovely time in York!)

I have been thinking that I should do more trundling around the country to see (a) places and (b) people, so will try and remove myself to Leeds again at a more convenient season ;-)

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

Competition is divided into three classes: Premier (the top-notch teams), Open (the beginner or part-time teams) and Championship (everyone who doesn't fit into either of the others).

I'm slightly confused about what 'part time' means. Presumably rapper dancing isn't your or anyone's full time job? Does it mean teams who don't practise regularly, or something?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I forget the proper term that the competition uses (it's not "part time"!) but it's basically teams whose main kind of dancing is something which is not rapper. So, for example, morris teams who practise and perform morris dancing, but also do a bit of rapper on the side occasionally.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Sat 8th and Sun 9th March? I'll be in Leeds and I can recommend a nice food-selling, real-ale selling, wheelchair-friendly pub for lunch. You or another would have to collect me from home (North Leeds - can give details in PM) because I no longer drive. My wheelchair is lightweight and folds small enough for the boot of a typical hatchback. With my Blue Badge, whoever drives me can park in places marked 'Disabled'. I'd like to see you dance rapper (I'm ex-Morris as you may recall) but that's probably not very feasible. Lunch, however, may be feasible :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yup, 8th and 9th. Meeting would have to be Sunday, because I shall be all tied up with the competition on the Saturday.

Collecting is going to be a bit problematic, as I'm heading up to Leeds on the train (and last thing I knew, most of my team were planning to do the same). I might be able to find someone who's going to hang around on the Sunday and be willing/able to offer lifts, but I'm unlikely to know that until the weekend, which makes planning hard.

Are there alternatives? I shall be based in Headingley for the weekend, which also looks on a map to be Northish Leeds. Is there anywhere in your local area that would be reasonable for you, and which I could perhaps get myself to on public transport?

My apologies for missing you off my Leeds list - for some reason I always want to file you in Sheffield!

[sammason.livejournal.com]

This isn't sounding very feasible. It's not important to meet in person but I hope you'll have a great weekend of dancing and winning.

Filing me in Sheffield? I don't know it well but it seems a lovely city. I'm laughing gently at the idea of being 'filed' anywhere! because I file people too. Different email folders, different LJ filters, stuff like that.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about the infeasibility. I agree meeting isn't vital; I've lots of online friends whom I've gone on to meet, but also lots I haven't (and some I probably never will, mostly due to geography). As I mentioned to strange_complex above, I quite like the idea of doing more jaunting round the UK on social rather than folk business, so will be sure to let you know if I'm making it up to Leeds again. Hopefully I'll be able to bring Susan with me in the future (Susan is our getting-old-now but much-loved car).

I also love Sheffield, so no disrespect intended by the filing. My worst filing problem is actually people in morris teams and the like; if they turn up wearing different kit (or normal clothes) I'm completely unable to work out who they are. I spent years chatting to two blokes in Darlington before I realised they were the same person, one in normal clothes and one blacked up in full Border kit :-)

[sammason.livejournal.com]

If Susan has other plans, it's worth asking whether my Watson (alleged human) will be available. Most weekends she is, and she has a car that's her pride and joy.

I know what you mean about not recognising dancers. 'Didn't recognise you with clothes on!' I don't think I've ever chatted up the same person in 2 different guises (were you chatting up that bloke and his doppleganger in Darlington?) but I once got spotted when not in kit. While walking the long version of the Ridgeway (Lyme Regis to the Thames) I set up for sleep on a campsite, then was approached by people from the next tent. 'Rogue Morris, aren't you?' they said. Yes I danced with Rogue. 'But no thank you, I don't want to walk into the village tonight for a beer. My feet have walked many miles already today.'

[venta.livejournal.com]

OK, will bear Watson's wheels in mind for the future.

I wasn't chatting him up :-) In fact, his wife laughed like a drain about the whole thing.

I have a terrible habit of referring to someone from team X as "an X" - so had I been on the Ridgeway, I'd have asked "are you a Rogue?". This goes quite badly wrong quite often. For example the person I accosted in Whittlesey to ask if she was a pig dyke... fortunately she did dance with Pig Dyke Molly (http://www.pigdyke.co.uk/) and thus interpreted the question in the spirit in which it was intended.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

That's the idea, isn't it? Sure it seemed to be the idea for Rogue. But the time we danced out alongside Nancy Butterfly http://www.nancybutterfly.co.uk/ it would have backfired if I'd told them that I was disappointed to see frumpy women. I'd hoped for a team of gay brothers. I never met the Pig Dykes which is perhaps a good thing, seeing as I've known some very piggy-looking dykes.

After a while, as you know, I got fed up of seeming to be the only gay Morris dancer. So I asked on an online forum, 'Am I the only one?' Pete Humble of Red Leicester replied, 'There is also me.' Soon I left Rogue, met Pete and a few others, and founded Miss Demeanour's where we were proud to call ourselves the UK's best gay Morris team. It lasted a few years until our best dancer left his male partner to marry a woman, Pete suddenly died (cancer?) and I left Southern England to move in with my Watson. But our concertina player and our mandolin player, both female, fell into each other's arms. They're still together.

Folk dancers! You can't take your eyes off them for a minute. Any couples formed in your rapper team?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't think we've had any couples in Mabel while I've been a member. As an all-female side with (currently) a female musician and (as far as I know) only one gay member options are limited :)

Actually, from observation, rapper sides seem much less prone to outbreaks of romance than morris teams. I'd guess it's because they tend to be much smaller groups, so fewer available permutations!

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Do you get relegated if you finish last?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Possibly :-)

Each year the organisers of the competition get to decide the fine points of the rules, so it'd depend what future organisers decide. When we ran DERT in 2011 there were only two classes (Premier and "Everyone else") and it was basically self-selecting - we let people choose their class.

That could have been awkward if anyone had placed themselves in a class we manifestly felt to be wrong, but no one did :)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

How many of the 43 types of gin did you get to try?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Only 3 or 4, personally.

We danced in The Office (http://www.gintime.com/bars/the-office/) around 5:30, which I felt was a little early for gin (for me) and had a beer. I did buy a Geranium gin for Dr Fiona, though, and she let me taste it - it was surprisingly nice, given that I often think of geraniums (gerania?) as having quite a nasty smell.

Post-dancing we went back, but by then the pub was rammed and we ended up scattered all over it in tiny spaces, so trying others' was tricky. I had a gin called Bulldog, which was apparently flavoured with 12 botanicals including Chinese Dragon Eye and French Lavender (if memory serves). It was quite a mild taste - I wish I could have tried it before the tonic was added, but it was pre-toniced by the time it reached me. I'm also disappointed I didn't get to try Mae's Earl Grey gin (though apparently you can buy it in Waitrose!)

[sammason.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether that drink was flavoured with Geranium spp. or Pelargonium spp. They're v different plants.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Their website (http://www.geraniumgin.com/ - heavily Flash-based, quite painful, and I don't recommend it) doesn't give any details, it just says "geranium". They do mention "a particular type", but don't go on to elaborate what that is.

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

I am at your social service.

I'm busy the 8th - but the 7th and 9th - what ever you fancy .

There was talk of wine and games - but I suspect you'll be to busy for that. :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Excellent! 9th is probably the best option, as I'll be mostly up to my eyebrows in competition on 7th. I'm trying to sort details out with Sam (a few comments above), and will get back to you.

I'm going to be based in Headingley for the weekend, which looks on a map to be vaguely in your neck of the woods. Assuming I have correctly recalled where your neck is :)