Destination Dance

14/06/2013

Dance is our first passion but we can't forget all the wonderful places dance takes us; travel definitely comes a close second and this week we're blogging about our favourite dance holiday destinations.

Calpe, on Spain's Costa Blanca, is our favourite Mediterranean getaway. Situated just a 20 minute drive from Benidorm, Calpe offers a less brash, more cultured alternative to the sky scrapers and all you can eat English breakfasts that have become a much parodied symbol of the Costas. With average daytime summer temperatures of 25 degrees, Calpe has a great beach, enough shops to explore and buy souvenirs but not so many that you end up returning home with seven versions of the same local pottery ash tray and a never-to-be-used Sangria carafe, a buzzing nightlife which remains popular with locals and tourists alike and a good range of restaurants, from beachside cafes to higher end international. What's more, Calpe is just an hour from international airport Alicante, which is accessible from airports all over the UK.

Despite our love of Calpe, sometimes we yearn to go further afield and our top choice is Cuba and, more specifically, Havana (although the rest of Cuba is equally beautiful and we could easily dedicate this whole blog to the country!). Havana is a contradiction; the omnipresent military police in their khakis and with their unsmiling faces make you want to be on your best behaviour. But the hazy humidity, Salsa, Reggaeton and Hip Hop soundtrack heard on street corners and effortless sex appeal of the city's young, hip crowd make you want to throw caution to the wind and embrace all it has to offer. Rum, music, salsa, hazy days and hot nights. If we close our eyes we can almost imagine ourselves sipping a Mojito in Hemingway's old hangout, La Bodeguita.

Back down to earth and we can't forget our UK resorts. Lacking the sunshine hours of Calpe and the exoticism of Cuba, Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Torquay and the Isle of Wight nevertheless have lots to offer. The English seaside town offers a unique charm and is loaded with nostalgia. Feel good vibes often come from childhood memories and who doesn't remember fondly dodging the cracks in the pier, eating massive ice creams and candy floss, loading up on rock to take home, going on donkey rides and all the fun of the fair. The weather may not always go to plan but, being British, we're usually well-prepared and it's not unusual to see a family steadfastly eating their soggy picnic in the drizzling rain. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and when the sun does shine there's no place we'd rather be.

Our final favourite, for a real cultural kick, is Granada in Spain. Granada is a magical city with a combination of elegant, chic society and a Bohemian subculture. In a unique contrast, he city boasts soaring summer temperatures whilst offering great ski-ing in the winter. Granada's backdrop, the Sierra Nevada mountain range, lends the city an ethereal beauty. This, coupled with the Moorish ambiance and architectural gems like the Alhambra Palace, make the city a unique gem. And Granada does fiestas very well - it's not unusual to see live Flamenco performances in the street.