Single and Ready to Mingle
12/04/2013
We recently delved into the world of the singles club, having recognised a growing singles contingent on some of our holidays.
We're not surprised that singles choose to take a dance holiday; like-minded people, socialising and learning, often in exotic locations, is a great combination and what better to break the ice than have a dance?
We ventured into London's singles scene for one night only to see what makes fun-loving, independent singles tick and had a fantastic evening of laughter and companionship.
We were lucky enough to be invited to a black tie ball taking place in a luxurious hotel just outside London. Nervous and unsure what to expect, we spent a frustrated afternoon choosing and discarding outfits. We wanted impress but not try too hard; to look sophisticated but not aloof and sexy but not desperate! We finally settled on a long black number and rushed out of the door just in time to meet our awaiting taxi.
On arrival at the venue we were ushered in by an aloof doorman who made us wonder if we should have dressed more demurely; one of the worries as a singleton is that you're venturing out alone and have no-one to bounce your choices off, no security blanket of a partner on your arm. But we needn't have worried. The doors opened and the sound of R Kelly's "Happy People" drifted out of a brightly lit room dotted with small tables decorated with flickering jewelled candle holders, bowls of nibbles and propped up by what looked impressively like R Kelly's subject matter.
Feeling relaxed but still a little like a newbie on their first day at school, we were relieved when the hostess spotted us and came rushing over with a warm greeting and a smile that managed to convey "New? Don't worry, we'll look after you" whilst simultaneously handing us a glass of fizz.
We relaxed into the evening and soon found most of the other guests to be friendly, like-minded, independent and young-at-heart singles all looking for a good time above all and perhaps friendship or more if the vibe was right. By the end of the evening we were signing up to the next event and had taken more than one phone number.
We learned a lot on our foray into the singles world. We learned that going out alone, to a new venue is not at all as daunting as it may seem. We learned that there are so many interesting and like-minded people out there and we're not going to find them by sitting on the sofa with a TV dinner. And we learned that being part of a group or club labelled as "singles" doesn't have to mean "desperate for a date". It actually defines people who have the get up and go to, well, get up and go for what they want, whether it be with friends or alone.
And all of this is precisely why we're convinced that a dance holiday is a fabulous way for singles to mingle. Some genres (ballroom, tango) require a strict gender balance but salsa and Ceroc attract singles of both sexes and there is always someone to dance with. And Zumba, Line Dance and Flamenco don't require a partner; all you need is an interest in dance, a love for meeting new people and a zest for fun!