Friendship and Dance
29/04/2013
We recently spent a lovely line dance week in the sunny Algarve with Maggie G and apart from the first class teaching, fabulous parties, great weather and good food, what struck us most about the week was the friendliness of the group.
It reinforced our belief that dancing offers a wonderful boost to anyone's social life, bringing together like-minded people with a shared love. And this is magnified x 10 on a dance holiday, where the intensity of the daily classes and parties as well as the sun and sangria make for lasting friendships.
Maggie G has an impressive worldwide following and line dancers from all over the globe travel to dance with her on holidays and weekenders. In the Algarve, the group was comprised of dancers from the UK, Germany, Norway and more and many had been on multiple holidays with Maggie, thereby cementing their friendships. Newcomers were equally welcomed into the fold and, by the end of the week, had formed close friendships, exchanging promises to meet up back home and enjoy their mutual love of line dance.
Mornings in the Algarve were spent enjoying a leisurely breakfast before dance classes and lunch. Afternoons were a combination of relaxation and exploration, with strolls into the centre of Lagos and time by the pool. All of this in the company of a lovely group of people. By the time the evenings came the group had bonded over their common dance experiences as well as the Portuguese sunshine and we danced until way beyond midnight.
Of course, as with all dance holidays, people go to enjoy themselves and relax and it's never compulsory to stick with the group; we spent an idyllic afternoon alone in a sheltered cove on the beach and another searching our bargains in Lagos' souvenir shops. But it was nice knowing that we had a ready-made social scene to return to, a group of people to bounce off our dodgy purchases of Mateus Rose and Cock of Barcelos tea towels.
Dance holidays, and dance classes, are a way of killing many birds with one stone. You get to do what you love, or learn a new skill, keep fit (major bonus on a holiday - you can indulge and return home without having put on an ounce!) and meet people to share memories with. When you return home, as with all holidays, there's only so much interest your Facebook friends will have in your holiday snaps. But your dance friends who lived the experience with you will re-live it again and again, cementing friendships and paving the way for the next holiday.