Ballroom/Modern & Latin in Crete

Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, you can admire the remnants of brilliant civilizations, explore glorious beaches, impressive mountainscapes, fertile valleys, and steep gorges, and become part of the island’s rich gastronomic culture. Crete is, after all, a small universe teeming with beauties and treasures that you will probably need a lifetime to uncover!

• Return flights from London Gatwick* (regional departures available at a supplement - please enquire on booking)
• Return airport transfers from and to Heraklion airport
• Seven nights' half board accommodation at the 4 star resort
• Minimum 5 x 1.5 hour dance sessions, suitable for improver level upwards plus revision sessions
• Music & dancing every evening 
• Welcome drink
   

 Not included: Climate resilience tax of 10 Euro per room / per night, payable on site (increased by Greek Goverment for 2025)

Kernos Beach**** (Half Board) (Included) 

This is a 4.5-star hotel complex nestled in acres of gorgeously landscaped Mediterranean gardens and on one of the best beaches in Crete. Offering its guests assured comfort and Crete’s warm hospitality, it consists of 287 rooms, bungalows and suites making it ideal for those seeking a relaxing holiday in the sun.The resort comprises of a main hotel building with elegant rooms and suites and a selection of bungalows set in the lush landscape. All accommodation is furnished in a fresh contemporary style providing a comfortable stay.

''Holiday & Dance' are proud to offer over 40 years of experience in Modern Ballroom and Latin American dancing and have been delighted to work with Club Dance Holidays for more than 20 years. We would like to introduce John & Linda West former 'Over 50 British Champions' and very popular teachers and hosts.

Ballroom dance has never been more popular and we bring you a wonderful opportunity to learn or perfect a new skill, meet like-minded people and keep fit in the comfort of a fantastic 4* resort. A fantastic resort with a beautiful pool area and a private beach. You will enjoy at least eight hours of dance tuition throughout the week, plus revision sessions and dancing each evening.

"Loved being able to relax while still having an activty to focus on"

"Overall an enjoyable week , good balance of teaching time , dancing and free time. Lots of laughter"

"Very enjoyable and felt we improved our dancing skills considerably. The mix of classes and free time was good"

"Superb tuition, lovely people, good evening dancing" 

This is the ideal holiday for anyone who loves to dance, from improver level upwards. On this holiday you will learn new routines and immerse yourself in the world of dance for an intensive week of classes, social events and fun in the sun. This is a holiday for all ages and abilities and is a fantastic opportunity to experience the dance fever currently sweeping the nation!

Not only will you perfect your ballroom repertoire, you will have the opportunity to chill by the pool, relax on the beach and explore the surrounding area.

Here's a provisional itinerary aiming to give you an idea of what your holiday will look like, however there may be some elements which will change


DAY 1
Arrival and transfer to hotel
Afternoon - Activity suggestion
2100 - Overview of the week; Welcome drink and Music and Dance session.

DAY 2
1000 - Learn & Improve workshop (1.5 hours)

Afternoon - Relax on the beach, chill by the pool or explore the local sights

2045 - Dance update
2115 - Music and Dance session

DAY 3
1000 - Learn & Improve workshop (1.5 hours)
Afternoon - Relax on the beach, chill by the pool or explore the local sights

2045 - Dance update
2115 - Music and Dance session

DAY 4
Free day to enjoy the hotel and surroundings

2030 - Music and Dance session.

DAY 5
1000 - Learn & Improve workshop (1.5 hours)
Afternoon - Relax on the beach, chill by the pool or explore the local sights

2045 - Dance update
2100 - Music and Dance session

DAY 6
Morning - Learn & Improve workshop
Afternoon - Relax on the beach, chill by the pool or explore the local sights

Evening - Music and Dance session

DAY 7 
Relax on the beach, chill by the pool or explore the local sights
2030 - Dance update
2100 - Farewell dance evening

DAY 8
Transfer to Airport
 

Dance venue:  All the dancing conveniently takes place in the resort in a room with wooden floor.

Music and Dance Evenings: During the evenings John and Linda would like to offer informal tuition as appropriate for individual couples on a more personal basis than during the group sessions. Please don’t hesitate to chat through the possibilities and they will try to help with practical advice as well as recap some of the choreography of the morning workshops if required.

Singles:  Whilst those booking without a partner will be amply catered to in the classes, it is worth noting that Modern & Latin as a dance does attract couples.  This might be a consideration from a social perspective on the holiday.  If you are booking on your own, we will confirm your booking once we got a Dance partner with the same Dance level as you.

The main dances in modern ballroom area:
• The Waltz - Slow waltz, (Think “Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones)
• The Quickstep - As the name suggests – fast! (Think Nat King Cole’s “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” or “I’m the King of the Swingers” a la Jungle Book!)
• Foxtrot - Smooth as silk – (Think Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve got you under my skin” or Michael Buble’s “Just Haven’t met You Yet”)
• Ballroom Tango – Usually quite dramatic – (Think “Phantom of the Opera” or Fernando’s Hideaway”)

The Waltz – Stems from one of the oldest folk dances, which was usually danced to a faster tempo - more like the Viennese Waltz. This was refined and slowed-down for ballroom waltz to emphasise the flowing and smooth nature of the music.
It is the most danced of all the ballroom dances and along with quickstep the first you would normally learn. The famous 1-2-3 music beat makes it fairly basic to follow and relatively easy for a beginner to pick up basic steps within a short period. To master the dance and make it look really good takes a lot of dedication and therefore a good ballroom holiday would help to enhance.

The Quickstep – Very fast and fun! Along with the waltz one of the first dances you would normally learn in ballroom. The slow-slow-quick-quick-slow rhythm is quite easy to follow and therefore relatively easy for beginners to get the hang of the basic steps and quickly be able to move round a dance floor.
To become really good needs a lot of practise and energy. So most people stick to the basics with one or two fancy steps to impress. A ballroom holiday would allow a beginner to learn enough to join in a dance and more experienced dancers to add to their repertoire or polish their style.

The Foxtrot (Also known as Slow-Foxtrot) – The most difficult of the modern ballroom dances, yet often the most beautiful music (Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Ella Fitzgerald etc) and that is why many people will go through the pain and frustration of learning it. You would usually learn basic waltz and quickstep before starting on foxtrot, as you need to have some idea of timing and how to move with the music.

You start by being mystified by the complexity of the steps, which make no sense at all at the beginning. Then suddenly you get it - and you link it in with the wonderful music - and it was all worthwhile!

A ballroom holiday gives you the concentrated tuition and practise needed to pick the basics up in a relatively short time and for the experienced dancer, allow you to build on the grace and flow of this beautiful dance.

''Holiday & Dance' are proud to offer over 40 years of experience in Modern Ballroom and Latin American dancing and have been delighted to work with Club Dance Holidays for more than 20 years. We would like to introduce John & Linda West former 'Over 50 British Champions' and very popular teachers and hosts.

 The holiday is half board inclusive, with breakfast and dinner served in the hotel daily

On Arrival: You will receive a detailed itinerary.

Welcome Drink: At the start of the week, Club Dance Holidays will invite you to an informal welcome meeting and drink.

Free Time: We encourage you to explore the local area and make use of the excellent hotel facilities. This can be done when you please around the activities and dance classes that we have organized for you. Reception will be on hand for any queries you may have about the local area.

You'll be able to put into practice what you have learnt in the company of your teacher and fellow students with ‘Music and Dance’ on seven evenings. All the dancing conveniently takes place in the Hotel in a room with wooden floor. The best recorded music will be presented during the evening so you can show off your moves!

Learn and Improve teaching sessions: Your dance course covers the rich portfolio of Modern Ballroom dances – Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot and Quicksteps – with an emphasis on togetherness, floorcraft and choreography. Basic work in the popular Latin Ballroom dances of Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba and more will be included.

A ballroom holiday gives you the concentrated tuition and practise needed to pick the basics up in a relatively short time and for the experienced dancer, allow you to build on the grace and flow of this beautiful dance.

Flights: Your holiday includes flights from London Gatwick*. Regional departures are available at a supplement - just give us a call on 0207 099 4816 - we're more than happy to help!

Or you buy your own flight and we can offer you a discount by doing so - please enquire when booking.

We provide shuttle transfers from Heraklion airport (on the standard holiday dates).

Health and Fitness: There are no particular health requirements for a dance holiday. However you should be able to dance for at least two hours a day in order to be able to enjoy the workshop/socials.

Insurance: Insurance is a condition of booking. 

Travel Documents: You receive these 10 days prior to departure.