As leaves begin falling down from the trees and people begin cutting logs for the fire, our numbers are 'heading' upwards as we light a fire on the dance floor at the West Lakes Tennis Club. A clutch of newcomers have swelled our ranks in recent times. The end of evening bowls a few weeks ago means we have a huge amount of car parking available. The dance surface has been in great condition and there's plenty of room for more to join us. Dave and Marie (pictured) showed off some of their smooth style for the camera on the 4th April.

We started back for 2013 on 16th January. Although our group is not large at this stage, we look forward to strong growth as the year progresses. The advantage to smaller groups is that I have more time to work with newcomers.

Christine and Mark, two of our regulars, joined us on our first gig for the new year.

Last week, 31st October, I was unable to hold a class due to circumstances, so our dancers had a night off. This week we will be back with a vengeance, jiving with the best of them. See you all there!

On Sunday 11th November, our dancers will demonstrate their style at a fete at the West Lakes Tennis Club. It's an annual event with around 3000 people attending. We intend to perform a few moves to a song or two, then attendees from the crowd will be invited to join in a brief instruction and learn a few basic steps. Anyone who can come along and help us demonstrate will be welcome.

Classes are going along nicely at our new venue, with plenty of newcomers. On 11th November, the Tennis Club will hold their annual fete with thousands attending. Our group will have two half-hour demonstration slots, during which I will invite members of the public to join in a brief basic lesson. Hopefully, some will be inspired to continue with us.

Joining us on 24/10/12 were Geoff and Monika, Allen and Leanne.

Our group has kicked off at the West Lakes Tennis Club with some newcomers. This week, Blair and Helen visiting from Brisbane joined us for a few dances. Our new home features a television on the wall, so hopefully we will put it to good use with some instructional videos.

On 17th August, we had some more newcomers who got into the swing of things, or rather, the jive of things. Our group has continued to grow and will look forward to big things on Friday evenings.

Shown are Marie, David, Kaye and Phil.

Five new people joined us on Friday 10th August, braving the winter cold to come and learn one of the hottest dance styles ever - rock 'n' roll. Welcome to Jenni, Marie, Phil, Kaye and Errol. The hall is much warmer than it was last year, thanks to new heaters. The dance surface is in excellent condition, so if you're not currently joining us, you're missing out!

Our sessions on Friday nights have seen a continuing stream of new people come along to join us. On a positive note, it's a bit warmer in the RSL hall now that two of the heaters have been replaced.

On 13th July, some of the people who attended were Lyn, James, Natasha, Mark and Jenny. We are still missing quite a few regulars, but when the weather warms up, no doubt many will be back.

With autumn just a day away, the weather in Adelaide is mild and great for rock 'n' roll dancing. Again, the newcomers proved to be our strength, with some regulars absent for various reasons. Among those who joined us on the night were Karen, Bert and Connie, who have all agreed that our dancing style is fun to learn.

On Tuesday 21st February, we found ourselves in the company of more newcomers. Welcome to Peter, Sue, Greg, Julie, Karen, Seppi, Bert, Attilla and Linda. We could have used a few more of our regulars, but nevertheless, it was an enjoyable evening. Hope to see more of our regulars next week.

Our last class for 2011 saw some die-hard dancers come along for a Christmas drink or two. A small matter such as Chrismas shopping and preparations can't negate the urge to bust loose on the floor and jive in those who have really caught the bug.

Paul and Ingrid (left) got into the spirit of things. Kathy and Max (right) enjoyed the evening and provided some good photography.










Linda and Peter (left) also enjoyed a dance or two to get into the Christmas spirit.For Gareth and Natasha (below right) it was an easy night with not much demonstrating to do.

The Greeks of Egypt And Middle East have learned to Rock n Roll! Regular attendees Ev and Anastasia are long term members of this society. They arranged for us to atend their '50s theme night where willing participants were given some instruction on how to dance our style. Well known Adelaide DJ Steve McNally provided music and the night was a blast.

Plenty of people in Adelaide dance along to the Royal Show, a week long day/night carnival on a grand scale. Many groups struggle for numbers while it's on, but we didn't fare too badly. While the young ones were busy spinning and twirling on mind-blowing sky rides, we had a good group of dancers twirling and spinning on the dance floor. The exercise may not have been mind-blowing, but everyone present seemed to be enjoying themselves. Tony and Anastasia (pictured) were among them.

We are looking forward to a great summer with lots of dancers in attendance. Hope to see everyone back now that the warmer weather is peeping over the horizon.

Yes, we are a rock 'n' roll dance group, but some of our members are experienced ballroom dancers who like to Cha-cha. That inevitably results in demands for some music they can Cha-cha to, which inevitably results in some 'cross pollenation' whereby our rock 'n' roll students learn some of that style.

That's a great thing which I encourage, as it makes them better dancers all around. In fact, in our warm up session, I lead the class through some basic latin-type steps. In the picture shown, Keith leads Natasha in a Cha-cha 'chase'.

A lot of music is suitable for either a breezy rock 'n' roll, or a Cha-cha. With a bit of practice, you can mix the two styles together.