Sunday morning and that familiar routine. We have beans on toast for breakfast and pack down. In under twenty minutes the van is packed and we are on our way again. This time we’re off to Llandrindod Wells for a spot of Appalachian dancing. We arrive at the Powys dance school early, the lights are out and no one is home. I head to the cycling museum around the corner, unfortunately the entrance fee is too steep so we head into town for a coffee but being a Sunday the place is pretty quite. Luckily we find a hotel and head to the bar for a warm drink. I opt for an orange juice and we enjoy the warmth on this windy day.
Returning to the dance school, there is still no sign of our hosts so I ring Pete from Raise the Dust, and they are on their way. The group changes into their dancing shoes. Our hosts arrive and we make our way into the hall helping Pete carry in some wooden boards to protect the floor from our clogging. Once inside the session starts and most of the group pick it up pretty quickly, Tomoko in particular. I sit on the upper level observing, sitting this one out because of my ankle.
The session is intense and lasts for four hours. We start the day as amateurs and apart from some poor rhythm, the group is now confident when attempting an Eddie or a Calypso, as well as other dance moves. For the second half we have a substitution Lucy sits it out and Gillian the driver comes in and has a go. The group is kind enough to provide refreshments and at the end give us a taste of how it should be done. Highly impressed, we leave the hall tired and very sweaty. The group is hungry now after all that exercise so we head back into the town for a snack. Sunday means that there is very little is open so we find ourselves in a basement pub, its nuts, crisps and pop all round.
