EADA Juvenile & Junior Training Day

A compact tape recorder starts playing

“ Your mission should you decide to accept is to organise a Latin training day for the nicest juniors and juvenile dancers in England.

To meet your objective you will need top-flight Latin coaches who can communicate with the tough and demanding audience. As preparation for the task that lies before them your recruits will need to undergo a daunting and challenging physical challenge.

Your mission such as it is must be completed by 3rd March 2007. The location for your mission is the top-secret training academy known as Studio 1 and 2 at the Egham Sports Centre, Vicarage Rd, Egham.”

At this point the tape dissolves in a puff of smoke and there is no evidence of any recording.

So on a bright and sunny Saturday morning your intrepid training co-ordinator points his 1 litre Ford Fiesta through the streets of east Reading, gunning it down the A329(M) at the break neck speed of 58 mph towards the throbbing down-town metropolis of Egham. He reaches the secret location well ahead of the agreed rendezvous time to find the cafeteria swarming with parents and kids all desperate to start the EADA Juvenile Junior Latin training day.

At zero hour, well at 11:30, we stormed the bastion that is known as Studio 1. We were taken aback by the Tardis-like appearance of the room when there isn’t a CRE taking place.



The physical instructor, Sam Law, was soon putting our conscripts (sorry volunteers) through their paces.



Following a tough drill of Remote, where our storm troopers mimicked the actions of a CD player – play = walk forward/ fast forward = run forward/ rewind = run backwards/ eject = star jump and change CD = lying on the floor & waggling their feet in the air.





Soon there were some amazingly rosy cheeks and some of the older juniors were beginning to puff a little.



Luckily our drill sergeant took pity on the recruits and after 20 minutes gave the instruction to start the stretching exercises.



Judging by the photos I thought the temptation to stretch things a bit too far may prove too much for some dancers,





Remember guys don’t take it out on your partner after the dancing and say its only a gentle stretching exercise.



Thank you Sam for an excellent, well conceived and delivered session and kids please keep up all the good habits that you learnt on Saturday.

Following the strenuous exercise of the aerobics sessions the troops desperately needed refuelling and re-grouped to the cafeteria for lunch. Glad to see the troops didn’t get a heavy bite on the chicken nuggets & chips.


After lunch the serious stuff of dance lectures started with Alex taking on the challenge of the Juveniles. We soon had a room full of the smallest dancers in the country looking as if they meant business and from where I stood it would have impressed any judge on the Sunday Circuit.






Meanwhile the Junior attendees were being put through their paces by the lovely Lisa Bellinger-Ivanets.

During this session Lisa took the Juniors through the Samba and the Jive. It was at this point that I wished the makers of “Strictly Baby Ballroom” could have been transported into the room (just like Star trek) just as Lisa said that at the age of 14 you don’t need to be “sexy” just expressive but never mind I often wish for a lot of things like a gleaming red sports car but I never get it!!!



The half time whistle blew and the Juniors and Juveniles effectively changed ends, well lecturers anyway. I could now see the lecturer above the heads of the Juveniles as they settled into their lecture.


All the kids were absolutely transfixed by the charming Lisa, amazing how many dads started to pay attention as well!!!

At the same time the other half of our fantastic lecturing duo, Alex Ivanets, rolled his sleeves up and asked for more effort from our Junior dancers. The emphasis of his lecture was on the delivery of their presentation and soon he had all the Juniors moving as one, synchronising their breathing with their movements. Great stuff!!







Sadly before we new it the clock struck 3:00 p.m. and the day came to a close. Weary youngsters made their way to their parents; sorry folks but they are your kids and as mucjh as we like them you do have to take them back, it had been a long but very enjoyable day.


I hope everyone had a great time, I would like to thank our coaches Sam Law, Alex Ivanets and Lisa Bellinger-Ivanets for giving up their time and delivering great lectures.

I would also like to thank our new Parent Rep, Terri Brockman, for her help in organising a very successful day!

Manuel Silva
Training Co-ordinator