'LITTLE' JOYCE PLASKETT

Hello, my name is Joyce and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to my class and hope that you will get to love and enjoy line dancing just as much as I do.

I started line dancing way back in 1997, when some colleagues from work wanted to go out and try something new and different for a change instead of the usual places to go, i.e. bowling/darts and eating out, so the advert in the local paper jumped out at us as something we would never normally do. All 11 of us arrived at the beginner class full of laughter (and possibly a glass or two of wine for dutch courage) and our poor instructor must have wondered what had hit her. Well we all had a go and our first dance that we learnt was “fuzzy duck” which, we thought, was extremely difficult at the time, however we went home full of enthusiasm and laughter and so looking forward to attending class the next week. By week 2 we were hooked. All 11 remained for about a year and as always happens, we depleted until there were just 3 of us left.

In 1998 my patient line dance instructor persuaded the 3 of us to take our amateur line dance medals through the IDTA (International Dance Teachers Association), so we bravely took our bronze and silver medals at the same time. We were nervous, excited, nervous, excited … you get the drift, and I can honestly say that we all passed with a decent mark. From that point on, I was hooked and wanted to learn more about my new past-time and improve.

Although it took a long time, I finally completed all of my amateur medals and also took my teaching examination in July 2009 with the I.D.T.A. at Associate Level for line dancing and passed with a high mark.

I thoroughly enjoy teaching and watching beginners come into a class and leave with the ability to know a dance, watch their confidence grow and also see the beginnings of friendships being forged is a precious and wonderful thing. It is also amazing to teach a more complicated routine for either Improvers, Intermediates or Advanced dancers and to see them achieve to learn a dance that could be quite tricky is amazing. I feel that I am truly blessed in doing a job that I am passionate about and manage to pass that on to others is truly special.

Although I have been teaching since 2009, I have always done Social Dancing, this is where my passion and enjoyment of dancing comes to the forefront. Most weekends there is a dance on somewhere and it is a wonderful madcap family that we belong to, I can go anywhere on my own or with friends and we are welcomed into the dance room with a friendly smile and fabulous hospitality. Linedancers are also well known for their charitable works - so what can be better for your soul than to attend a social dance, get some exercise, meet friends, eat cake (there is normally cake somewhere) and raise money for a charitable cause.

However, as you may have worked out, I adore a challenge and a fellow linedance friend suggested that I attempt to take part in Competition Dancing. So in April 2014, I first took to the competition floor with no formal training and entered the Country Classic competition with the UKDC (United Kingdom Dance Council) at their European Championship event, and danced the dance “ALL WEEK LONG” also known as 7 nights to rock. I came 5th out of 8 and again, loved the razamatazz of the event, all the sequinned dresses, glamorous make -up and stylisation of dances – it was jaw dropping and exciting at the same time. So, with a new teacher to train me, I entered again the following year, in the country classic section and amazingly won the European Championship of Country Classic section. I have been overwhelmed at the kindness, generosity and help that I have received from all of the competitors and so pleased that I have entered their wonderful world (I describe it as “Strictly Line Dance”) as it is so similar to how everyone dances and looks.

I am proud to state that from 2014, with enourmous encouragement from my first instructor, Emily Williams, I managed to win the European title in 2015 for Country Classic and became European champion. After that point in 2016, 2017, I retained my title as European champion in both country classic and progressed to Solo's in Line Dance. After being so successful with UKDC I was encouraged to try and compete with World Dance Masters (WDM) and in 2017 I entered in Solo's and Pro Am (pro am is where you partner dance with a professional dancer and I became the amateur, I am the only one being marked and judged). My second instructor is Jenny Stephenson from Stoke on Trent who after only 3 months managed to train me enough to become 7th with WDM, and I was ecstatic to become 2nd in Pro-Am with my instructor Gary Bray. This made me more determined to better myself and I can Proudly state that in 2018 I became world champion in Pro-Am with Gary Bray and also World Champion in the Solo Division. I have achieved my dream, however the story will continue as I intend to carry on competing.

I can honestly say that I am as much in love with line dancing today as I was back in 1997, I have learned through a lot of laughter and have made so many friends though this wonderful past-time.