empressorchestra

Lily Plowman is the third of our five winners to be announced and she will be receiving her copy of the Empress Orchestra’s album ‘Always & Forever’ very soon.

Congratulations Lily!

Remember to be in with a chance of winning one of the remaining two albums (specially signed by the the members of the Orchestra) all you have to do is become a fan of the Empress Orchestra on its Facebook Page or join up as a ‘Friend’ right here on our website.

Best of luck,

Ashley Frohlick

The second of our five specially autographed CDs goes to… Cedric Degroot!

Congratulations Cedric, your copy of ‘Always & Forever’ by the Empress Orchestra should be with you very soon. Details of the next draw will be posted in the not too distant future via the Empress Orchestra’s facebook page and on our website, best of luck to everyone!

Ashley Frohlick

Tania Kehlet is the first winner of our free competition which is giving away 5 of only 12 fully signed ‘Always & Forever’ CDs in the world.

To be in with a chance of winning a copy for yourself all you have to do is become a fan of the Empress Orchestra Page on facebook or sign up to be a ‘Friend’ of the Orchestra here on our website.

Names are randomly drawn, there are no questions posed, it’s just our way of marking the coming anniversary of the much celebrated album ‘Always & Forever’.

Best of luck and wishes,

Ashley Frohlick

To mark the first anniversary of the Empress Orchestra’s debut album ‘Always & Forever’, I’m going to be giving away 5 signed copies before the start of the Blackpool Dance Festival 2010.

To be eligible for one of only 12 copies in the world then you have to either be a ‘Friend’ of the Empress Orchestra or a fan of the Empress Orchestra on its facebook page.

Winners will be picked randomly and announced here and also on our facebook page in due course.

Good luck and best wishes,

Ashley Frohlick

Like many others I was concerned to read reports that the Empress Ballroom would be closed for some time due to falling masonry from the ornate ceiling above. Having spent some time in the building yesterday at a meeting it was comforting to be told that the room should be open for business by next Wednesday and that the reports had been exaggerated somewhat by the press. Indeed having spent around an hour in the Ballroom the damage was scarcely visible.

So the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival set for Easter will still be going ahead as planned and it should be a wonderful and historic experience for all competitors being the first ever JDF to be held in this hallowed of venues for Ballroom Dancing.

Comments as ever welcomed.

Best wishes,

Ashley Frohlick

As the fundamental rights of many dancers are being stifled with fear of retribution and expulsion from competing, teaching and judging in certain countries, we would like to publicly show our support for the group ‘Freedom to Dance’ and the work that is being undertaken for the good of Ballroom dancing in all its guises.

We obviously welcome any comments that you might have and being closely related to some of the world’s biggest events have a certain understanding of the situation that seems to have sadly escalated over the past year.

We would urge you however to take a look at the facebook group ‘Freedom to Dance’ for greater insight of the situation from some of the world’s leading figures in Ballroom Dancing.

Best wishes,

Ashley Frohlick

The Copthorne Hotel and surrounding countryside looked beautiful under its blanket of snow on Wednesday and though it was obvious that the weather would hamper proceedings somewhat, the event proved once again to be a very successful occasion.

There was a strong field of competitors battling it out for the prizes on offer, a hugely experienced panel of adjudicators to rival any other major event in the world and music provided by the Empress Orchestra with a stunning sound system giving the dancers and audience the chance to hear us in near studio quality. Richard Miller was spinning the discs.

Once again the event was well thought out and run by the BDF (Ballroom Dancers’ Federation) and I would like to gratefully thank the many people whose wonderful comments about the music we perform means so very much to all of us and also the BDF for inviting us to play for the second year running. We have been asked to perform for the event again in 2011, so will keep you posted.

Best wishes,

Ashley Frohlick

Some clarification on the FBI – the newly formed Italian Dance Federation (not the one involving Mulder, Scully or Jack Bauer).

The FBI’s aim is not to go head to head with the IDC but more to help ensure that the IDC finally becomes/returns to the organisation that it once was and perhaps should be, an organisation designed to help its members and act as an umbrella to which all the federations that want to join the WDC can do so.

This is my interpretation of the statement released in Italian, for a more detailed version please visit the link  to the FBI.

Hopefully its efforts will help to unite the world of dance (no small burden there then) and more importantly allow the dancers to do what they train so hard to do with freedom and without the threat of recrimination.

Comments welcomed.

Best wishes,

Ashley.

Just wanted to share the email from Augusto Schiavo who has informed me that there has been a new Ballroom Dance Federation formed in Italy.

Here are his words in Italian:

E’ NATA UNA NUOVA FEDERAZIONE Volevo comunicare a tutti la nascita in Italia di una nuova federazione, che si occuperà di danza, nel vero senso della parola. BUON ANNO

Loosely translated in my limited understanding of Italian:

A NEW FEDERATION WAS BORN, I wanted to let everyone know about the birth in Italy of a new federation that will dance in the true sense of the word. Good Year.

Augusto has been working very hard to try to help dancers be allowed to do just that and I wish him well with his brave quest for the good of Ballroom Dancing.

Comments as always welcome.

Best wishes,

Ashley

Just wanted to bring your attention to the next event for the Empress Orchestra to be held at the Copthorne Hotel (Effingham) on Wednesday 13 January 2010.

The event is an open dance competition (Ballroom & Latin), starting around midday(ish) with some spectacular dancing, wonderful music, fine dining and a distinguished panel of adjudicators. The Copthorne Hotel (Effingham) helps create a friendly atmosphere and the shape of the room (if you’re spectating) offers a wonderful view of the dancing, Orchestra and distinguished panel of adjudicators.

The BDF are still taking entries for the competitions which was a wonderful event last year and I believe that there are still places available for spectators.

The Ballroom, which is in the round, offers a completely different experience from some of the larger venues where we perform and the sound of the Empress Orchestra in here has been said to be near studio quality.

I hope very much to see as many people as possible at this well organised event which is set to be a grand opening to our 2010 calendar.

For further information please visit the BDF website.

Best wishes,

Ashley