My verdict on venues so far

 I have been to a few venues and here is what I think of them. Starting with my local venues of up to 25 minutes drive.

St Chad’s Parish Centre in Headingley, Leeds

This is my nearest venue at a 10-minute drive. This venue has classes run by Ceroc Yorkshire. So far this venue is much a beginner's venue. This is where beginners start their Ceroc journey but once they find a better venue they stop coming or they do not take to Ceroc.

Riley Smith Hall, Tadcaster

This venue is about a 20-minute drive. Classes held here are run by Ceroc Yorkshire. When it comes to classes this is Ceroc Yorkshire’s busiest night. These classes have 80+ dancers and there are some good dancers. This out of Ceroc Yorkshire’s class nights is the one I would recommend.

Ceroc Yorkshire also runs a monthly freestyle here. This brings some dancers that do not attend Ceroc Yorksire’s classes. I find the music on these nights not to not be as good as some other nights. I have found that the dancers in my local area prefer older tunes so the 60s’, 70s’ and 80s’. What I call classic tunes. This DJ plays much the same tunes and does not mix the tempo of the tunes. The tunes are modern but not classic enough for the local audience. Most of the night it will be main room upbeat tunes. Only in the last half hour will he slow it down.

Kerry B also runs freestyles here. She has her regular monthly freestyle and a themed freestyle should a month have five Fridays in it. These nights are always well attended. Most nights have 100+ dancers. These nights are the best as there are so many dancers to dance with. The music is a mix of classic tunes, because her audience like it, and modern tunes. On themed nights she will only play the music that fits the theme. As themed nights are not on as much I do not mind it for a good night. The dance standard is fairly average here. I go because I know it will be a good night and where most people will be if there is another freestyle on at the time.

Pudsey Civic Hall, Leeds

This venue is about a 20-minute drive. Spinz jive runs the regular monthly freestyle. This night is well attended and brings dancers from that side of Yorkshire. This is the biggest of the local venues as the dancefloor is big. I feel 120+ dancers attend. The music can be very hit-and-miss and tends to be more of the classic tunes. Some modern tunes are played but not enough of them. I know the local dancers like the classic tunes. I go because I can guarantee a good night even if the music is not that good.

The Venue, Birstall

This is my furthest local venue at around a 25-minute drive. A class is run here but I have never attended as it clashes with my nearest venue’s class. I have, however, attended the freestyle. Lisa Graydon runs the regular monthly freestyle here with her husband Dave as the DJ. This is always well attended and looks to be 80+ dancers. This is a lovely ballroom venue with mirrors on the wall. Once you get dancing you forget that the mirrors are there. Music is a slightly better mix of classic tunes and modern tunes. For the music mix in my local area, this is the best. This event is usually the only one on in my local area and brings some different dancers as well as a lot that normally dance at Kerry B’s freestyles.

Overall local venues

I regularly attend both the classes and all the freestyles. My favourite class night out of the two is Tadcaster as the standard of dancing is better and more attend. As for freestyles my favourite one is The Venue at Birstall closely followed by Kerry B at Tadcaster. Both these nights are well attended with a good mix of modern and classic tunes. I feel that Dave Graydon does play a little bit more modern tunes than Kerry B. The venues are decent as well.

I have recently attended venues around an hour's drive away if not a little bit more. Here's what I think. All of these opinions are on freestyles as the venues are too far for a class night.

Tapton Hall, Sheffield

This is about an hour and five-minute drive. Ceroc South Yorks runs a regular monthly freestyle. I am not sure if they do two a month. This venue is the smallest of the none local ones and is lovely. The music is fantastic and the dancers are even better. Out of all the venues that are not local to me this is the best one. The organisers did a very good job. You felt welcomed at the door and dancers were kept on the dancefloor most of the night. As for music, it was mostly modern tunes played which I like and even if I did not it would still have been a fantastic night. I’m really glad I went.

Ukrainian club, Manchester

This is about an hour and five-minute drive. Ceroc Addiction runs a regular monthly freestyle here. This venue was good. The floor could do with being replaced as it was grippy and required magic powder. As for the tunes, there was a mix of classic, modern, blues and slower tunes with it being mainly slower or classic tunes. As for the dancers it was well attended. The standard was the usual standard of my local area with a sprinkling of Tapton Hall standards. Not the best night but by the sounds of it I just picked an off night. Having only been once in a very long time I do need to go again to have a better understanding of the nights.

Stockport Town hall, Stockport

This is about an hour and fifteen-minute drive. This is the largest and grandest of venues. Lovely architectural ceilings with a massive dance floor. Revolution dance runs a regular monthly freestyle. This easily had 200+ dancers in attendance. The music was pretty similar to Kerry B with a few more classic tunes played. As for the dance standard, it was much the same as my local venues with a selection of good dancers. I did have more good dances than when I went to the Ukrainian club. Again, having only been once I have nothing to compare it to so I will have to try again to see if the nights will become a regular event.

Overall venues of about an hour's drive

I am now beginning to travel further to get my dancing in and like that I can do so. Having only been once to these venues I can say that I need to attend more than once to have a better opinion. From having only attended once I can say I will only be rushing back to Tapton Hall. That was the best of the three nights and well worth the trip. The other two felt much like what I get at my local venues. In terms of the venue itself, the most impressive one was Stockport Town Hall. Big venue with lovely architectural ceilings. I will try and make Tapton Hall a regular venue. As I work in retail it all depends on having to get up early for work.

Follow me on Instagram @lizzie_mcandrew