The RDA event in Canada finally came to a close at a Gala event on Saturday night so Ian, Kate and I spent a few hours sightseeing on Sunday before we flew home and fortunately the sun spent the day with us too!

Here we are on our booth and then visiting the Olympic Stadium from the summer of 1967 as well as the setting for the magnificent church of St Joseph. However, it was good to get home at last!

Yes, that’s our free gift this time.

Everyone loves our sparkly Union Jack headbands (as well as our accents!) as you can see by these excited students!

It’s very busy here in Montreal with so much happening all day every day! Our booth is right next to the ABT one so we have been able to talk to the teachers about their ABT uniform once they have heard about this great training programme from the booth next door.
Here is Kate talking to Jenna from ABT.

For the first time ever I am in Canada!

Ian, Kate and I are here in Montreal for the centenary celebrations of Regional Dance America. We have set up our booth this afternoon and are now ready to welcome the hundreds of dance teachers from all over Canada and USA with a very special, very English gift. Pictures to follow!

Kate and I had a little walk to get some fresh air and stopped off at the magnificent Notre Dame Basilica.

The lovely ladies from Association Artedanza Teatro Italia who came to visit our stand at Danza in Fiera got very excited about their free tiaras and our UV costumes and accessories.

Here they are with Daniella who has done a brilliant job talking to all the Italian people we have met.

Danza in Fiera is an amazing dance exhibition held each year in Florence. For the first time IDS is exhibiting here so we can meet our many Italian customers.

We are very lucky to have Daniella with us as, not only is she a member of our Customer Service team but she is also a fluent Italian speaker!
Elaine, Kate and Ami are also here with me. Here they are on our stand.

I am so pleased to be back again at the Highland Gathering in Aberdeen. UKA events are always fun, busy and very lively and this weekend looks like being no exception. Ami and I are really enjoying catching up with old friends, almost all of whom are really good customers.

Traditionally IDS sponsors the first night drinks reception and here are some of the UKA Directors, examiners and teachers getting the weekend off to a good start with Ami and myself and,of course, a room decorated with IDS outfits!

One very happy customer visited us today. Here she is talking to Emily on our booth. “I ordered a lot from your company last season! Great customer service and the orders arrived in two days from England…. I’m impressed.”

Thank you Jennifer from Miss Jackie’s Studio of Dance. Rutland. USA.

Last week I attended, with two of my colleagues, the Catex Summit in London. It was a very interesting and informative day but the highlight was that we were joined by a team from South Devon College who were there to help Toni Kemble and I launch the brand new Direct Commerce qualification. This is a modar distance-learning qualification which leads to a degree validated by the University of Plymouth.

A great deal of interest was shown by many of the attendees and their businesses. Here we are with two of my fellow Catex Board members as well as the team from S Devon College at the Summit.

Kate, Ami and I have spent this weekend at the annual UKA Conference at the amazing Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Hundereds of dance teachers from around the world converged on this incredible (and being restored I am happy to say!) Art Deco building to network, socialise and of course learn new styles and technique of many different dance styles including, this year, Burlesque!

It was great for us to meet new customers as well as catch up with some who have supported us for many years.

We were delighted to be launching a new childrens ballroom dress which we have developed in conjunction with the UKA. This will be compulsary for medal test from October this year. Available to pre-order only at present, they will be available on line as soon as we have stock. Keep checking www.ids.co.uk for details of these dresses and their launch date. They will also be available in our new Diamond Book which is due out in August.