Not all hen party locations have to be at a beach, or a well-known city...why not pick something a bit different and book a cosy campsite for the weekend? You can create that ‘festival’ vibe and party in the great outdoors! But what activities can you do? Now, most people would think that an ‘outdoor’ activity would be something like, ‘quad biking’ or ‘an obstacle course.’ Would you ever think about booking a dance class to do outside? Well this group did!
A.Y. Dance recently visited a campsite in Bradford Leigh, near Bath called Merkins Farm. We had never had a booking quite like this, but we were definitely up for the challenge! The first thing that definitely came to mind was ‘what if it rains?!’ We had several discussions with the organiser, who was confident that everyone would join in whatever the weather had to offer that day, and the hen was a keen ‘festival goer’ and ‘very outdoorsy.’ Plus, there were no facilities to deliver the class inside, and the t-pees that they had hired could not accommodate a dance class!
The dance party was on a warm, muggy day at the beginning of August this year, and the forecast was a high chance of wind and showers throughout the afternoon. Brilliant! I myself was taking the class, and I didn’t hesitate to pack my wellies and a waterproof. I arrived at Merkins Farm, and the rain had managed to hold off all morning, 2pm was approaching and clouds were looking a very dark shade of grey. ‘Please pass over!’ was all I was thinking as I parked up next to the campsite. There were three large teepees in the space next to the café, and several cars with banners and balloons attached to them. This was definitely the place!
After meeting the organiser and being taken over to the big space where they hoped to do the class, I started to wander where I was going to set up the gift bags!? I didn’t want them to blow away or get soggy, so I popped them into one of the teepees to keep safe and dry. The location was stunning, views for miles, and the dance space was great. The ladies started to gather and that’s when I started to feel rain. No!!
The whole group were gathered in the middle of the field, all apart from one. The hen! She emerged from one of the tents in a full fancy dress bride outfit, complete with a festival flower headpiece. She looked great! Everyone else on the other hand had cagoules on, right up to their necks and covering their heads! They were fully prepared and raring to go. As was I, I zipped up my coat, covered the portable speaker with a carrier bag and started the warm-up!
So the rain was coming down heavy, and everyone was quickly becoming more and more drenched by the minute, but it didn’t phase this group one bit! They smiled and laughed through it, and were learning the routine with bags of energy and determination. I myself embraced the rain, I loved the group’s commitment to the class and the hen. The bride of course had now realised that her outfit wasn’t going to be suitable and so swiftly made a quick change into something more comfortable!
Over 45 minutes had past and we managed to get through most of the routine already! Luckily, the weather started to improve and the sun finally made an appearance. Yes! I was so hot at this point, that the coat and jacket was off, and the sunglasses were on. The ladies took off their cagoules and the class continued. I couldn’t believe the dramatic change in weather within an hour, it was now like a hot summer’s day – the way it should be at the beginning of August!
The routine was now complete, and after a few more light showers, the group were ready to perform and get the routine on camera! I had now decided to pick up the speaker and move around so everyone could hear the song more clearly. The organiser had chosen ‘Man Eater’ by ‘Nelly Furtado’ one of the bride-to-be’s favourite songs. I had the camera in the other hand and got ready to film. They all did amazing, and hardly needed me at all to guide them. I was so pleased, and the video really shows how much they enjoyed themselves. I could see that this was going to be an experience that all members of the group were going to remember for years to come! Take a look at our Facebook page for the final video!
www.facebook.com/AmyYoungDance/videos/
Fancy doing something like this? Here at A.Y. Dance, we come to you! In a house, cottage, or field! Your hen may love a festival, and want to party outside, so why not camping? Or even glamping? Then you can book a few activities to keep everyone going throughout the weekend! We can come to any location with the U.K; Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Cardiff, Bournemouth, London and many more. So pop on your wellies, fix on your flower crowns, and be ready to strut your stuff, camping style!
