Event Director Bracken Heidenreich
May 1, 2022
See the list of early birds, find the flyer easier, see Kelly's video on uploading, choreography rules posted
Just nine months until dancers escape their wintery weather, fluff their flamingo frocks, and once again migrate to Southern California for the 2023 Palm Springs Winter Break (PSWB)!
THANK YOU to Michael Barr and Michele Burton for entrusting me with continuing the unique, wonderful event that is PALM SPRINGS WINTER BREAK. Russ and Gloria Gunn passed it to Michael and Michele for loving care and continuation, and they have handed the pink feathery reins to me.
For those returning to the Palm Springs Winter Break, I hope you will find I am continuing the best and expected aspects of this event that has been so lovingly and successfully run by the Gunns and then Michael & Michele for OVER TWENTY YEARS! The FLAMINGO weekend theme returns, as does “You Light Up My Dance Life” for Saturday night!
For those new to the Palm Springs Winter Break, it is held in The City of Palm Springs Pavilion - a wonderful, large ONE ROOM ballroom with seating, round tables, and a stage. You can dance anywhere in The Pavilion - the whole beautiful floor is wood! The event is great for all dance levels - it starts with the Thursday night dance party, has workshops and evening dances Friday & Saturday, and we wrap up with Flamingo Sunday Funday (only beginner to improver level lessons on Sunday; beginner to advanced level lessons the rest of the time). We do limit registration numbers to ensure adequate space for our flamingos to stretch their wings and move those long, thin, graceful legs. So once you’ve decided to join us, don’t delay in getting registered to reserve your wading (and dancing) zone.
We have headliners Niels Poulsen and Roy Verdonk for 2023, with DJ Megan Barsuglia, plus our PSWB Choreography Contest winners! The Choreography Contest is open NOW through the end of August. Just last Friday, I posted the detailed rules for the PSWB Choreography Contest on the website (www.PalmSpringsWinterBreak.com). I’ll also be going Live on Facebook on Monday, May 2 at 4 PM Pacific Time to chat about the Choreography Contest, and anything else people bring up.
If you are on Facebook, be sure to join the Palm Springs Winter Break Facebook Group - I’m doing periodic Live updates there, and we are running the #FFFFFFlamingle - a Facebook Group game with raffle prizes. On last Friday’s spur-of-the-moment Live, the Palm Springs Winter Break Facebook Group was the first to hear about the website updates I did last week:
Posted registered dancers as of 4/15, added more and easier-to-find links to the event flyer, posted PSWB Choreography Contest detailed rules, and added the link from Kelly Cavallaro of 7 Arrow Media on how to upload a dance video to YouTube (helpful for those choreography entries!).
Sunday, I posted a map to the website (www.PalmSpringsWinterBreak.com) and in the Palm Springs Winter Break Facebook Group showing The Pavilion, a few major hotels in the area, and recommended boundaries for areas to look for lodging of your preference. The Pavilion does not have a hotel attached to it, so flamingos have their pick of a TON of lodging options - hotels, motels, vacation rentals, private rentals, etc. Use your favorite hotel search engine or app; check out prices and amenities; use any and all group discounts you might have (AAA, AARP, etc.); and, remember to include those taxes when comparing prices! Find what is best for you.
If you have questions about the 2023 Palm Springs Winter Break, please reach out to me: Bracken Heidenreich brackenncv@gmail.com or find me on Facebook - there’s only one Bracken Heidenreich :)
Palm Springs Winter Break
Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, January 22, 2023