The best advice I could give you would be: “Don’t do it!”
Weekend workshops are very demanding both physically and mentally. Unless you were blessed with eidetic memory or all the workshops were taped and you can afford to buy the videos, there is no chance you are going to retain even half the material being taught.
So give yourself a break and take as much as one workshop a day and you would most certainly thank me for being able to walk the next day.
If you keep reading this blather, it means that you are as much a stubborn maniac as I am, and you might find the info under the cut valuable.

  • Plan the weekend in advance and exempt yourself from any domestic chores: you will be too tired even to remember about them once you get home after a day of dancing.
  • Pack your dance bag the night before the workshop. Prepare a checklist and follow it meticulously. Here is a sample checklist to start with:
    • A pen and a dance notebook
    • Water/Soft drink
    • A lunch snack - Take a bit more, so you could share with other exhausted souls
    • Props - Go over workshop descriptions and figure out what props you must bring. Then disregard the descriptions and bring all the props you’ve got: you never know what skills you might be asked to demonstrate.
    • A camera - It’s true that photography is often banned, but you could videotape yourself or an advanced student (ask for their permission!) performing the most challenging movements and combos once the workshop is finished. You could also take stills of yourself and the instructor, so you could later brag about it on lj and such.
    • A light tripod - in case you don’t trust your fellow participants to not rotate the camera only to give you a horizontal video of your head.
    • Some cash or a check book, because at the least you will buy the music that was used throughout the workshop.
    • Dance shoes, dance paws or whatever footgear works for you. You never know what type of flooring you will have to bear with.
    • A yoga mat/towel/knee pads - in case there will be some strenuous floor work. A yoga mat will serve double purpose when you decide to stretch in between the sets.
    • A hip scarf, although I doubt you would forget it
    • Get a good night sleep the night before, and get up early so you have time to stretch and have breakfast. Finish your breakfast at least an hour before the workshop starts, or else belly rolls are out of question.
    • Get to the location early, otherwise spot nazis like me will obstruct your view throughout the workshop.
    • If you get tired during the workshop, don’t just sit there: write down the combos into your precious notebook, so you could practice them later.
    • Once the class is finished do not attack your lunch box just yet. Stretch first: warm-ups and cool-downs are either not present or too short at such events, and stretching is important to prevent injuries.
    • Don’t forget to network. Remember the extra food you packed? Use it as an ice-breaker if you’re too shy.
    • After the class, introduce yourself to the instructor, provide feedback, and write down her /his contact info in case you happen to be in the area they regularly teach.

    I hope I didn’t miss anything important, so now you’re ready to knock yourself out!

    Disclaimer:
    Sophie is not a professional trainer, but she is a scarred survivor of several weekend workshops.