Entering A Competition
If you would like to join us at one of our competitions, here are all the details you need to know. We know that it can seem a little daunting, so we have covered the main questions you may have. If you have any questions or need some advice, please speak to the committee; they are all experienced competition dancers and are happy to help!
Categories
Listed in the table below are the main dance events at universty Ballroom and Latin competitions. These are the ones that are commonly referred to when competition events are discussed by our members. In addition to these, there may some additional open events. If you're not sure what category is best for you speak to our Team Captains as they can assess your ability and ensure you're in the right category.
Dance Partners & Routines
Once you've decided to enter and have a category, you will need to find yourself a partner from the club to dance with. Don't worry, this is not as scary as it sounds! There will be lots of members in the same position, so just go round and have some practice dances with them and see who you think you dance well with. Our Team Captains are on hand to ensure everyone is happy with their partnerships, and can help you if you're not sure who to dance with or feel a bit shy.
Dance partnerships change from one competition to another, and swapping partners around is encouraged. This gives you the chance to dance with and meet lots of different people.
Once you have your partner, you'll want to start coming up with some routines. The judges will be looking for good technique rather than quantity of steps so ensure you're dancing steps and figures you're both comfortable with. If you need help with some choregraphy, ask the committee or our coaches and they will be more than willing to help. You can also check out our Youtube Channel to see previous competition routines for some inspiration.
If you're dancing in the beginner, novice or ex-student novice category, there are limited steps that you can do. The Team Captains and our coaches have the full details of what is and is not allowed.
One Last Obvious Thing...
Practice makes perfect
We said it was obvious! In the middle of all this crazy preparation, don't forget that the judges are mainly concerned with your dancing ability so ensure you get all the extra practice time that you can before a competition. The committee will usually lay on some extra sessions for this - just ask them when they are.