We love to see new faces here are CUDT! Here is how you can find out more about Dancesport in Cambridge over the Freshers week 2024!
CU Sports Fair – 7th October
Come see us at our CUDT stall in the University Sports Centre. There will be a demo during the day, so have a look on the fresher’s pack timetables for us. There will be plenty of people on the stall to answer any questions you might have and a sign up sheet too. 😉
CUSU Freshers Fair – 8-9th October
Look out for the CUDT stall at the freshers fair 10-16:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday during freshers week. Our stall will probably be in the main marquee on Parker’s Piece, but we will definitely be somewhere. Come along to say hi and ask all your questions, sign up to our mailing list or to sign up for trials!
Dancesport Demonstrations 5th-19th October
Come and see us throughout Fresher’s week, we’re everywhere!
Beginners DanceSport Taster – 8th October: Parkside Community College Gym, 6pm-8pm (please arrive slightly early if possible!)
We love to do demo sessions for people to come along to to get a taster of what it is like to learn Ballroom and Latin dancing from scratch. The session usually contains one of our more experienced couples, and some of our ex-beginners taking to the floor to get the party started, and show any spectators what it is possible to learn with CUDT – then it’s your turn! There will be a compere to talk you through the basics of some steps in Waltz and Cha Cha and get everyone moving and having a go. If you are not sure what Dancesport is all about, these sessions are perfect for you to attend.
Our demo availability is better than ever this year, so there’s never been a better time to get involved.
We’ll be at the University Sports Fair all day (7th October), with a demonstration at 3pm, ready to meet you. If you can’t make this, come find us on either the 8th or 9th October at the Fresher’s Fair on Parker’s Piece, with another demonstration at 11:30am on the 8th. Don’t fancy going that far? No worries, we’ve got you covered! We will also be providing taster sessions and demonstrations at most colleges – see your college’s Freshers Week timetable to find us.
Come to see our 2024 Freshers week demos – check out our social media pages for more information:
If you attend ARU or a college not listed here, but would still like to try out Dancesport, you are welcome to attend any of the above sessions marked with asterisks *** as these JCRs/MCRs have permitted external attendance! Try and find a friend at one one of these colleges or message us if you feel like you will need directions to attend a taster in this way, we’ll do what we can 🙂
If you are unsure about any of the details here, please contact your Fresher’s reps in-college for instructions on how to get to a given venue – or email us!
For the more experienced, read on…
Team Trials – 12th October
CUDT holds ‘trials’ (a large-scale partnering session) at the start of each year, both to look for new talent to bring into the team, and to form the most competitive partnerships for the year ahead. Whether you are completely new to Dancesport, or already a seasoned competitor, this event is a chance for you to meet old members of the team and new ones (like yourself), as well as to try out with potential dance partners.
Any university student from the University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University and the Open University is welcome to join. You don’t need to have any experience or come with a partner, and you can wear whatever you feel comfortable dancing in – including trainers if you do not have dance shoes.
All dancers are welcome, from 2024 Beginners, to amateur champions; the top of Varsity A team, to those who may have danced before but never had a lesson of Ballroom and Latin. We are so excited to see what talent and experience you will bring to the team! For those who have danced before, but never tried Ballroom or Latin, we would encourage you to attend if you can – if we are oversubscribed, people with prior dance experience will be prioritised, as anyone who has never done Ballroom or Latin before will be eligible to dance in the Beginners’ Team, which will be partnered separately.
Fill in this form to register your interest in the Cambridge University Dancesport Team as a non-beginner and/or sign up for Trials.
Trials will be held this year on the 12th of October at Parkside Community Centre. Sign up by the 9th!
For trials this year, we would like you to prepare some choreography in advance. We will ask you to dance some Waltz and Cha Cha. There are choreography videos from our professional coaches, which will be sent to you once you have signed up. Please learn these as it offers a more level playing field – you may be asked to demo some quickstep or jive if asked as well, for which you may use your own choreography or just do basics. If you have any queries about the format of trials this year, please do let us know!
If you are keen to dance with CUDT and have previous dance experience but are unable to attend trials, please fill in the form anyway, so we know you are interested!
You can also get in touch with our Captains (cudtcaptains@gmail.com) if you have any issues or concerns.
We look forward to seeing you there!
FAQs for Trials 2024:
How do I sign up? When the timetable is confirmed, the sign up form will be released! Keep an eye on your emails and the social media, as well as the website.
What do I wear? Wear clothes that you are comfortable to dance in (we would not recommend full costume…) and wear trainers if you do not have any dance shoes.
Why are you taking photos and videos? How will my data be used? The pictures and videos are for coach and captain use only, and will be used to help make decisions about partnering. These will be destroyed when we have no further use for thSports Fair – 2nd October