There is a first time for everything

Everything is new to a person at some point. Remember the 1st time you drove a car? To me it seemed incredibly complicated. I had to steer, accelerate, watch the traffic, remember to signal turns, read the signs... all at once. Today it is just second nature. When you take dancing lessons, you learn steps and you learn steps and you learn steps. It can go on for a long time. And then one day, you just learn to dance, and it is so different. It slowly starts to become second nature. There are many things that we take for granted and what may seem really easy to you, will be really hard for someone else.

Before coming to Bath Uni, most of us had never joined a Latin and Ballroom Dance Club and many had never even danced at all.  Let’s think back to last September, when brilliant taster sessions offered us an insight into what the lessons would be all about and finally brought us together in a Welcome to the Club party, in which all freshers were too embarrassed to attempt any dancing but amazed by seeing how well the older members could dance. Remember the lessons at the start of the year, jam-packed with freshers eager to learn the art of Latin and Ballroom dancing. How scary was it to get used to dancing with a partner!  In ballroom especially, it was unthinkable for many to take the correct hold - contact on the waist-line, no thanks!

Lessons have gradually become more and more fun, but at the same time more challenging. How many of you can already hear Paula’s voice in your head when you’re dancing, even when she’s not even there! “…Newww Yorker Cha Cha Cha…” This means you’ve come to enough lessons to know how amazing she is at drilling all those steps and rhythms in our heads. We have learnt to love and admire her greatly. But where would Paula be without her assistant Jon, the most committed of our teachers. I’m sure if he was given the opportunity to come everyday he definitely would, his passion for dancing is endless. And let’s not forget, James and Asia, teaching our weekly technique lessons. Hmmm… technique the word alone is scary, never mind all that “go on, sit on your hips… you can do better than that”, from James; surely the boys have found their hips by this stage! Also, beware of Asia, she’ll always be watching you without you realising it. If you thought you got away without doing that toe-release, think again!

However, it’s best to just think that nobody cares if you can't dance well. You have to get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion, and this is what makes us successful at our competitions. From the Southampton competition, when we were all completely oblivious, through to IVDC, which took us to the most famous ballroom in the world, we have learnt to take dancing beyond our lessons and practices to a world full of glamour, fake-tan and competitiveness. We have had to learn to eat very little, quickly or nothing at all, get up at the crack of dawn and make sure all hair, make-up and clothes are perfect. Best of all we have developed great Team Spirit, memorising the numbers of our fellow competitors and cheering for them to make sure they are acknowledged and given a little boost of confidence. The best example is from IVDC, when our ‘hero’ did his solo Jive for the Team Match; everyone held together frantically shouting out his number, now that’s what Team Spirit is all about.

Remember the first time you put on some dance shoes, how unbelievable it seemed to us girls, to dance in 2.5” heels, or even any heel at all, guys! However, soon enough it’s impossible to dance without our precious little dance shoes. Surely when going to lessons, practices and especially a competition, shoes are always the first thing you pack, forget anything else, fine, but good dancers will never leave their dance shoes behind.

The most fun part of our first year in the Club has to be the socials, from trips to score and the pub-crawls in mad costumes (I can't name any names…no really, I can't...Dan…oops!) to our amazing Balls. There’s three ways of describing all of these socials: fun, crazy and full of gossip, probably the best thing about our club… except when it’s about you of course.
Thus after a year of being part of LBDC it can certainly be said that Latin and Ballroom is a way to have fun, keep fit and meet lots of new people. The lessons are relaxed and friendly, the competitions are exciting, and the socials have to be seen to be believed. Our club is a great way to get involved whatever your level or interest, even if it’s just to get away from lectures. All I can say for work compared to dance is that the latter is so much easier, because of our passion, and with a little help from all those late-night practices. There are three steps you have to complete to become a skilled dancer: learn to dance, learn to perform, and learn how to cope with injuries. Latin and Ballroom dancing is sassy, sexy, and stylish...definitely the best way in Bath of meeting some really talented people!! Now I can’t imagine life without LBDC.  Thank you to everyone for making it such an amazing year!