In Week 9 of last term, The Lancaster University Ballroom Dancing Society (LUBDS) took home the trophy for the best University at the Manchester Winter Competition, beating York, Warwick, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester among others.
This year’s team was made up of seventeen competitors, ten of which are new to the society and had never competed before. Angela Marques and Robert Novac-Tiberiu were the most successful newcomers, placing 1st in the finals for the Advanced Cha, the Advanced Jive and the Team Match Jive. Vitali Bykov and Rebecca Hurst, who are also new to the society, reached the final of the Beginners Jive and finished in a respectable 6th place.
[quote]it feels very rewarding because everyone put in so much hard work[/quote]
Also placing were the LUBDS President Joe Reed and Treasurer Chloe Wellington, who came 3rd in the Novice Waltz, 5th in the Open Viennese and 2nd in the Team Match Waltz. Social secretary Hannah Metcalfe and her partner Bryn Jones placed 1st in the Blind Rumba, 4th in the Waltz Tag, 4th in the Team Match Quickstep and 6th in the Tango. Also successful were Alex Hocknull and his partner Nicole Ellis, who came 3rd in the Beginners Quickstep.
The majority of the couples competing gained themselves a place in at least one of the semi-finals of the competition. With the society not having won the cup for at least five years, this is considered a very successful achievement.
This term was Team Captain Amber Small’s first at leading a team for a competition. She told SCAN “it feels very rewarding because everyone put in so much hard work and there is not much time to prepare for the first competition, considering how many of our members that competed were brand new. It was a lot to learn in a short space of time but everyone did so well, it was a great atmosphere and I think it psyched everyone up for the next bigger competitions.”
This term the society will be competing in the Northern Universities Competition and The Inter Varsity Dancing Competition (IVDC). As well as this is the highly anticipated Roses which will be held at Lancaster this year. Small says the Manchester competition was “a good opportunity to show them [York] what they are going to be up against in Roses 2014!”
The Annual Charity Showcase is the next big event for the society, taking place on Friday 7th February in The Great Hall, raising money for Cancer Research, a charity close to the hearts of some members of the society. Small said we should expect “lots of exciting collaborations with other societies.” As for the popular “Strictly Come Dancing” part of the showcase, she said that “it will be bringing in people from all areas of campus life, so that element should be entertaining.”
If you are interested in joining the Lancaster University Ballroom Dancing Society or would like more information you can visit their Facebook page.
