Cambridge Dancers' Club

We're students & residents who like to dance together! Our competitive teams are CUDT & CURnR. We will be trying out the Gibson hall for our social dancing on Fridays (while our usual venue, the grad.pad MDH, is closed for roof repairs).

To join us: turn up at a class, fill in a registration form, pay the relevant fee, receive your membership card for the academic year and start dancing. NB The membership card includes some free class boxes to use but after that there's a per-class fee once you've had a chance to try the different styles and select the one(s) you like.

Coming Up

Summer 2023 holidays

We have a minimal timetable for the summer holidays, with Wednesday workshops, Friday social dancing and DS practices.

Our last pre-term Wednesday workshop with Kath will be from 7pm to 9pm on 27th September in the nave of Downing Place church instead of the small Gibson hall - because you'll need the extra space to dance Viennese waltz.

General Dancing will continue in the late slot on Fridays for some more weeks while we are still waiting for the grad.pad MDH to be made safe.

Freshers Week & Events 2023

NB make sure you know how to find the venues. Some events are in public spaces, open to all students and even residents. Other events are inside colleges and more limited in access to just members of that college and perhaps members of any nearby ones.

Public space events & taster sessions:
• Mon.02 Oct. = Uni sports fair from midday to 5pm (12:00 - 17:00)
• Tue.03 Oct. = CUSU freshers fair from 10am to 4pm (10:00 - 16:00)
• Tue.03 Oct. = DS practice from 8pm to 10pm in Kelsey Kerridge studio
• Wed.04 Oct. = CUSU freshers fair from 10am to 4pm (10:00 - 16:00)
• Wed.04 Oct. = free taster class at 6pm in Gibson hall, Downing Place URC
• Thu.05 Oct. = free DS demo, taster & practice time from 6pm to 8pm in Parkside school gym
• Fri.06 Oct. = free social dance at 8:45pm in Gibson hall, Downing Place URC
• Sat.07 Oct. = CURnR taster from 14:30 to 16:25 in University Sports Centre MR studio 1
• Sat.07 Oct. = CUDT auditions, 2pm-5pm in Chesterton Sports Centre gym
• Sun.08 Oct. = CUDT auditions, 9am-1pm in Chesterton Sports Centre hall

The private in-college taster sessions overlap with the start of regular classes but it's not too late to join our classes in week 2 of term. So, if you're keen to dance and want to make sure you have a convenient practice partner, it's still worth bringing any new friends or staircase neighbours to the later tasters:
• Sun.01 Oct. = Robinson JCR from 11:00 to 12:00 (11am - midday)
• Mon.02 Oct. = Girton MCR from 19:00 to 20:00 (7pm - 8pm)
• Wed.04 Oct. = Kings JCR from 15:30 to 16:30 (3:30pm - 4:30pm)
• Sun.08 Oct. = Churchill JCR from 15:00 to 16:00 (3pm - 4pm)
• Sun.08 Oct. = Downing JCR from 17:00 to 18:00 (5pm - 6pm)
• Wed.11 Oct. = Emmanuel JCR from 20:00 to 21:00 (8pm - 9pm)

Michaelmas 2023 term

Normal classes run for 8 weeks from Monday 9th October to Thursday 30th November. See the interactive timetable or the plain listing or Google calendar.

For beginners who want to learn to compete (ie dancesport), try:
• Monday 18:00 DS ballroom in Parkside school gym (most weeks)
• Tuesday 20:50 DS latin in Parkside school gym (most weeks)

For beginners who want to learn to dance socially, try:
• Monday 20:00 ballroom & latin in Downing Place URC
• Tuesday 18:00 Cuban Salsa in Downing Place URC
• Tuesday 19:00 Argentine Tango in Downing Place URC
• Wednesday 18:00 ballroom & latin in Downing Place URC
• Thursday 19:00 ballroom & latin in Stoneyard upper hall

Old Team New Team Competition

The Cambridge University Dancesport Team (CUDT) are holding their Reunion match (OTNT) on Sunday 12th November out in Chesterton Sports hall (Gilbert Road, Cambridge CB4 3NY). Spectators are permitted too; so this is a good opportunity to see what a dance competition is like if you're a Cambridge resident or happen to be visiting the Cambridge area.

For more information on times, prices or a competition entry form, email cudtcomps@gmail.com

External Competitions

Saturday 18th November = Leicester
Saturday 25th November = Bath
Sunday 26th November = Nottingham

Classes and Practices

Classes

Most competitive dancers need to attend a matched pair of dancesport classes per week (ballroom & latin specialisms or RnR footwork & acrobatics). Whereas social dancers are more likely to attend just one regular weekly class in their chosen style(s).

You don't need to have your own partner to join our classes; although many people do have one or more preferred dance partners by the time they've left beginners and improvers and reached the intermediates or advanced levels. Similarly, you don't need specialist clothes or shoes when you start learning to dance.

Practices

Practising away from taught classes is the way to get better faster. It's also the end goal of social dancing, whereas dancesport dancers have competitions.

Our regular social dance practice is called General Dancing and is free to attend, even for non-club members. We try to run it on as many Friday evenings as possible. This is the place to bring visiting friends & family, including children. It's not a formal event, like a ball, so there's no need to dress up.

Our dancesport practice sessions are really only suitable for advanced dancers to train and require club membership & termly subscription fees (or per session fee) to attend. If you attend practices at Kelsey Kerridge, you'll also need to pay KK's own day/membership fee.

See the ongoing practice list.

Events

We're still holding occasional tea dances but no big ball dates have been planned yet.

Private Lessons

The CDC as a whole does not arrange private lessons for people. Those teachers who are willing to have their details made public are included on our links page (and if you attend regular CDC classes you may approach the teachers there too). However, if you are already on the DanceSport teams or are hoping to be selected, you may be able to arrange for a private lesson with one of the team coaches. Contact the CUDT Secretary to book a specific time slot. Non-team people should contact the new CDC competitive group to find out if there are any spare private lesson slots available with the coaches.

Promotions and Contacts

CDC T-shirts

The competitive teams have their own "stash" items but we are now able to offer CDC logo T-shirts again. The price is £8 each. The sizes range from adult small to extra-large (with most women being small or medium and most men being medium upwards). The new batch have red print on a black T-shirt and include some which are printed on the back instead for people who want to wear them while partner dancing; but we do also have a few other colour combinations left from the previous batch. See a committee member or email to arrange to purchase one.

CDC : : + (group) : :
CUDT : : : : :
CURnR : (page) + (private group)
CDC Competes on the open circuit (group)