Madame Tussaud's Social

Did you know that Madame Tussaud’s has been around for over two hundred years?

Dance Spice

Considering that, it was bound to make an appearance as the theme of a UCT Ballroom social at some point – and what a splendid appearance that was. Thanks again to Bryce’s visionary use of drapes and boxes (not to mention many, many (!) movie posters), Molly Blackburn became the travelling circus of famous artists and personalities that has enthralled all comers since the 1800s.

Beyonce and Ringo Starr

As the evening got underway, a wide variety of characters took the opportunity to get to know one another; the Spice Girls (more or less) scattered upon entry and met a Beatle, Ron Burgundy himself (what a lad!) and even briefly jived with a gorilla, who for his species was particularly well co-ordinated.

The jiving gorilla

Freddie Mercury’s “Don’t Stop Me  Now” elicited a full-floor takeover by one couple (the gathered crowd eagerly stopped to watch) after which several shots of our two Michael Jacksons were taken in the mandatory poses to the tune of “Black or White”.

Once the music wound down to the last waltz, it was time for everyone to head back to their own home towns (and times!) with pleasant memories of an evening dancing with the best company the last fifty years have had to offer – in the words of George Gershwin, “who could ask for anything more?”

Britney x2 and a Michael

Photos by Anton Moisey

Once Upon A Time...

Once Upon a Time, 

in a land far, far away, there was a Ballroom Social. Messengers went from city to city, house to house, making this event known to all as a mystical gathering of fairy-tale characters who came from far and wide for an evening of merriment.

With the stage set, castle in the background and all, the dancing began in earnest. Esmerelda met the Cheshire Cat, Aladdin introduced himself to Sleeping Beauty, a passing pirate danced with Batman and a local piper displayed a magnificent sokkie whenever he could. While these events of legend continued, a story-book was set up next to the sound system and the tale of the Once Upon a Time social was written by those characters passing by.

As the evening drew to a close, and the dancers faded away back to their day-to-day lives, a final piece of magic was worked by the dedicated Comm. to turn Bryce's vision back into Molly Blackburn Hall.

This fairy-tale was a splendid way to lead up to the Formal, and what a wondrous social it was - The End.

Written by Peter Beare

PR Manager 2013

Photos by Anton Moisey

Medal Tests 2012 Beginners

Stefano and Lauren prepare for their Waltz

Julie and Neil strike a pose

Our Beginners did so brilliantly in the recent Medal Tests, where the danced the Waltz, Rhythm Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Jive and Boogie! They all received glowing comments from the very impressed adjudicators and walked away with a brightly-coloured polka dot certificate!


Having been a part of UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society for only a few months, our Beginners showed just what they were made of when they were brave enough to step onto the floor of Jammie Hall to show off their newly-learnt skills in front of their friends, family and adjudicators - eek!

Jade and Allister ready to dance!

Eden and Joshua do a New Yorker

After hours of classes, extra Sunday practises and a Polka Dot-themed social the night before to calm those pre-Medal Test jitters, they were ready! They proved that a bit of practise, a lot of love and a tremendous amount of fun can turn a test into a pleasant experience, and, they've proved that they are more than ready for this year's National Student Ballroom and Latin Dance Championships (aka Intervarsity)!

To all of our Beginners who were brave enough to do their Medal Tests, a huge well done! You all have fantastic potential and we are sure that you will do brilliantly at Intervarsity. Go UCT!

If you haven't signed up for Intervarsity yet, tomorrow is your last chance! 

Check out the photos from Medal Tests on our Facebook page - Photos by Nick Heins

Inter-what? The lowdown on Intervarsity...

Intervaristy....the word on everybody's lips post Medal Tests...If you're feeling dazed and confused amongst all of the partner-grabbing and routine-planning, never fear, your blogging friend is here!

2011 Intervarsity Team

Inter-what?!?
Intervarsity - A competition (a friendly one) where we (UCT) compete against Stellenbosch, Wits, Rhodes, Tuks and NMMU. This year, the competition is being hosted by Tuks in Pretoria on Saturday 11 August.

What does it involve?

Liza and Richard get their Salsa on

We leave UCT on Thursday 9 August early in the morning. After traveling on the LUXURY bus for a while, singing songs, playing games and getting a good night's rest <ahem> we will arrive in Pretoria on Friday 10 August for the 'Black and White' Social where we get to meet the dancers from the other universities (the competition!). We will spend the night in one of Pretoria's lovely backpackers and be ready for the main event - the 2012 National Student Ballroom and Latin Dance Championships (aka Intervarsity). Then it's back on the bus (with our trophies and medals!).

There is also a very cool Broadway Social at UCT on Friday 3 August to prepare for Intervarsity and you'll get to see the Formation Team's dress rehearsal!

How much is it?
For the incredibly low price of just R900 you will receive:

• A super suave 2012 UCT Ballroom Intervarsity hoodie
• Accomodation in a Pretoria Backpacker's
• Transport to and from Pretoria on a luxury bus
• Extra dance class fees for the Sunday classes (so that your dancing becomes even more amazing)
• Competition entry fees

Tebo and Liesbeth jive into the Beginner Finals

Of course your R900 does not cover all of these costs, so, your friendly UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society subsidies the rest so that you can enjoy Intervarsity on a student budget!

The Competition
The actual competition which starts at 10am on Saturday 11 August, is an entire day of dancing. That doesn't mean that you yourself will dance the entire day without stopping. The competition is divided into different sections and heats. The standard Ballroom and Latin dances (which you are taught in your class - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced etc.) are divided into sections according to levels and the dances and steps that you know e.g.
Beginner Ballroom: Waltz and Rhythm Foxtrot
Beginner Latin: Cha Cha and Jive
The Ballroom and Latin sections are danced at different times (there may be a few heats and other sections in between them), so you can have one partner for Ballroom and a different partner for Latin!

Claire and Nick show off their spins

There are also Open Section dances. These are:

• Boogie
• Sokkie
• Mambo (Salsa)
• Viennese Waltz
• Paso Doble
• Same-Sex Cha Cha
• Surprise Tango (We won't know exactly what this entails until the day of the competition, but it is recommended that you do not enter this section unless you are familiar with the International Tango which is taught to Advanced dancers and up)

 These dances are 'open' because you do not need to dance with a partner at your level (e.g an Intermediate dancer can dance with a Beginner) and you will be competing against couples from all levels.

Alistair and Jeanne looking glamorous for Novice Ballroom

Each section will have heats depending on how many couples have entered that section. Once the judges have selected the couples that they want to see again, those couples progress to the Quarter Final, Semi Final and the FINAL where you collect the GOLD! The junior levels are usually earlier in the day as well as the initial rounds of the open dances. As the day progresses you will get to see the more advanced dancers in action! We get more points for Beginner couples who do well than more advanced couples who do well - Beginners, YOU ARE SUPER IMPORTANT so please come to Intervarsity!

We end the day off with the Team Dance event (where couples from various levels will be chosen by Iliana to do Waltz/Rhythm Foxtrot/Quickstep/Tango/Samba/Cha Cha/Rumba/Jive torepresent UCT in a tag-team style dance-off against the other universities), the Formation Dance (an 8-couple group dance which the formation team has been rehearsing) and the Prize Giving Ceremony! If (When) you get through all of the rounds and progress to the Final, you will receive a shiny certificate and a medal in the Prize Giving Ceremony.

Iliana, Maureen, Dom and Lara with the trophies!

At this ceremony, trophies are awarded for the best Team Dance, the best Formation Dance, the most SPIRIT (so get ready to do some shouting) and best overall University (the one with the most points). Last year we won every single trophy - this year we plan to do exactly the same thing, so bring your A-game!

But winning isn't everything (although it's lots of fun). The best thing about Intervarsity is that you truly get to bond with the other members of UCT Ballroom in a way that isn't possible in regular classes. We will be spending a lot of time on the bus (with lots of stops in between) so there will be plenty of time to make new friends - friends with dancers at different levels! Your dancing will also improve dramatically with the extra classes, the different partners that you dance with for the different sections and the experience of performing at such an amazing event.

Words cannot describe the Intervarsity experience (although I've tried really hard to). Just do it!

When I Grow Up Social

When I grow up I want to be...a doctor, a ballerina, an artist, a rock star, a boxer...a ballroom dancer!!!

Rock Star!

This social took us back to our childhoods, to a time when life was simple and carefree and making a big decision would be which flavour of ice-cream to ask for. It was such fun seeing what our fellow dancers' plans for the future were when they were children and how many of them are on their way to achieving these goals - Unfortunately Harry Potter wannabes and fairies are excluded from this. A night of childhood memories and memories-in-the-making!

Iron Man

"Dancers are clearly a very optimistic bunch - if our costumes held any truth for the future, we'll never be short of scientists and Harry Potter will be swooping around on his (or in this case, her) broom stick! Never the less, the best part about the social for me was seeing lab-coated scientists waltzing along the floor, archaeologists breaking it down in a boogie, and even the likes of Bob The Builder swinging his hips to the Cha-Cha. Definitely a humorous and eventful night to remember." - Allister Smith (Beginner)

"Dressing up for the social was a great way to take off my 'normal' mask and to give free reign to another (part of my) personality." Liesbeth-Helena Gouws (Intermediate)

"It was fun as I got to remember what I wanted to be before I discovered money, girls and responsibility" - Alan Clarke (Advanced)

Mad Scientists

Photos: Jennifer Marshall

Semi-Formal: Lost in Time

Merada and Nick show off their jive kicks

Zulfa (1950s) and Alan (WWI pilot)

This year's semi-formal was a great success, with delicious food (thanks to Jen and her helpers), great company from the Maties Dance Society and beautiful decor (thanks to Bryce and his team) - including a time machine and a 'Lost' jungle! The dancers came in an assortment of olden-day and futuristic costumes. There was an Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's, a Marilyn Monroe, Doctor Who and River Song, a WWI pilot, flappers and even an Alice in Wonderland!

The social was attended by over 100 dancers! It was such a fantastic evening, and the members agree:

Lara Milne and Chris Basson as River Song and Dr Who

"Was such an amazing feeling dressing up and walking into a place decorated to make you feel like you're in another world, knowing you can dance all night!" - Isabel Micklem (Beginner)

"Had a great time getting lost in fun" - Tebo Cochrane (Intermediate)

Rosy, Alex and Lauren in the time machine

“I loved the semi-formal because I had so much fun, dancing with so many amazing people!” - Alexander Peel (Beginner)

"The social was a blast, especially interesting comparing the moves that the UCT dancers do, to what we have been taught in our classes" - Fiona Smith, Maties Dance Society (Advanced)

"Inviting the Stellenbosch Society gave the night the atmosphere of a real ball, with strangers you could ask to dance." - Sebastian Lumpp (Beginner)

 "Even though I'm not around any more it was totally worth coming to  visit for the semi-formal. I miss you guys, thanks for a wonderful evening!" - Shaun Silson (Long Distance Member)

Mmm! Chloe and Laura enjoying Jen's pinwheel biscuits!

 "Dressing up for the semi-formal was always going to be fun, but finding an old dancing dress of my grandmother's made it spectacular. One thing I will say though - it takes a hang of a lot more co-ordination to dance in something floor-length! The evening was fantastic, the music was fun, the influx of the Stellies people was great, and Jen's pinwheel biscuits were nothing short of legendary." - Laura Barnard (Beginner)

Photos: Anton Moisey and Jared Baboo

Unda Da Sea Social

“Such wonderful things surround you… what more are you lookin’ for?”

Having carted in a considerable amount of water in the form of several blue spotlights, the Committee members did a fantastic job (once again!) of transforming the Molly Blackburn Hall into the scene of the Society’s latest social, “Unda Da Sea”, attended by jellyfish, mermaids and Kings of the Sea alike. Twirling around the dance floor, dancing required every bit of talent that the members had as they dodged fins, tentacles, seaweed and even the occasional trident.

The beginners showed off their new Jive, Cha-Cha and Boogie steps learnt over the past few weeks, then stood back to admire the more experienced dancers as they danced the Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot and Salsa; there was even a Sokkie or two to keep those eager fans satisfied…

Dancing and socialising the whole night through, the social proved what Sebastian said in the original song: “Unda Da Sea – since life is sweet here, we got the beat here, naturally!”


                                                                                         - written by Beginner, Peter Beare
Photos: Anton Moisey and Jared Baboo

Beginners' Social - Saturday Night Fever

“Night fever, night fever! We know how to do it!” <point, point, point, point and finger-gun, finger-gun, sprinkler, sprinkler, sprinkler, sprinkler>

This year’s Beginners' Social involved more sequins than I have ever seen in one place before! With a few afros, John Travolta white suits, a whole lot of peace signs and even a mirror ball, we grooved our way through the night!

This was the beginners' first social where they did Ballroom and Latin dances - Cha-cha, Jive, Salsa, Boogie, Rhythm Foxtrot and Waltz. After just five weeks of dance classes, they were confidently spinning around the floor!

We even learnt a funky line dance to go with our far out threads and the disco décor. Oh, what a night!

 Photos: Anton Moisey and Jennifer Marshall

Show Down at the Hoe Down – Beginners Barn Dance Social

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaw!

Over 120 cowboys, cowgirls and a couple of village idiots…er…what…cantered into Jameson Hall for UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society’s Beginners Social – A Barn Dance! The dancing was run by the well-known barn dance caller, Caroline Blundell, who had us all dosey-doeing like pros!

With a heel and toe and away we go…and away we went indeed – kicks here, promenades there and a few gallops everywhere. We were rock-tap-turning and having an absolute blast! 

Everyone dressed up for the occasion in their denims and checks with boots and cowboy hats too (which were thrown into the air accompanied by an enthusiastic “yeehaw!” at the end of each dance). The hall was decorated to theme too, with plenty of hay bales, lassos, drapes and flashing lights.

After spinning our partners around the room, it was great to relax with a free bottle of vitaminwater – our Plaza Week sponsors whom we would like to thank for their generous support.

The Barn Dance was a great start to the dancing year and we would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our beginners. We hope that you had a fantastic time at the social and that the time you spend with UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society will be just as much fun – the dances you learn and the friends you make. Welcome!

Photos: Anton Moisey and Jennifer Marshall

Formation

At the beginning of every year we start practising what is known as The Formation. This is a dance in which a number of couples perform in sequence. This sequence is choreographed by our coach, Iliana, who also chooses the songs; usually according to a common theme. The dance is made up of sections in which you change the type of dance; usually when the music changes. Iliana tends to stick to a major dance group; i.e. mostly Latin-style dances or mostly Ballroom-style dances.



The formation will be performed at Intervarsity in its own category, with most universities entering one formation group each. This means that a trophy will go to the formation winners and we are proud to say that we were the 2010 winners. In 2009, we came second; another outstanding achievement. Goes to show how committed we are!



Previous Formations

Having been part of the 2009 and 2010 formation teams, I can speak for both teams when I say that we had a really good time practicing and performing our dances. Learning the formation dance is a frustrating and sometimes difficult endeavour; with countless hours practicing sequences and timing. Being a beginner in the 2009 formation, I found it quite strenuous on my little toes, but had a good time nonetheless. Let me just say, if you keep coming to practises, you will get it sooner than you think.

When the formation finally comes together, it’s a truly great feeling. Not only do you feel a great sense of achievement, but you also start to see how beautiful it looks, with eight or ten couples doing very similar things. You also get to do a few unconventional dance routines which can feel awkward at first, but are usually quite fun.



The 2009 was a straight Viennese Waltz which was performed to the “Harry Potter” theme song. In 2010, we spiced up our routine to include numerous Ballroom-style dances (with a few sassy samba moves thrown in). This was performed to different songs from the “Lion King” soundtrack. This year we will be doing a Latin-style formation, which promises to be very African, very sexy and mountains of fun.

Would you like to do the formation in 2011?

Unlike most other universities, the UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society encourages beginners to compete in the formation. We try to team them up with a dancer from a higher level. Anyone can learn the formation, as long as you are willing to put in the time. Commitment is the biggest thing. We will be practicing at least once a week at first, which will increase just before Intervarsity to twice a week at least. We continue practicing through the holiday and sometimes on Sundays, so if you cannot make these times, then you need to reconsider doing the formation.



Yes, you have to work harder at this than anything else dance-related you have ever done. Yes, your feet are going to hurt. Yes, you are ocassionally going to feel very lost. But you get to partake in an extremely rewarding dance routine, getting to know a team of other dancers and doing something different every Tuesday night. You also get to wear a shiny new outfit. Formation is really good fun; you are going to laugh more than any other time in your life.