Joining the Team | Sign Up | Dance Camp

Dance camp is the biggest beginner dance event hosted by the team each year, usually held during the first week of the fall semester (after Labor Day). It is the best way for people who are interested in joining the team to learn about competitive ballroom, meet team members and coaches, and most importantly have some fun before the school year picks up!

What exactly is Dance Camp?

Dance Camp is essentially a three-day ballroom crash-course aimed at complete beginners. To attend these classes, no partner is necessary; no experience is necessary and no registration is necessary.

Note: You aren’t making any commitment to the team by coming. Just show up in comfortable shoes, skirts or stretchy pants, and be ready to have fun!

For the first two evenings, you will learn some basic steps from team’s professional coaches. After the free classes, there will be performances from current team members of varying levels. The performers will dress up the way they would for a competition.

The third day of Dance Camp includes a third and final beginner dance class and – to finish a week’s worth of dancing – a Team Match.

What is the Team Match?

The Team Match is the last, but probably the most fun, part of Dance Camp. The aim for the Team Match is to give beginners a taste of what a ballroom competition is like. All participants will be randomly divided into two teams. The dances will be those taught during the first two nights of Dance Camp, however, you do not need to have gone to those sessions to participate.

All the participating newbies will be paired up with one of the current team members (vets) for a 45 min private instruction session. During that time, you will be taught everything you need to know to compete in the team match. Your vet will be your competitive partner throughout the team match! It is just like Dancing With the Stars!

Like a real ballroom competition, there will be rounds for each dance. For each round, each team will send a predetermined number of couples to compete. The “judges” (senior team members) will mark down the couples they deem to be the best for each round. Scores are kept based on the number of couples that are marked. The team with the most of number of couples marked will be the winning team.

Note: This is meant to be a friendly team match, so please don’t feel intimidated! It sounds intense, but it really is not! Remember, you will be competing  with the vet you are assigned to. In addition, half of the people there are newbies just like you! What is there to lose? Come and dance your heart out!

We hope to see you at the Dance Camp this Fall!!!