Events on the UCT Ballroom Calendar!Socials | Medal Tests | Intervarsity | Formal
SocialsSo if you haven’t already heard:You should come to at least all of the UCT Ballroom Socials!Socials are a really fantastic time to just. . . Dance. Socials provide an opportunity to practice all the moves that you've learned in class, and you get to do them with anyone in the room, regardless of their skill level or experience. Socials with UCT Ballroom are the only place that I know of where you might have the chance to dance with Willy Wonka, Wonder Woman, Zorro, Edward Cullen, Mickey Mouse, Wolfman, Marilyn Monroe, Aladdin, Lady Gaga or some other outrageous person dressed in more colours than Cape Town’s Minstrel Carnival-goers! Not to worry, though, we sometimes have a tame theme thrown into the mix just to keep you guessing. Once a semester we add a Semi-Formal to the mix, which, while not as exciting as the end of year Formal ball, is a little more elegant and sophisticated and always has more elaborate décor than our usual socials not to mention some food and drinks to draw in the extra UCT Ballroom member or ten. Socials are the time to let your proverbial hair down and move to the music in accordance with Iliana’s teachings, but without her eagle-eye to catch you missing the occasional step. This is a chance to practice what you’ve learnt in class and make it your own. I have always been inspired by watching more advanced dancers pulling out what their years of dancing have taught them, as well as watching people new to the society becoming more comfortable with the dance floor through the course of each Social! In 2011, UCT Ballroom collaborated with Stellies’ Dance Society to put on a sensational Semi-Formal at the Stellenbosch Dance hall, and even though it was on their home-turf, UCT Ballroom still showed up better dressed and with more dancers than Stellies. We had a fantastic time as well as learning a little more about where we would later be competing for Intervarsity. We also had a number of Socials which had the greatest ever attendance from our fantastic beginner group! We tried to have a Social at least twice a month (Gasp!) and we saw a range of themes including: Hollywood, Neon, In Questionable Taste, and yes, we even went with Vampires and Werewolves. We saw some really amazing costumes, from girls with washing pegs in their hair, to guys covered from head to toe in vampire body glitter. This year we have pulled out all the stops and will be having another wide range of themes including, among others; a Barn Dance, a Time Travel Social, Fairytales, Broadway, Under The Sea and a good old ‘70s Disco! We are, once again, looking at a Social almost every second week (I know right! Gasp!), and I am looking forward to another year of making spray paint stains in Molly Blackburn hall, climbing through the roof of Jameson hall, fighting with security for another hour, helpers yelling: “Bryce, there are enough drapes, we don't need more!” or “What are you going to do with all those boxes?” or “Wait… you want me to put this where?!” or “Bryce, this is not going to work!” and, of course, going through my childhood dress-up drawer again, and again, and again... So see you at the Socials! It’s the right thing to do. - Bryce van de Laar 
Medal TestsLet me go out on a limb about how you would probably feel as a beginner when Medal Tests start being advertised:“Tests?! But I’ve only just started! What if I fail? I already have a million other tests and assignments due, why would I add one more to my list?” What if I told you that these kinds of test are actually fun and you can’t fail them? This year, Medal Tests take place on 12 May, and by then you will have found your feet as dancers. The aim of a Medal Test is to get an objective point of view on your dancing technique. As amazing as our coaches are, they can’t help everyone all the time, especially in the big classes, therefore we, as dancers, have the opportunity to dance in front of two qualified and experienced adjudicators to get their objective opinions. A Medal Test requires you to dance for about a minute for each dance (a beginner will dance for about five minutes) and you will receive a written report commending you on the technique that’s correct and giving you pointers on how to improve. There will also be an overall mark so that you can see where you stand at your current level, how far you still have to go and the results of your hard work on the dance floor. This year, our theme is Polka dots which means that for both the Social and the Medal Tests we want you to come in your dottiest, spottiest outfit! I hope this encourages you to participate and reassures you that no one will be in need of a paper bag to breathe in to when I start advertising or when you take to the floor at your Medal Test! - Maxine van der Schyff
Formal 2012: The Masquerade Ball
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This year, our theme is Polka dots which means that for both the Social and the Medal Tests we want you to come in your dottiest, spottiest outfit!
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