Abigail Cadman Kerr
For those wanting to dance at university, whether beginner or expert, Latin, Ballroom and Salsa Society is definitely the society for you, providing a range of different sessions you can get involved with. Abigail Cadman Kerr interviewed Alicia Ward, the General Secretary, to find out more.
How long has LBS society been around?
The society has been around for around 20 years and in that time has grown massively and we have members who have been in the society for many years.
What types of classes do you run?
We run many types of classes – Latin, Ballroom, Salsa, Rueda, and Bachata. Latin, ballroom, and salsa are offered in different ability classes, from complete beginners up to advanced dancers. Classes this year are running on Tuesdays for salsa and Thursdays for ballroom and Latin.
What would you say to someone who wants to join, but has not danced before?
The majority of our membership had never danced before coming to university
Everyone is welcome to come and have a go! The majority of our membership had never danced before coming to university and joining our society, and many complete beginners go on to be very successful within the society.
What does your role involve?
I am the general secretary and currently acting president as we are currently running our elections to find a new president. My role includes keeping the entire society informed – which can be challenging at times due to our large membership that spans current students and ex-students. I also make sure the committee knows where they need to be and when. I enjoy being a member of the committee as I enjoy being able to talk to society members and learn about their dance backgrounds and what brought them to join the society.
Even in lessons and practices there is a great atmosphere
How did you get involved with the society?
I have been doing ballroom and Latin dancing since I was 4 years old and it is something that I love to do, so it was almost a natural progression for me to carry on dancing at university. Joining the society in my first year was really daunting, however it is so welcoming and most importantly really fun. The society is really social and it is so easy to talk to people and have a good time, as at the end of the day who doesn’t like to dance?
Is it a sociable society? Tell us about any socials you’ve recently run.
LBSS is a really social society. We run regular socials like bar crawls and Ocean Fridays. However, we also run sober events, like Strictly Come Dancing watch parties!
As a society we also participate in competitions and it is very common to end up in Mooch afterwards to celebrate. Even in lessons and practices there is a great atmosphere as everybody is having a good time dancing and laughing. This year we’ve had a couple of socials already. On the first weekend of term we held a Strictly Come Dancing watch party, which was a big success! This week, we’re doing a bar crawl to Ocean which has been eagerly anticipated since the end of last year.
How would I find a dancing partner?
At the start of the year we offer several partnering up sessions where we pair up people based on ability level and commitment level. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to one of these – you can find a partner in lessons.
As a society we have been quite successful over the last few years in competition
Is there scope to perform in competitions?
We go to up to 13 competitions in an academic year so there is a lot of scope to participate in competitions with the society. This includes the IVDC which is held in Blackpool at the Winter Gardens, which is the most prestigious competition on the university circuit. As a society we have been quite successful over the last few years in competition so now is a good time to try it out. However, you can do as many or as few that suits you- there is no pressure to participate in competitions if you don’t want to!
Where can you go to find out more?
To find out more you can follow us on Instagram @lbssnotts or on Facebook. You can also find out lots of further information on our website Nottingham Latin and Ballroom Society as well as the SU website.
Abigail Cadman Kerr
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All in-article images courtesy of @lbssnotts via Instagram. No changes were made to these images.
In-article image 3 also courtesy of @lbssnottscomp via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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