About Us
We are the University of Birmingham Ballroom and Latin American Dance Society, which we normally shorten to BALADS!
We hold regular social and competition-focused classes and practice sessions throughout the year.
Our classes cater for all abilities. Whether you are already a master of Ballroom and Latin or a self-confessed owner of two left feet, our dancers and teachers are here to help you improve in a friendly atmosphere. We provide classes in Beginner, Novice and Intermediate/Advanced in Ballroom and Latin as well as Acrobatic and Non-Acrobatic Rock & Roll, private lessons and social classes in a variety of dance styles.
You can take your dancing as far as you like with our club - we have two professional coaches who are tireless in their dedication to our members. We run weekly practice sessions, including two dedicated hours of Beginners' Practice. We encourage beginners to compete in Dancesport competitions within weeks of starting the sport, and all levels of dancers will find stiff competition in their category on the Inter Varsity Dancesport circuit, which culminates in our annual championship in Blackpool, home of the finest ballrooms on the planet.
Our Normal Schedule
MONDAY - Social Dances
- 6 - 7 pm : Social Class - open to all abilities, come along and learn some fun dance steps, no partner required! Taught by experienced society members, ONLY £2 for the hour!
- 7 - 8 pm : Rock 'n' Roll - taught by our professional coach, Craig, this is a fun and lively dance and you will have the opportunity to learn some acrobatic lifts. £4 for the hour.
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Only £5 for BOTH Monday classes!
TUESDAY - Ballroom / Latin (Alternate Weeks)
No partner required for our main ballroom and latin classes of the week, with our professional coach!
- 6 - 7 pm : Beginners - for those of you who are new to this sport!
- 7 - 7.45 pm : Novice Ballroom - for everyone who has a bit of experience with Ballroom.
- 7.45 - 8.30 pm : Novice Latin - for everyone who has a bit of experience with Latin.
- 8.30 - 9.15 pm : Inter/Advanced Ballroom- for experienced dancers in search of a challenge.
- 9.15 - 10 pm : Inter/Advanced Latin - for experienced dancers in search of a challenge.
- ONLY £4 for Beginners!
- £3 each for novice and inter/advanced classes, but if you come to both classes, it's £5 for both!
FRIDAY
At the weekend it's practice time! Come along to practise what you've learned on your own or to go through routines with a partner. Drop in for as long as you want and ask us any questions you have! We alternate starting ballroom and latin first each week.
- 6 - 7 pm : Beginners' Practice - an hour of practice just for those of you who are newer to the sport! Committee are on hand to help out with technique and catch you up if you've missed anything.
- 7 - 10 pm : Open Practice - the rest of the evening is open to everyone, even beginners! While this can be intimidating when you're first starting it is great practice for competitions. Fridays are competitive practice, so we do the dances in 5-dance order as they would be danced in a competition.
SATURDAY
If we aren't at a competition, Saturday is also practice day and is an excellent hangover cure!
- 1 - 2 pm - Beginners' Practice - an hour of practice just for those of you who are newer to the sport! Committee are on hand to help out with technique and catch you up if you've missed anything.
- 2 - 5 pm - Open Practice - the rest of the afternoon is open to everyone, even beginners! While this can be intimidating when you're first starting it is great practice for competitions. Saturdays are social practice, so we do Novice dances first (Waltz and Quickstep first in Ballroom, then Cha-Cha and Jive first in Latin).