| About the University of York Dance Society | With over eight hundred active members the University of York Dance Society is one of the largest
and most popular societies on campus. As a very open and down to earth society we are passionate
about dancing and having fun; our sole aim is to provide a good quality service to our members, and
to encourage as many people as possible to come along and join in. Our classes are designed to cater
for all abilities, from beginners to the advanced so no experience is necessary, anyone can come and
have a go!
As well as weekly classes we offer our members opportunities to perform and show off their skills. The
Dance Society already regularly partake in and perform at a number of local and campus events during the
academic year and are always looking for talented dancers. In addition to this we are also launching a Dance
Society community project which aims to hold dance workshops for local school children. All in all
our society is solely about dancing, and getting as many people involved as possible.
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| Who can join/Membership Details |
The club is open to students and non students.
Membership for our society is £4.00 for students and £4.50 for non-students.
For this you also get the added benefit of 10% off all purchases at Linfoots Dancewear in York City Centre.
Membership is a one off payment and is valid for the duration of the academic year. Upon payment you will
also receive your Dance Society membership card. You must bring this with you to all lessons.
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| Class Prices |
All classes for student members cost £2.50 per class.
All classes for non-student members cost £3.00 per class.
For insurance reasons you HAVE to be a member to take part in any class.
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| Lost Membership Card |
If you lose your membership card all you need to do is get in contact either with the society
secretary or one of the class reps. They will be able to sort everything out for you and arrange to get
another card to you as quickly as possible.
YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY A MEMBERSHIP FEE AGAIN
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| Joining the Dance Society |
The dance society always has a stall at the FRESHERS FAIR in October and RE-FRESHERS fair in January
where you can join.
However, you can join the Dance Society ANYTIME during the academic year. All you have to do is come
along to the sports centre and talk to one of the class reps; you will be able to pay your membership
fee there and join in with a class straight away.
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| Ability |
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Our society is open to everyone and we cater for all abilities. The beginner's classes are designed to
make sure that even someone who has never danced before can come along, try something new, and just have
a go! Many members who arrive at university and who have never danced before find they improve week to
week and learn something new whilst having fun! Plus dancing is an individual sport so any unique moves and
techniques only make the dance you own! If in doubt come along and give it a go, the teachers are all friendly,
and everyone there just wants to enjoy themselves!
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| Can Men Take Part |
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Yes! Dancing is not just for girls! There are some amazing male dancers at York University and we are determined
to find more. Men shouldn't feel intimidated by any of our classes as we have male members that come along to
all of them.
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| Street/Jazz Styles |
Both Street and Jazz classes consist of three elements; the warm up, the routine, the cool down.
Every week, after a warm up, you will be guided through a new routine, to a different song. The teachers
will teach it to you step by step and ensure you know the steps. You will spend the majority of the class
practicing and learning the routing but usually towards the end the entire class will perform the routine
en masse without the teacher's lead. In the final part of the hour session, we cool down so no-one hurts in
the morning!
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| Salsa/Breakdance/Tap Styles |
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The format of Salsa, Tap and Breakdance lessons are very similar. They each begin with a
warm up consisting of exercises which help basic technique of each discipline. During the lesson
these exercises will be used in a series of short routines. This is to familiarize you with the different
steps that are always used in these styles of dance. During the course of the term, you should feel like
you are building up a repertoire of steps and sequences and by the end of term you should feel confident in
your own ability.
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| Preferred Class |
Members are free to go to any classes at any time, but if you want a basic guide here it is:
Tap, Breakdance and Jazz are open to all abilities. This means that the classes are suitable for
absolute beginners and competent dancers. This is because the classes enable you to progress at your own
pace, and concentrate on things like personal performance and style rather than learning a rapid sequence
of moves.
Street and Salsa both have two levels. Beginners Street and Salsa is designed for absolute beginners
and people who have not got a great deal of experience.
Improver salsa is suitable for people who have done some salsa before and are grounded in the basic moves.
Intermediate Street is for competent dancers.
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| Advanced Workshops |
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The society holds what are called "advanced workshops" throughout the term. These involve professional
choreographers and teachers coming to the university to hold extended classes at weekends. Although these
are challenging and designed for the more ambitious and competent members of the society, anyone is welcome
to come along and have a go at something new and different.
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| Required Clothing |
Clothing differs for each of out classes but as a general rule for all classes you need to wear
clothes that you can move freely in and stretch. Jeans are not advisable as they are too restricting;
most people opt for tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt.
Specific Pre-requisites:
Street, Jazz- Trainers are acceptable for both Street and Jazz although if you have dance shoes
(e.g. Bloch dance shoes or jazz shoes) you are encouraged to wear them.
Salsa- For Salsa you need shoes that you can spin in, they do not necessarily have to be high heels
but you can wear these if you feel confident.
Breakdance- It is advisable to cover up for break classes because of the floor work, or to invest
in some knee/elbow pads if you plan to come regularly. Trainers/Dance shoes are fine for footwear.
Tap- Tap shoes should be worn for tap classes. Please ensure that taps are screwed in
properly so they do not scratch or mark the dance studio floor. However, if you have never tapped
before you are very welcome to come along and try out the classes using trainers for a few weeks,
and then you can decide if you wish to invest in some tap shoes.
Also, it is recommended that you bring water to each class to prevent dehydration.
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