By Benjamin Cole
ÔÇ£Nah mate, not my thing.ÔÇØ ÔÇ£Sorry, I have two left feet.ÔÇØ General sniggering and scoffing noises.
These were but a few of the responses that the Cardiff DanceSport Club got during advertising for the Freshers’ Fayre, and various individual members have had from trying to bring people along to sessions. This makes me fairly upset. Ballroom was at its peak during the 20s and 30s, a time when gangsters, flappers, and various awesome things were the height of sophistication. Back in the day when men were men, women were women, and wearing a suit and Trilby were de rigeuer.
Now it seems that Ballroom dancing has gone from something that every man was expected to have a vague understanding of and ability to do, to something that is looked down upon on by the average guy as being ÔÇ£something for girlsÔÇØ. Needless to say, this makes me sad.
And it couldn’t really be further from the truth. Many people would look at me and think: ÔÇ£Well, yeah he looks fairly manly.ÔÇØ If they knew that I was a member of the University Officer Training Corps too, it would be affirmed even more. Then there is also the fact that I’m a ballroom dancer, and have been since I arrived at Cardiff. Actually, the only place that I haven’t found any kind of prejudice (for want of a better word) against ballroom is the OTC. This was reinforced when one of the scariest and manliest people I think I have ever met; a Sergeant Major in the Royal Military Police, complete with Para Wings (look all of these up, you’ll understand), tell me that one thing he always wished he tried was ballroom dancing. Look at the men on Strictly Come Dancing. They are fine specimens of ÔÇ£the Manly ManÔÇØ. Louis Smith? He’s a Gymnast, incredibly ÔÇ£henchÔÇØ one might say, and he’s dancing, and bloody well too. One of the professional dancerss, Artem Chigvintsev, is a huge manly Russian. You can’t really get much more manly than a huge Russian bloke (who specialises in Latin by the way. Think sequins, low cut shirts, and incredibly agile hips) Not to mention he bagged Eastenders hottie and co-star of the also manly Ray Winston in The Sweeney, Kara Tointon, simply because he danced with her. Audley Harrison, Eurpoean boxing champ, took part, and Buzz Aldrin went to the moon and then took part in the US equivalent.
People ask me if we just prance around a bit and try and look good during practise. Whilst looking good is certainly a big part of it (easier for some *ahem*), there is a lot – and I really do mean a lot – of training. As a team, we train for a minimum of four hours a week, with the chance to train for an extra two, and practice for another three and a half on non training days. That is quite a bit. When it comes to competition day, we will be awake, most likely at 5am, and then will probably arrive back in Cardiff for roughly 10pm. During that day, there will be a lot of waiting, but once you’re on the floor after one of your many rounds, you come off dripping – even for a slow, smooth Waltz, never mind a boppy Jive (think how you sweat when you do Circuits or Spin Classes), think spin class intensity. I would probably say that I put away about 3500 calories on competition days. Some of the biggest emergency situations at competitions happen due to fainting through exhaustion.
So really the question a man should ask himself is: Why am I not learning to dance? I reckon you can ask any girl about a man being able to dance, and they will most likely be in awe to some degree (I’m speaking from experience). Don’t swing that way? We don’t care! Come down anyway and learn something fun and useful. Why else you say? Well, take bars and clubs. These places are so crowded, and it’s difficult to move slowly when trying not to spill drinks. Dancing helps: your balance will become amazing, and you will spill your drinks no longer (again, experience). DonÔÇÖt have a party trick? YouÔÇÖd be surprised how many people will ask dancers to teach them to dance at a party. Have two left feet? We have medical students that can fix that for you! (If only…) No rhythm? Don’t really need it, you’ll be taught how to count beats in music. Never done it before? So? Neither had I until I started last year. There are so many things, acceptable and not, everyone may or may not have tried before coming to Uni – why canÔÇÖt Ballroom be one of them? Bet you had never done a centurion or played pub golf before coming to university, but you tried it. We have classes for people who havenÔÇÖt danced before.
So now we’ve got all of these excuses answered, what are you waiting for? Come down and join us! Us manly men will enjoy the banter, and the lovely ladies will be happy that there is a bigger variety of us to dance with. I would almost be willing to bet money that you will have a good time and a laugh.
Cardiff DanceSport have a Social session
including Salsa (18:00pm) and Ballroom/Latin (19:00-21:30) on Tuesday in the Great Hall, for £3 per session. For something more challenging, come down to a Team Training Session at the Talybont Sports Hall on Thursday at 7:30pm or Saturday at 10am for £2 per session. Contact the Team Captains: lovelll@cardiff.ac.uk, morrisf2@cardiff.ac.uk or the President: partonj2@cardiff.ac.uk https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/270903429680387/ or http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/dancesport/home-new//
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