"We are proud to be the biggest, youngest and liveliest ballroom dancing community in Glasgow. Prior to GUBDS it was very difficult to find any ballroom dancing classes or events in Glasgow and there were barely any young people interested in it. We are glad to have revived this beautiful dancing tradition and to have made our contribution to Glasgow’s dance scene."
- Ekaterina Leondieva (Founding Member and former President of GUBDS)
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WHO WE AREGlasgow University Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society (GUBLDS) was first founded by a group of friends looking to take their passion for dancing to university in 2012.
Since its founding GUBLDS has aimed to:
The Society is under the control of its membership but the day-to-day organisation of the Society’s activities and its general administration is undertaken by seven office bearers that make up the Executive Committee. They are elected at the Society’s Annual General Meeting at the end of each academic year. WHAT WE DOIn the spirit of our goals we offer a variety of activities including:
1) Social and Recreational Dancing
2) Competitive Dancing
3) Social Events
OUR CONSTITUTION
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Our history
ACADEMIC YEAR 2012 - 2013
The idea for Glasgow University Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society (GUBLDS) was conceived in September 2012 at a memorable party that brought together a few dance lovers and got them wondering about the lack of ballroom dancing opportunities in Glasgow. Eager to create a space where they could practice their passion and pass it on to others, they harnessed all methods of communication in order to uncover the ballroom dancing talent at Glasgow Uni. Like this in October 2012 the first society board was formed and Glasgow University Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society was successfully affiliated with the SRC for the very first time.
The very first class
Setting up the new society involved numerous challenges, the biggest of which was finding a teacher and structuring the classes. It was on the 15th of January 2013 that the very first class took place, led by our very first teacher – Pavel. As a volunteer teacher he set up the tradition that ultimately ensured the society’s popularity and growth. The friendly and social atmosphere and affordable cost meant that anyone could join and experience the joy of dancing.
The very first Ball
During its first year the society was rather small compared to its current size. Dancing tends to bring people together, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of our very first members became close friends and shared many happy moments on and off the dancefloor. With respect to the former - the very first GUBLDS Ball took place on the 19th of May 2013 and started another GUBLDS tradition – the ball group photo. Since then it has been getting more and more difficult to fit all our members in just one shot.
The very first class
Setting up the new society involved numerous challenges, the biggest of which was finding a teacher and structuring the classes. It was on the 15th of January 2013 that the very first class took place, led by our very first teacher – Pavel. As a volunteer teacher he set up the tradition that ultimately ensured the society’s popularity and growth. The friendly and social atmosphere and affordable cost meant that anyone could join and experience the joy of dancing.
The very first Ball
During its first year the society was rather small compared to its current size. Dancing tends to bring people together, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of our very first members became close friends and shared many happy moments on and off the dancefloor. With respect to the former - the very first GUBLDS Ball took place on the 19th of May 2013 and started another GUBLDS tradition – the ball group photo. Since then it has been getting more and more difficult to fit all our members in just one shot.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2013 - 2014
This year was an overwhelming success and the one to shape the society as we know it today. The September taster session gathered so many dance enthusiasts there was barely space to waltz. The new board had to quickly adjust to accommodate the increasing interest. Old board members volunteered to help as the responsibilities were growing. GUBLDS was becoming one of the bigger societies at Glasgow Uni.
The very first competition
In March 2014 four brave members volunteered to be the first two couples from GUBLDS to compete at the IVDC in Blackpool. In less than two weeks they prepared for the Beginner’s division and did brilliantly making it to the 3rd round in one of the dances. The experience was memorable for everyone involved and sparked the competitive aspect of the society.
The very first… opening waltz!
On the 20th of March GUBLDS had its first grandiose event continuing the tradition of the Annual Ball, so awesome it later became biannual. The highlight of the night was the opening waltz, modelled after the Viennese debutante tradition. The most dedicated members of the society worked incredibly hard over just two days to put together a choreography in one of the most challenging ballroom dances – the Viennese waltz. More than 20 dancers participated and this will be remembered as one of the most heart-warming events that marked the success of our society.
The very first competition
In March 2014 four brave members volunteered to be the first two couples from GUBLDS to compete at the IVDC in Blackpool. In less than two weeks they prepared for the Beginner’s division and did brilliantly making it to the 3rd round in one of the dances. The experience was memorable for everyone involved and sparked the competitive aspect of the society.
The very first… opening waltz!
On the 20th of March GUBLDS had its first grandiose event continuing the tradition of the Annual Ball, so awesome it later became biannual. The highlight of the night was the opening waltz, modelled after the Viennese debutante tradition. The most dedicated members of the society worked incredibly hard over just two days to put together a choreography in one of the most challenging ballroom dances – the Viennese waltz. More than 20 dancers participated and this will be remembered as one of the most heart-warming events that marked the success of our society.
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Restructuring the society
As the society was rapidly growing in popularity some big decisions had to be made in order to make it sustainable. The society board was reorganised to include two more positions: Teaching & Performance Coordinator and Team Captain. These later proved to be central to the development and success of the society as they allowed some board members to focus on administrative duties and others on raising the level of dancing. The Teacher’s Team as an entity separate from the board was also initiated, giving teachers autonomy over their decisions.
As the society was rapidly growing in popularity some big decisions had to be made in order to make it sustainable. The society board was reorganised to include two more positions: Teaching & Performance Coordinator and Team Captain. These later proved to be central to the development and success of the society as they allowed some board members to focus on administrative duties and others on raising the level of dancing. The Teacher’s Team as an entity separate from the board was also initiated, giving teachers autonomy over their decisions.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015
ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2016
Another successful year is behind us. This time around, GUBLDS has seen a revised class and membership system, more events than ever, and many new enthusiastic dancers. Some of our main achievements this year have been:
www.gubds.com – our first website
Over the summer the newly elected GUBLDS Executive Board for 2015-16 created the society’s very first website. It has been very well received (see screenshot on the right for an example from February 2016) and finally gives us the opportunity to better showcase our society and what we do to current and potential members.
Affiliation with “Bank Street Bar & Kitchen”
Thanks to our amazing PR & Events coordinator, we have managed to affiliate with “Bank Street Bar & Kitchen”! We can now provide snacks at our Socials there and for every penny our members spent at “Bank Street”, the society gets money back that we can then spent on more Socials. So on your next visit to “Bank Street”, keep your membership card handy!
Teacher Review
Shortly before the end of the first semester, we conducted our first ever Teacher Review. We distributed a small survey among our members and got some really helpful feedback on our classes and teachers. As a result, we already bought some new speakers to make the class experience even better and will try to implement even more of the suggestions from our members next year!
www.gubds.com – our first website
Over the summer the newly elected GUBLDS Executive Board for 2015-16 created the society’s very first website. It has been very well received (see screenshot on the right for an example from February 2016) and finally gives us the opportunity to better showcase our society and what we do to current and potential members.
Affiliation with “Bank Street Bar & Kitchen”
Thanks to our amazing PR & Events coordinator, we have managed to affiliate with “Bank Street Bar & Kitchen”! We can now provide snacks at our Socials there and for every penny our members spent at “Bank Street”, the society gets money back that we can then spent on more Socials. So on your next visit to “Bank Street”, keep your membership card handy!
Teacher Review
Shortly before the end of the first semester, we conducted our first ever Teacher Review. We distributed a small survey among our members and got some really helpful feedback on our classes and teachers. As a result, we already bought some new speakers to make the class experience even better and will try to implement even more of the suggestions from our members next year!
Academic Year 2016-2017
With another year come and gone, GUBLDS have been as successful as ever. Our classes were the same as the previous academic year with no changes to the class structure. We had more workshops than previous years with the introduction of Rumba, Samba, Tango, Foxtrot, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango, and Ragtime Swing workshops.
Movie Night
A new addition to our fantastic socials was the Movie Night, with two successful and well attended nights that featured the films Footloose and Dirty Dancing.
Feedback Form
At the end of the academic year we posted a feedback form for our members to complete in order to further improve classes. We hope to implement suggestions and improvements given for the coming years.
With another year come and gone, GUBLDS have been as successful as ever. Our classes were the same as the previous academic year with no changes to the class structure. We had more workshops than previous years with the introduction of Rumba, Samba, Tango, Foxtrot, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango, and Ragtime Swing workshops.
Movie Night
A new addition to our fantastic socials was the Movie Night, with two successful and well attended nights that featured the films Footloose and Dirty Dancing.
Feedback Form
At the end of the academic year we posted a feedback form for our members to complete in order to further improve classes. We hope to implement suggestions and improvements given for the coming years.
