Cambridge University Dancesport Team (CUDT) compete in ballroom and Latin American dances around the country. Complete with the dresses, tail suits, rhinestones and fake tan, they are right at the top of the sport, undefeated by Oxford or anyone else in the country for five years straight. 

Dancesport is a rare sport, in the sense that it is very feasible to only start dancing at university but reach a very high standard nonetheless. Indeed, as part of CUDT, I have achieved things that I could not have anticipated before arriving at Cambridge. So here’s my story, and details about how you can get involved.

Two years ago, I decided on a whim to take up dancing. I had two left feet but it was time for something new. Having spent a year slogging through first year Veterinary Medicine, I was ready for some distraction. I had no idea what kind of dancing I would prefer, so I decided to take up everything: on Wednesdays, I went to Lyrical classes followed by Lindy Hop; Thursdays was Jazz, and Friday I could be found doing Ballet Barre and Salsa. 

And just for completeness, with no real intent of keeping it up, I joined the Cambridge University Dancesport Beginners’ Team and danced ballroom on Monday and Latin on Tuesdays, as well as team training sessions on Saturdays.

Three weeks later, Dancesport classes were the only ones I was still attending. The Beginners’ Team are trained by professional coaches in waltz, quickstep, jive and the cheeky cha-cha-cha. And along with regular training, classes, and socials, the team compete against beginners’ teams at other universities. It was infectious – I soon found myself waltzing down the corridor and jiving in the kitchen. Tuesday night post-Latin trips to Spoons became a greater part of my weekly timetable than lectures.

And cheering for Cambridge as the team swept virtually all of the available trophies was a unique experience – it is safe to say that CUDT is one of Cambridge’s most successful sports teams. Furthermore, in May, as the icing on the cake to our National and Varsity victories, we were awarded discretionary full Blue status for men, matching the existing status for women.

For more experienced dancers, CUDT has first and second teams, where dancers continue to hone their skills and represent Cambridge at competitions. The inter-university competitions are split into four categories – beginner, novice, intermediate and advanced. With intermediate and advanced level come even more colourful costumes, rhinestones, and dynamic routines. Dancers train in up to 10 dances: five ballroom (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, and quickstep) and five Latin (jive, rumba, samba, pasodoble, and cha-cha-cha).

At the root of CUDT's successes are professional coaches, hard work, and team spirit. Two years on from my first taster session, thanks to excellent coaching and the support of the team, I have twice represented Cambridge at our national championships in Blackpool (the dance capital of the world). I captained the 2015 Beginners’ Team to national success and danced on the first team and on the Varsity squad against Oxford.

Through joining CUDT’s sister club and Latin formation team, XS, I have also danced for Cambridge around the country and even represented England at the World Latin Formation Championships in Vienna. And on top of all that, CUDT is a pretty cool place to spend some time, combining fitness, fun, and competitive drive at all levels.

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And Dancesport is such an easy sport to get involved in, whether you want to try something new this year, or just want to get back to the ballroom. Team Trials are open to everybody, regardless of experience, and everyone is partnered up, so there is no need to drag a reluctant friend along. The number of teams on offer means that there really is a place for everyone to learn and improve their dancing. It is free, fun and with no strings attached. Just come along and give it a go: we will have you dancing like a professional in no time. 

But don’t just take my word for it: keep an eye out for Varsity’s Rogue Sport of the Week interview with CUDT member Liam Patullo about his Dancesport experiences later this term too.

CUDT are running free taster sessions around Cambridge throughout Freshers’ Week. On the 6th October at St Columba’s Church from 20:30 to 22:00, the team’s top dancers will be performing, and this year's Team Trials will be held on Saturday 8th October from 10am at St Matthew’s Primary School, CB1 2LD. Any further questions about Dancesport can be sent to cudtcaptains@gmail.com.

Varsity's 'Rogue Sport of the Week' interview with Liam Patullo about Dancesport will available online later this term.