How it works

   

Whether you've been dancing for years, or just starting out, if you want to compete you have to start at the bottom. I danced when I was a teen and then also did social Ballroom, but at the beginning of this year decided I wanted to compete. I was very lucky to find a wonderful partner who had already been competing and he had just reached his Gold level in Ballroom. We began training together in March and danced our first competition in May.

The levels are:
Beginner
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Novice / Prechamp
Championship

In order to move up a level you need to get a certain amount points by competing, and the amount of points required for each section differs with degree of difficulty. The points depend on how many people arrive at a competition to compete in a section and how well you do.

When Johan & I became partners I was allowed to start at his Ballroom level - being Gold, but we started at Bronze in the Latin with zero points in both sections.

We are now on Silver Latin and Gold Ballroom, but I recon if not this Sunday at Carnival City then definately by the competition on the 2nd of October we will have enough points to go up another level in both.

Up until Novice the dress code is plain dresses, straight hem (almost like an leotard with a skirt on), no jewerly, no fancy hair styles - hair must be scrapped back into a bun - when you get to novice you're allowed to wear fancy costumes and the guys wear tail coats. You're also only allowed to dance the syllabus steps for the section you're in. You can't for example put a fancy Gold step into a bronze routine.

So in Durban, there were plenty of adults competing in Bronze and Silver section but only us for Gold - which would have meant we wouldn't have got any points. Our teacher got permission for us to dance in the Novice section.

When Johan & I lined up with the Novices in all their glitters and him and I in plain costumes we already got "what are they doing in our section" looks. We danced our Gold routine - nothing fancy.

At the prize giving they called the six couples up to stand on the dance floor - Johan & I went up. Then they announce the places in reverse order (in JHB we do it the other way round)- so they call in 6th place and Johan takes my hand, ready to now walk forward - and they called someone else, so we looked at each other and said oh well at least we're not last - and so it went 5th, 4th, by the time they called 3rd Johan was squeezing my hand so tight my fingers were numb.

So third it was - out of our section, gold routine, not a sequent or diamante between us and we still gave them stick! - I can't tell how thrilled I am!!!

The next one is this Sunday at Carnival City and I can't wait to get there! - Wish us luck!