If you can count to four, you can dance

DTU Dancing has chosen a wonderfully appropriate address for its website: danc-ing.dk. However, the dance classes are not reserved exclusively for engineers or engineering students. Nor are prospective members required to have a sense of rhythm or musicality in advance. This is because DTU Dancing is a dance club with the emphasis on the social side.

Waltz, quickstep, tango, cha-cha-cha ... it all takes me back to my childhood dancing lessons, so in my role of DTUavisen’s intrepid reporter, I decide to swing by the ‘Standard/Latin’ multi-dance class in Gedestalden—a large room in the basement level of Building 208.

A total of 17 men and 13 other women have come up with the same good idea, so it seems that the gender distribution in the group will be more balanced than usual. Nevertheless, we are all immediately made aware of one of the fundamental rules at DTU Dancing: everyone dances with a partner of the opposite sex, and no-one has a fixed partner. The gentlemen simply pair up with a new lady every time a new set of steps is introduced, and no one gets to ‘play wallflower’ for too long.

This also means that there are no breaks for the women, and I quickly come to realize that I should have worn a skirt or a dress to give my legs some air—and that forgetting to bring a bottle of water was a big mistake. Today’s lesson centres on learning the basic steps to the cha-cha-cha. This is not an overly complex dance, but it is still quite tricky to put your feet in the right places, to maintain the correct grip on your partner, and make sure you leave both his toes and his personal space intact.

After an hour, we take a well-earned break before spending a further hour practising our waltz and sweeping around the dance floor as gracefully as we can. There is still some way to go before I’m ready for ‘Dancing with the Stars’, but I’m still allowed to dream ... and dancing is a great way to get some exercise.

Dance mix
Do you prefer to dance alone or with a partner? Are you interested in energetic dancing or a more sedate style? Classical or modern? Right now, DTU Dancing is running seven different dance courses. And if you take the ‘Standard/Latin’ course, you get to train full eight dances.

If the rhythms of South America get your blood pumping the classes in salsa and bachata are ideal for you, while kizomba has African roots and the jitterbug class is perfect for everyone who loves 1960s music, swing moves and working up a sweat. If you would prefer to skip the whole partner issue, you can choose hip hop or zumba fitness.

DTU Dancing is one of the oldest sports clubs at DTU, but it is very much alive and kicking, always ready to add new dances to the programme as soon as someone qualified to teach them arrives at DTU. A new beginners’ class starts every semester, and as soon as you have completed this basic introduction, you can join one of the more advanced classes. You are, of course, more than welcome to follow two or more classes at the same time, and if you do so you will be given a discount on the already extremely reasonable price.

The club holds a giant party once a semester, to give all members the chance to show off their latest moves and make new contacts. There are also a couple of weekend workshops every year, where you can get to know new dances and styles.

DTU Dancing is far removed from anything resembling a dance contest; it is a club for everyone, where having fun is more important than winning competitions.

		Lasse MSc Eng student, Computer Science and Engineering “I simply love to dance. I love music and play an instrument myself; dancing is just another way to enjoy the music. I learned to dance at high school and soon became hooked, so I was delighted to discover you can take dance classes at DTU. I’ve always been used to dancing with a regular partner, but I think it’s great to swap partners all the time because that stops it becoming ‘the same old routine’ all the tim.e Every time we dance with a new partner, we say hello and introduce ourselves, so you get to meet a lot of new people.”
Pernille BSc Eng student, Human Life Science Engineering “I started coming to dance classes with my boyfriend a year and a half ago. We’d never danced before—apart from when I was a child and danced on my dad’s feet. Now we enjoy it so much that we also go to dance classes in Copenhagen. We chose standard/Latin because there are lots of different dances, so if you can’t master one of them, there’s always another one to try. At the DTU dance club, the only difference is between more or less experienced, not between ‘good’ or ‘bad’ dancers. Everyone can dance, it’s only maths after all. If you can count to four, you can dance.”
		Rasmus MSc Eng student, Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics “Last semester I learned to dance jitterbug, and I loved both the team spirit and the teaching. This year I’m taking standard/Latin, which involves several dances. In fact, I’m considering taking both classes. The first class costs DKK 500, and the following ones only DKK 200—so it’s really cheap. I like moving and exercising, and dancing just makes you feel happy. My partner’s here, too, so we always have something to talk about and can practise at home. DTU Dancing also hosts a number of dance get-togethers. It’s most fun if you can already dance, of course, but you’re free to come along and join in even if you aren’t taking lessons.”