How to Join
last update 8/26/06
What are you getting yourself into?
MITBDT is an MIT sponsored organization that promotes competitive ballroom dancing. An overview of who we are and what we do is on our Team Information page.No Experience or Partner is Necessary!
The majority of people on the team had never danced a step of ballroom before joining the team. All you need is an interest in ballroom dancing. Almost all of the new recruits each year fall into this category.Experienced Dancers
Those with experience in ballroom are also encouraged to join. Your degree of experience will dictate the level at which you will be competing. The special rookie team fee is not applicable to experienced dancers joining the team.Generally speaking, there are time limits as to how long someone had been dancing that may restrict their competing in the newcomer and bronze levels. Beyond that, it is based on your skill level.
Our recommendation is that you try competing in the lowest level you are permitted to based on the rules of each particular competition. Dancing above where you really belong can be simply frustrating (as you may not be making as many cuts as you would like) and also potentially embarrassing.
There may be time limits for levels as mentioned above. In addition to that, competitions may have restrictions based on past competition performances. The two criteria used in this region are either the YCN rules or USABDA/USA Dancerules, depending on the competition. They essentially require couples that had performed well a number of times at a certain level to dance up a level.
If you had never competed in an amateur competition before, we recommend that you talk to some of the other team members and coaches to see which level you would fit in the best.
As a special note, if you had previously danced Pro-Am competitions, you may need to be prepared to dance at a lower level in amateur competitions than you do with your professional teacher. It is no secret that a "successful" Pro-Am teacher can make almost anyone look good. Some "successful" Pro-Am teachers do not really teach the student how to dance, but to somehow make them look presentable on the floor. Even Pro-Am teachers making a conscious effort NOT to back lead or overshadow the inadequacies of their students will artificially elevate the level of the student's dancing. This is merely by their ability to provide an adequate framework as a leader or follower. In amateur competitions, it is more than likely that your partner will not be able to do so to the same extent.
Video clips of finalists in the different levels of competition will be up soon. This will help you get a sense of what to expect.
Contact the rookie coordinator for more information.
Team Personnel
You don't have to be a student, but you must be an affiliate of some kind. Because we use MIT athletic facilities, we require all our team members to purchase an MIT athletic card, thus if you are eligible for a card, you are eligible for our team. This includes students (both undergrad and grad), staff, faculty, alumni, and family members of these groups. Wellesley College affiliates as well as affiliates of HST (Harvard-MIT’s Health Sciences and Technology program) are also welcome to join us. If you aren't sure if you are eligible, email us and we will find out for you.There are no tryouts for the team. We are a social, fun-loving organization that supports its members in their quest to dance and perform better. We would be thrilled to have any member of the MIT community on our team.
You are welcome to join our team at any time during the year, however our classes for new team members build progressively from the start of the fall and spring semesters. It is possible for members joining the team mid-semester to join classes already underway or take advanced level classes but they must first securing the permission of the team officers and the relevant coach. Beginning in the fall and spring also as the practical advantage in that many competitions have time restrictions for beginner dancers and so starting at later in the semester or in the summer will put you at a competitive disadvantage.
Time Commitment
The time commitment to the team is entirely up to the individual team members. They get to decide how many group lessons to take, how often they would want to come to them, and how much time they would spend practicing. Most of our dancers spend 5-7 hours a week between lessons and practice privately with their partner/s, but some spend less time and some substantially more. The only required time commitments are helping out from time to time with events such as our dances and workshops, assisting at the competition we host in April, and representing the team in competition at least once per term (after all, we ARE a competitive team). Yes, it is conceivable that you may be on the team without attending any classes or practicing, but you probably would not perform too well on the competition floor. We also recognize the extraordinary academic demands required of your matriculation at MIT and we understand that your academics should come first, as none of you are here simply to dance.Responsibilities in joining the team
Being a team member has its responsibilities too. In addition to promoting competitive ballroom at MIT, the team depends on its members to support the team in order for it to exist. This means people should not see the team as simply a vehicle to get inexpensive ballroom lessons.We require all members to compete at least once a term registered as an MITBDT dancer. Since MIT is subsidizing classes and competitions, you may NOT register as a representative from another school or institution.
All team members must also help out with "team duties". This includes things such as helping to poster for various events, and assisting in different functions such as dances. This is not a huge time commitment, as it is possible to do so with only a few hours a term.
The cost...
DanceSport is not cheap, but no sport really is. However, we heavily subsidize the cost in order to make it as affordable as possible for students. Rookies starting in the fall will have a single "rookie fee" which includes team fee all lessons and subsidizes to probably three competitions. The actual cost is presently under discussion. No fees are required in until a few weeks into the term so you will have some time to decide if the team is right for you. The date that we will be collecting fees is still under discussion.We try to keep the cost of being on our team low, and we heavily subsidize our lessons. For people not in their first semester on the team, the average cost of being on our team for a semester is $95 (alumni, staff, and family affiliates would also incur the cost of an athletic card). There is a $30 team fee each term, and each class (classes meet for an hour, once a week) costs around $35 per term. These fees are subject to change.
The team also subsidizes competition entry fees and has some costumes available for loan. We have a few pairs of dance shoes for loan too but most team members chose to purchase their own at some point during their first term (fortunately, team members enjoy a discounts at many local dance stores). The team also occasionally offers subsidies towards the cost of private lessons.
What to do to join the team
To join, simply show up to our classes. The regular classes will start the week of September 11, once the term has started so people not around for the summer will be able to join without fear of being “behind”.We will be present at some of the MIT activities recruiting events. The first of these is the "T-Party" at the Stata Center on Tuesday, 8/29. We will also be at the Activities Midway on Friday afternoon, September 1. There will be team members there to answer questions about the team and also some performances.
We will also be holding our annual beginner Dance Camp the week of Labor Day. This will be a series of beginner classes taught by team members and our coaches with various social activities and information sessions about collegiate competitive balroom. This will culminate on Satruday, 9/12 with more classes and a mock competition followed by a welcome dance hosted jointly by the team and the club, the social branch of ballroom at MIT. More information will be available soon.
Please contact the Rookie Coordinator to be put on an email list for updates on team related events and issues for prospective members. A schedule of the rookie team classes will be available shortly.
People with some experience should contact the Rookie Coordinator in order to see where in the hierarchy of classes they would best fit in.
People may still join once the fall term has started but they should first speak to the Rookie Coordinator.
Contact the Rookie Coordinator to be put on an email list for updates on classes and events or for more information.
Copyright (c) 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
