Hi Team,
Welcome back to the 4th edition of your 2024 WAG. The lions have once again proved themselves to be reliably unreliable and now I’m writing this to get over my broken heart. :( Fortunately we have an exciting week full of dancing to look forward to! Our first competition of the semester is this weekend, please cheer on your teammates, even if it’s just in spirit. They’ll be very grateful for your support
Announcements for Everyone:
- Sticker Design Competition: The team is looking for new sticker designs for our merch store, so we’re hosting a fun little competition to select new sticker designs. If you have a design, please submit it using this form. Submissions are due 2/7 at 11:59 pm. Voting will happen from the 8th to the 10th and the winning design will be added to the store for purchase. The designer of the winning sticker will get a free copy of their sticker and some extra super cool merch ;)
- Intro to DTS/Comp: We’ll be running an introduction to DTS and an introduction to competition at DTS (713 N University Ave) this Wednesday, January 31st, at 10pm. If you’re a newcomer, please attend! We’ll be providing lots of important information. If you can’t attend, please email Nate (nhodgson@umich.edu) so we can forward you the information.
- Vending: We will be visiting our supplier, VE Dance, from 7-10 PM on February 6th. This is your chance to get shoes and any other ballroom gear you need! Fill out this form by Friday, 2/2/24, at 11:59 PM if you would like to attend and receive transportation.
- Rounds: This Thursday and next Thursday, we will be holding Rounds for MSU and Northwestern in the IMSB instead of a lesson at the same time, 9-11 PM. For Rounds, we go through all of our dances in order in mock-competition style. Please come even if you are not dancing in these competitions; they’re a great way to practice your dances, see experienced members perform, and see what competitions are like!
- Showcase Opportunities: Are you interested in showing off your dancing and helping us recruit? The team has been offered performance spots for a number of on-campus events including Dance-A-Thon, UMix, and SpringFest. Please contact the board (ballroom-exec@umich.edu) if you are interested in performing for us!
- Verified Teachers: Here is the new list of approved teachers for this semester! These are the upper level team members who can answer dance/technical questions at DTS, lesson, or guided practice. Please remember to be respectful of their time when asking for help.
- MichComp Committee: We host an amazing competition during the Winter semester, but in order to organize it, we need the help of you all! If you’re interested in joining the committee, please sign up here!
- Practice Space Schedule: The spreadsheet for space availability can be found here. It includes availability for IMSB Multipurpose Rooms A and B as well as the Ballroom Club schedule. The schedule can only be done two weeks in advance due to IM policies, so check back regularly. If the schedule is out of date, you may need to call and confirm specifics but the general availability is the same.
- Arnold Dancesport Competition Interest Form: Our biggest competition of the semester will be on March 2nd and 3rd. This is the weekend before classes start at the end of spring break, so end your spring break plans early if you want to go. If you want to compete, we highly suggest that you go to this one and MichComp (our home competition)! More details about the Arnold and competing in general to come. Please fill out this Arnold Interest Form if you are even the littlest bit interested. It is not a commitment but rather a tool for us to use to see how many rooms and rides we will need.
This Week’s Schedule…
Monday 1/29
9:30-11:30 pm: Open Practice at DTS
Tuesday 1/30
9:30-11:30 pm: Open Practice at DTS
Wednesday 1/31
10:00 pm-12:00 am: Open Practice at DTS. Intro to DTS and Competition for those interested!
Thursday 2/1
Rounds! 9-11 pm in IMSB Multipurpose Room A.
Friday 2/2
Leave for MSU!
Saturday 2/3
MSU Competition all day! Be sure to send your teammates all your support!
Sunday 2/4
Newcomer lesson in the IMSB Multipurpose A with Steve and Susan from 3pm to 5pm
As always, it’s a busy week. Remember to be gentle on yourself. It’s not easy being a student and it’s okay if you’re not perfect all of the time.
Wishing everyone the best week
Don’t stop dancing,
Jacob
23rd MBDT President