Welcome to BALADS - home of Ballroom and Latin American Dance here at the University of Birmingham!
Ballroom and Latin American Dance Society (lovingly known as BALADS) is an inclusive, open-to-all society, offering dance classes in over 10 styles of dance! Whether you have danced for years, have no previous experience or just fan of Strictly Come Dancing, we have something for everyone here!
Classes
We offer weekly classes for a range of abilities, covering various styles! No partner is required, just come along!
*Classes timetable and prices will be released in due course*
Competing
Any who wants to compete can compete! No audition required - just turn up to a dedicated partnering session (typically mid-October). If you have any questions about, just message us and we'll be more than happy to help you with any questions you have!
We typically compete around 8 times a year, with the highlights being our own competition, Birmingham Friendly, and Nationals, hosted in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool!
Photos from Birmingham Friendly 2025 at Kings Hall, Stoke-on-Trent
Photos from Nationals 2025 in Blackpool
But what if I have never danced before? Can I still compete?
Yes! We have beginners who compete with us all throughout the year! Check out our 2024-2025 beginner team!
Our lovely beginners!
*Competition timetable will be released in due course*
Events
Strictly Brum Dancing
We host a very successful Strictly Brum Dancing in December, where we partner up our "professional" dancers with other "celebrity" committee members from other sports and societies across the university! This is our sell-out event and we can't wait to put on a fantastic show for you all this year!
Our Strictly Brum Dancing 2025 snaps!
Medal Tests
Medal Tests are a structured system for dancers to assess and improve their dancing skills through a progressive series of exams. This academic year we will be hosting Medal Tests at the University of Birmingham
Showcase
We will be hosting a showcase this year to showcase all of the hard work of our dancers and coaches. This is a new event for BALADS and we can't wait to start preparations for it!