Wednesday 30-09-2020 - 11:37

By Sophie Bodenham 

As a fresher, I was extraordinarily nervous about joining new societies and sports. Perhaps due to the imposter syndrome I felt when arriving at Durham, I believed that sports and uni-level societies were meant for high-level athletes, those training for the Olympics, and certainly not for me! In the days up to the DU Ballet Company auditions, I was sure that this company was not looking for me, your average dancer, to join. 

From audition nerves to a huge smile

However, on the day of auditions, my fears were fully dissuaded. On entering the dance studio, the smiling faces of executive committee members reassured me that we all were just students looking to have as much fun in dance as possible. It was a whirlwind of an hour, with the class starting with more easy dance exercises that built up to more complex movements. It reassured me that getting involved with DU-level sports was not as intimidating as I had imagined. The clever choreography of our ballet teacher Rachel meant that I fully enjoyed every second of it, coming out of the auditions with a huge smile plastered on my face. 

In the next two terms of ballet classes that I attended in-person, that sheer enjoyment of dance stuck with me throughout. Even through the occasional bad days where I was ill from Freshers’ Flu, or when I had to rush off after class to finish a summative, the endorphins from dancing really kept me going! I am incredibly grateful to not only Rachel, our amazing teacher, but also towards our exec members, who volunteered their time on Tuesdays and Sundays to hold classes for all of us. It is really a thrill to not only be dancing with other students, but also being taught by students who are as passionate about ballet as can be.

Keeping dancing during lockdown

Rachel and our exec members also worked extremely hard to organise and choreograph our annual Ballet Company show, which sadly had to be postponed. This involved lots of planning and work behind-the-scenes, as well as many rehearsals throughout spring term. Although it was sad not to perform this piece to a live audience, we uploaded a video performance to YouTube, coordinated by Rachel. It was a great hit with my friends and family, who felt it cheered their lockdown up immensely. 

Lockdown also brought new opportunities for me, as I volunteered to teach children free dance workshops. Along with others in the Company, I really enjoyed every aspect of this volunteering: from planning the exercises to seeing all the children dancing on online Zoom calls. It was so rewarding to watch their performances of a short dance I taught, and it made me excited for more Outreach opportunities next year. 

Time to take on a new role!

In my final days of being a silly fresh, I decided to apply to be on the 2020 Exec team for the Ballet Company. I was enthralled by how well last year’s exec had spurred us on, with our Spag’s Dinner Social in first term being a highlight! As Treasurer now, I am very grateful to have this opportunity to organise this year’s show. I am also really looking forward to auditions this year, where we can meet new people and help others to find a place at DU Ballet Company, where dancers can really get involved in all sorts and have fun doing what they do best - dance! 

DU Ballet Company holds yearly auditions in October, please drop balletcompany@durham.ac.uk an email if you're interested!
 

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