Level Finding
Particularly if you have some dance experience, you may be wondering which type of lesson is best for you- beginner, novice, intermediate and advanced may seem like pretty vague terms.
If so, then you're in the right place. Below are some videos and descriptions of the different dance levels, which will hopefully help clarify things for you. If you need more help, don't hesitate to get in touch!
Please note: these videos represent the higher end of each level of dance. Therefore, if, for example, you find the Novice video to be slightly below your level and the Intermediate video slightly above, you would likely be better suited to the Intermediate class. Please also note that you can compete at different levels in Latin and Ballroom.
Beginner
Beginners are dancers that have little to no experience in latin and ballroom before they join the club. To compete at beginner level, you must not have competed before, and not have received any significant amounts of tuition before the current academic year. Beginners often take bronze medals at the end of their first year.
Novice
Novices have generally been dancing for 1-3 years. They dance only restricted steps, and wear restricted dress in competitions (See dress code for details on that). silver medals are often taken by novice dancers.
Pre-Intermediate
At the largest competitions of the year, there's the option for intermediate dancers to compete in a different category: pre-intermediate. This is exactly the same as intermediate, but for newcomers to the category, so that they have a chance to get through more rounds compared to competing against the veteran dancers.
Intermediate
Intermediate dancers have generally been dancing for a minimum of two years, usually three or more, and are allowed to dance the full range of latin and ballroom steps, and wear unrestricted dress. You're unlikely to start in this level if you haven't danced before. When you reach the Novice finals at the regional or national championships, it is obligatory to move to Intermediate. in terms of medals, intermediates generally range between gold and gold star level.
Advanced
Advanced dancers are very good. They often have many years of dancing experience before university, and may have danced on the open circuit. Students who final in Intermediate are expected to move to Advanced.