By Rhiannon Jenkins, News Sub-Editor
Bristol Dance Society's competition team experienced their most successful competition season to date. Competing at Sheffield University on the 1st of March, and Nottingham’s Go Hard or Go Home (GHGH) competition on March 8th, here's a recap of their outstanding performances.
Sheffield: A Winning Streak
Bleary-eyed but buzzing, dancers met at the SU in the early hours of Saturday morning and piled onto Dolphin Baker double-deckers. At a service station somewhere between Birmingham and Nottingham at the dusk of dawn, dancers fuelled themselves with coffees and sandwiches before hitting the road again. On the bus, there was a buzz of excitement as we all geared up to arrive at Sheffield, and those brave enough to do their makeup on a moving vehicle showcased some masterful eyeliner skills.
Arriving in Sheffield around 8AM, Bristol joined teams from unis across the country - Durham, Birmingham, King’s College London and Warwick, to name a few - as they stretched, chanted, and hyped each other up. After a quick welcome talk, it was time to compete.
And compete we did. Bristol absolutely smashed it, placing 1st in Advanced Ballet, Advanced Contemporary, Intermediate Jazz, and Advanced Jazz, with 2nd place for Intermediate Ballet, Advanced Tap, Intermediate Hip Hop, Advanced Hip Hop, and Wildcard. Our incredible Competition Representatives took home special awards, with Leah Hudson being crowned Best Performer of the competition, and Ruby Wilson’s co-choreographed Advanced Contemporary with Grace Sproll being awarded Best Choreography and Highest Scoring Dance of the Day.
From the dynamic elegance of our Intermediate Ballet piece, to the show-stopping Advanced Ballet routine choreographed by the talented Evie Tucker, every dance brought something unique to the stage. Our Advanced Contemporary piece, 13, and our glitzy Advanced Jazz performance to Jennifer Hudson’s One Night Only had the crowd hooked, while our Intermediate Jazz number to Mein Herr brought all the sass.
The intermediate and advanced hip-hop routines? Unreal. Packed with crowd-pleasing bangers like Hot in Herre by Nelly and Will Smith’s Men in Black, it was impossible not to dance and sing along. Our Advanced Tap piece - an ode to the healing power of dance - was wholesome and deeply moving, and our Lyrical number was a stunning reimagining of the film Don’t Worry Darling. And let’s not forget our Afrobeats Wildcard performance - absolutely #shefskiss.
Throughout the day, we screamed ourselves hoarse for our dances (and all the other teams). By the time the solos and duos/trios categories took to the stage, we were exhausted but fully invested. Representing Bristol in the solo category, Olivia Sabharwal delivered a mesmerising performance to Ben Platt’s Carefully, capturing the audience with her grace, technique, and control.
Before the awards, we were treated to pizza - a much-needed refuel and always a competition day highlight. After celebrating and snapping group photos, we dragged our aching bodies back onto the bus, knocked out instantly, and somehow woke up just in time for the obligatory 11PM McDonald’s stop.
Bristol's competition successes would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Bristol Dance Society's Vice-President, Lily Cotton. We cannot thank her enough for her dedication and effort - here's what Lily had to share about our unforgettable season:
'This year we had a record-breaking year, winning 20 trophies across two competitions. It has been so special for all teams to individually gain recognition at comps for the hard work they've put in. Much of this success is owed to all choreographers and their dedication to making their creative visions come to life on stage.
Ruby and Leah have been competition representatives for the second year and they are in their final year in the squad. They have put so much heart into making this an amazing experience to be part of for the whole squad. I'd like to thank them for being such a pleasure to work with; they have worked almost daily since last summer to make this possible and they make an amazing team.
I am so proud to be part of Bristol Dance Comp Squad and be surrounded by so many great people who are so supportive of each other; my university experience would truly not be the same without it. I hope that above everything, everyone has enjoyed the experience from rehearsals to socials to showcase to the competitions themselves.'
Go Hard or Go Home (GHGH) – Nottingham
A week later, we did it all over again - this time in Nottingham.
Our Intermediate Jazz team stole the show, clinching 1st place in their category. About Intermediate Jazz, Vice-President Lily Cotton shared:
'I'd like to give a special mention to our Inter Jazz team who won 1st place at both competitions; their stylistic choreography to Mein Herr deserved every bit of recognition they received.'
Advanced Contemporary secured an amazing 2nd place, while Advanced Ballet and Advanced Jazz both placed 3rd. It was another day of incredible performances, elite energy, and screaming ourselves into oblivion. A huge thank you to Olivia Sabharwal and Erin Wilson, who quickly learned the choreography of dances to replace dancers unable to compete. A standout category of GHGH was the cultural dance, showcasing a stunning range of styles from belly dancing to South Asian Bhangra. Special shoutout to Bristol Bollywood Dance Society, who took 1st place in the Intermediate Cultural Dance category!
Two competitions. Countless hours of rehearsals. A ridiculous number of alarm clocks. And some of the best memories we could ask for.
What Next?
There's still time to catch this season’s competition dances! Bristol Dance Society’s annual end-of-year show, Beyond the Curtain, will take place at the Winston Theatre from Wednesday 26th to Saturday 29th March. Expect a spectacular showcase of diverse dance styles, bringing all the energy from this year’s competition season to the stage. Tickets are still available and can be bought here. Be sure not to miss it!
Until next time - B-R-I to the Z-Z-YYYYY!
Featured image: VSP Images
