Harvard Beginners Competition 2023
Welcome to the Harvard Beginners page!
Harvard Beginners will be held on Sunday, October 15th in the Malkin Athletic Center. Please read all of the information on this page about registration, rules, venue direction, etc. The registration link can be found here.
Quick links:
— Venue and Directions —
Harvard Beginners 2023 will take place in the gymnasium of Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) at Harvard University. Food and other amenities are all found within blocks.
Address
39 Holyoke St
Cambridge, MA 02138
Directions and Parking
Harvard Campus Map here.
By Public Transportation: Take the train on the Red Line to Harvard Square. Walk down Massachusetts Avenue towards Central Square two blocks to Holyoke Street. Turn right onto Holyoke Street and continue two whole blocks. The MAC is on the right hand side after crossing Winthrop Street.
By Car: Go to the Harvard University Directions page here. For parking information, follow the link to Visiter Parking at the bottom of the Directions page.
— Registration —
Registration Deadlines
Registration Opens: Sept 10, 2023
Early Registration deadline: Oct 1, 2023 (2 weeks before the competition)
Regular Registration deadline: Oct 8, 2023 (1 week before the competition)
Registration Prices
Early Registration Pricing:
Newcomer: $30
Syllabus: $35
Regular Registration Pricing:
Newcomer: $35
Syllabus: $40
Late and Day-of Registration
Newcomer: $40
Syllabus: $45
TBA will be allowed during Harvard Beginners 2023
If you are interested, please fill out this form and search the responses for a partner.
Once you have found a partner, please email hbdt.compchair@gmail.com to get your name removed from the TBA list (note: each partner must email the competition chair to be removed from the list)
We will also have an Add/Drop table at the competition if you wish to alter your registration
Please note that HBDT is not responsible for matching TBA competitors; all TBA competitors must match themselves and then register for the competition on their own
TBA
— Schedule —
Schedule
9:30am: Doors Open
10:45am -12:00pm: Rhythm
12:00pm - 1:15pm: Latin
1:15pm -1:45pm: Lunch Break (30 mins)
1:45pm - 3:00 pm: Smooth
3:00pm - 4:15 pm: Standard
4:15 pm - 5:00pm: Open Showcase
5:00pm - 6:00pm: Rookie-Vet Dance
C= Cha Cha, R=Rumba, S=Samba, Sw=Swing, W=Waltz, F=Foxtrot,
Q= Quickstep, T=Tango
— Rules —
YCN Points
Harvard Beginners does not count towards YCN proficiency points since we do not hire professional judges for our competition.
Eligibility
Newcomer: started dancing after August 2023
Bronze: started bronze after October 2022
Dancers are not allowed to dance down a level (we are not using the red number system this year for dancers to dance down a level into Newcomer).
Registration
No double registration allowed.
Same-sex partnerships are allowed.
No restrictions on age or affiliation. Youth, adult, and non-collegiate competitors are welcome.
We strongly encourage competitors to dance at a higher level if they have placed out of three dances in any style at a given level.
Costumes
Costumes are prohibited in Newcomer, but are allowed in all other events. For followers, costumes are defined as anything tailored with rhinestones, sequins or feathers. For leaders, costumes are defined as tail suits and Latin shirts with a slitted front or other such styling.
All dancers with heels must cover their heels with suede heel covers (available for $1 per pair at registration) or heel caps
—Rookie Vet Match—
Join our annual, hilarious rookie-vet match this year! Rookies and vets from each team are welcome to join and costumes are very much encouraged.
How it Works:
Captains from each ballroom team will assign rookie-vet partnerships. Captains will then create groups of 4 rookie-vet pairs that will be identified by a letter (Group A, Group B, Group C, or Group D) on the day of the competition. In each group, one rookie-vet pair is assigned to each of the 4 different dances (swing, salsa, pasodoble, American foxtrot). Each ballroom team can have an unlimited number of groups.
Judges will call back the couples they like best to move on to the next round. Each round is an elimination round. Couples are judged on creativity, dancing skill, but most importantly the amount of fun. Group winners will be announced after the final round.
We will be including your rookie vet match letters in your registration packet for your team
Check out some fun past rookie vet match photos below!
