NTDS/ETDS
ETDS
The ETDS (European Tournament for Dancing Students) is a dancing tournament which is organized twice a year by a European university. These competitions last a whole weekend and it is really an amazing social dance event. You will get the chance to meet students from our sister associations in the Netherlands and there will be tons of students from other countries as well. For example, students from Belgium, Germany, Norway, England and the Czech Republic participate is these tournaments. During the weekend you and the other participants of team Groningen aim to win der Tanzmaus. This stuffed animal is the prize for the best team of the ETDS.
On Friday evening the ETDS starts with an opportunity to blind date if you did not take any dance partner with you to the weekend. So, no dance partner? No problem!
The Saturday is the day of ballroom. At an ETDS, after your first round, you will be divided into several classes. Because of this separation, you will always compete against dancers of your own level. The classes (Amateurs, Professionals, Masters and sometimes Champions) are called the Breitensport. For dancers of a higher competition level there is an Open Class and sometimes the CloseD. Dancers in these two classes will dance latin on Saturday. It is obligated to have a blind date partner within these two classes. This makes sure there is a fair competition and is it really great to watch! In the evening there will be a theme party for everyone. Take your chance to dance and party with students of other associations.
The Sunday is pretty much the same as the Saturday. The dancers of the Breitensport are divided into classes again, this time for latin. The dancers of the Open Class and the CloseD will dance ballroom on Sunday. In the evening there is a gala ball with dinner. This evening gives you another opportunity to dance and party.
On Monday the ETDS will end with a joint breakfast. After this, it is time to pack your bags and say goodbye to your (new) dance friends.
NTDS
The NTDS (Dutch/Nederlands Tournament for Dancing Student) is the Dutch version of the ETDS. This competition is pretty much the same as the ETDS. Although, there are a few different things to the NTDS. As the name of the tournament already implies, there are only Dutch student dance associations which participate in the NTDS. During the weekend there is a price for the best team, just like at the ETDS. However, this time it is the famous NTDS lion which is the younger brother of der Tanzmaus.
There is a special class at the NTDS for dancers which had less than one year of lessons. This class makes the NTDS very suitable for the starting dancers to get to know the world of competition dancing. On the other hand, there is no Champions or CloseD class at an NTDS.
Saturday morning is all about dividing the dancers of the Breitensport into three different classes. Another huge part of the morning goes to the presentation of the teams. Each team receives a homework assignment before the NTDS and according to this assignment they present themselves to the other teams.
After the competition on Sunday the NTDS will end. This means there is no party on Sunday evening. This gives you plenty of time to head home and be an early bird at the university on Monday morning!
Teamcaptain
At this moment, Hedwig van der Poel and Nienke van der Velde are the teamcaptains. They stay in contact with the organization of the tournaments and manage the registration of participants. You can always contact them about any questions (or any complaints) before and during the weekend. Do you have any questions about an ETDS or NTDS? Send an e-mail to teamcaptain@bluetoes.nl.
Registration for a competition
Complete the following actions if you would like to register for an ETDS or NTDS:
Transfer the fee for the tournament to the account of the Blue Toes (IBAN: NL30 ABNA 0570 4256 89). You can only be registered after your payment.
Send an e-mail to teamcaptain[at]bluetoes.nl and include the following information:
Name
Name of your dance partner/blinddate
Class: Beginners/Breitensport/CloseD/Open
Discipline: Ballroom/Latin/both
Dietary requirements
Clothing
The rules for an outfit when you are competing in an ETDS/NTDS are not very strict. Technically, everything is allowed, except tailored competition clothing. Although, each organization can make up their own rules. So make sure to check the website of the tournament you would like to compete in. Below you will find some guidelines. Do you have any questions? Ask your teamcaptain for advice.
Ladies
Neat (dancing) shoes;
Please dress decently. Clothing must cover buttocks and breasts: nobody would like to see your underwear or skin where underwear should be;
Ballroom: an over the knee length dress or skirt with a neat top or blouse;
Latin: a dress or skirt with a neat top or blouse. The length of your dress or skirt may be a bit shorter than in ballroom, but still not shorter than a pencil length above the knee. If necessary, wear an underskirt or boxer under your dress or skirt.
Gents
Neat (dancing)shoes;
Black or otherwise dark-colored neat trousers;
Ballroom: a plain white or black shirt with long sleeves, possibly with a tie or bow tie and/or vest;
Latin: a plain shirt with long sleeves. Latin trousers are often allowed!
