Why Join Us?
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Make friends to last a lifetime
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Continue or begin your love for dance.
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Get involved to make a difference.
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Have the best time ever!
Our Competitive team
The BU Dance Society (BUDS) compete in eight categories of dance: Ballet, Tap, Intermediate and Advanced Contemporary, Intermediate and Advanced Jazz, Street, and Heels (Wildcard)
Our weekly classes are taught by current students in preparation for national inter-university competitions throughout the year, and our end of year showcase. Over the years, our team has excelled, growing stronger in numbers and ability. Each year our family is growing bigger and closer than ever. We have had an exceptional year, taking home an incredible 36 trophies!! We have had our most successful competition season yet, including hosting our own competition!
The society is a great place to practice your dancing to a competitive level, and to make great friends within the team. Membership includes all comps, shows, travel, use of costumes within comp season, personalised kit, classes and socials for the year. This year we hope to continue our success with fresh new faces! We look forward to seeing you at auditions on the 4th October 2025.
Our Social Team
We offer a social team membership to dancers who don’t want to compete but still want to be a part of the BUDS family. We run weekly social classes which try many styles but focuses on commercial. Our incredible social team is lead by choreographer Maisie who owns her own dance business MCR dance. We are so honoured to have Maisie back for her 6th year as she is the heart and soul of social team and the queen of empowering, supporting and encouraging all her dancers at all abillities.. Click the link to view her website Welcome - MRC DANCE
Our social team get the opportunity to perform at our annual end of year showcase and at our very own competition to friends, family or even just admiring fans.
Membership is £65 per term which covers your weekly classes in the term, your BUDS kit, socials, showcase and more performances!
Want to join our social team?
WHERE: @budancesoc on instagram 06/10/25 @4pm! The link to sign up to our interest form will be posted on our instagram story - after completing this form you will be sent an email later in the day if you recieve a place - spaces are given on a first come first serve basis.
WHO: Anyone is welcome to join. No auditions necessary.
HOW: First come first serve. We have extremely limited capacity.
Tips: Have the instagram open on the dance society early ready for the release. Have your information, ie name and emails ready. It is a first come, first serve basis, we sell out extremely fast, normally in a matter of minutes.
Once they are sold out there will no further opportunities to purchase as we will be unlikely to have a term 2 release.
Why become a part of BUDS?
- We are a family - BUDS has a great team spirit both on and off the stage. We have each others backs through the best of times and the worst. We motivate each other to continuously improve, so when competition time comes, we can all be our very best.
- 'Once in a lifetime' experiences - Your university experience is more than just a degree! Joining a team like BUDS is a pathway to many opportunities from performing on large stages, to having the opportunity to choreograph and manage your own dance routines for the rest of the society to learn. It has proved to be an incredible way to network and meet all kinds of people in different lines of work. You'll gain confidence, friendships, and memories for life!
- You'll get the chance to serve your community - Each year BUDS are dedicating more time to reaching out to our community; supporting local charities and performing at local campaign events. BUDS take pride in giving back to the community and reaching outside the walls of Bournemouth University.
- Consistently over the last few years we have been awarded SUBU 5 star society, going above and beyond to do more as a group and for the community. We are a huge society that utilise our abilities to give back to the environment and community we live in, with beach cleans, litter pickings, and much more planned.
- BUDS hosts the biggest inter-society fundraising event at BU - 'BU Come Dancing'. An opportunity to collaborate with other societies and clubs at the university to create entertaining and unique performance to raise money to a given charity close to our hearts.
Check-out our Facebook and Instagram for more information!
Key Events:
BUDS Comp: 8th March 2026
BU Come Dancing: TBC March 2026
BUDS Showcase: TBC May 2026
Meet the Committee:
Presidents: Tara Lafferty & Summer Wareham
Secretary: Grace Burgoyne
Treasurer: Emily Nichols
Equipment & Events: Emily Gibson & Evie Chancer
Fundraising Manager: Tara Lafferty
Mental Health Officer: Sophie Mcnamara
Kit and Merchandise Manager: Grace Stuart-Brown
AUB Representative: Sophia Barone
Social Secs: Hetty Preece & Caitlin Dix
Sober Social Sec: Hannah Green
Social Team Captains: Erin Down & Lucy West
Ballet Choreographer: Zoe Robertson
Tap Choreographers: Anna Staszewski & Josie Wateridge
Intermediate Contemporary Choreographers: Ellie Coleman & Ells Parkin
Advanced Contemporary Choreographers: Megan Jones & Shanelle Jacklin
Intermediate Jazz Choreographer: Megan Mills & Ella Stockham
Advanced Jazz Choreographer: Olivia Pyke
Street Choreographers: Emily Gibson & Daisy Nangle
Wildcard Choreographer: Natasha Wright
Social Team Choreographer: Maisie Cowan
Strength and Conditioning Coordinator: Trenyce Joseph
