Sports clubs put on their dancing shoes

On Friday 29 November, Classical and Modern Dance (CMD) will host one of the largest and most highly-anticipated charity events on the SU calendar: the fourth annual Warwick Dance for Sport Relief.

Eleven of Warwick’s sports clubs will perform prepared routines in the Copper Rooms to raise money for the well-known charity, and will aim to beat the £1,686 raised last year. Lacrosse, Rowing, Men’s Cricket, Women’s Hockey, Men’s Hockey, Snow, Surf, Women’s Football, Athletics, Tennis and Netball have spent the last few weeks meticulously crafting and adapting their routines.

Humour and innovation is encouraged and the ten teams last year set the bar exceptionally high in that respect. An Irish jig from Men’s Cricket, Rowing’s rendition of the iconic Britney music-video ‘Oops I Did It Again’ and Ladies’ Hockey’s tap routine were particularly popular amongst a large crowd supporting their individual club. Members of the club have been working behind the scenes to assess the teams’ morale, and it is clear that the teams have been working harder than ever before.

Everyone who spoke to CMD on behalf of their teams wished to remain anonymous so as not to reveal too much about their routines.

When asked who they feared most, Athletics members said there was “no competition”

Rowing have already caused a stir this year with their extrovert charity naked calendars, and told CMD that they are working “exceptionally hard” to create more waves of publicity on campus.

Meanwhile, Athletics members presented a defiant front. When asked who they feared most, they said there was “no competition” and that they were “going to win”. They will face stiff opposition though. Men’s Cricket have changed their angle this year despite the success of last year’s Irish jig, and say they have increased the “diversity of their dance” and have been practising “a lot”.

Last year’s victors, Men’s Hockey, are acutely aware of what is at stake. They have won two out of the three competitions since its introduction in 2010, and finished second in the other.

One first-year member highlights the stress of trying to live up to the “expectation” of triumphing once again. Another admitted that he and his fellow dances had even been given strict exercise and dietary instructions in preparation for the competition. “It has put a lot of strain not only on me but my work; it’s been very serious,” he said.

Members of last year’s victorious team would only say that they had a “hunger for victory”, and boasted that they gained “fame” from winning last year.

However, while there will certainly be a competitive spirit on the night, none of the clubs have lost sight of the primary reason for the competition: to raise money for Sport Relief. A sub-section of Comic Relief, it puts on one of the largest national events of the year every March, rivalled only by Red Nose Day.

The first event to be televised on the BBC was in 2002, and has since been supported by a number of celebrities. Comedian David Walliams, who swam the Thames in September 2011, raised £2m for Sport Relief in the process. Meanwhile fellow comedian John Bishop cycled, rowed and ran from Paris to London in five hours last year.

The Sport Relief Mile is also an extremely popular and inclusive event, as individuals of all ages and abilities are able to take part. It was originally designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister running the first ever four-minute mile, but has since become one of the most popular events in the Sport Relief schedule.

One competitor admitted that he had been given strict exercise and dietary instructions in preparation.

Funds raised from its events have gone towards constructing homeless shelters, fighting domestic abuse and improving children’s education. The organisation also provide clean water and life-saving vaccines.

CMD are also putting together a raffle package for the event, with bigger and better prizes than previous years, adding extra entertainment for the crowd.

Competition for this year’s Sport Relief is sure to be fierce, with pride and reputation at stake. It’s no wonder Warwick Sport’s clubs are showcasing unprecedented levels of competitive spirit this season.

But there can only be one winner – who will it be?

Tickets are £4 and can be purchased on the Warwick Students Union website.