Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) about Dancing & VBDS

Please browse our FAQs, and if you have any other questions feel free to send them to us using the form at the bottom of the page.

Membership is open to anyone!

The Victoria Ballroom Dance Society is made up of a diverse group of people with skill levels ranging from complete beginner to high level competitor.

No previous dance experience is required!

Apply for Membership Online

Click Here to visit the Membership page and select your membership level.  Complete the short form and you will be redirected to the payment option.  Once the payment is successful, you will receive an email with your login information. Download detailed directions on how to register online by clicking HERE

Mail us Your Class and Membership Form

Alternatively, if you prefer, you can print and download our membership application form by clicking HERE.
Fill it out and mail your completed forms with payment to:
VBDS Registrar
PO Box 35024 RPO Hillside
Victoria BC   V8T 5G2

Pay your class and/or Membership at Intro to Ballroom Workshops

You may pay at any Intro to Ballroom Workshop.  Please check ahead for our schedule: See our workshop schedule HERE.

Most workshops occur on Fridays or Saturdays, but please check our website for more details on dates and times.

Keep in mind that we offer workshops near the beginning of each session, usually September, November, January, and March of each year.

Register for Classes and Membership In Person

If you are taking class(es), you may pay for your membership and class(es) in person at the first class. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Debit, personal cheque and cash (if accompanied by two pieces of ID).

Please download, print and fill out a classes form, prior to attending the class. Don’t forget to sign the included waiver, and bring payment.

For Newcomer I only

For Newcomer I only, membership registrations are also held at the beginning of your first class.

Contact us

Email: The best way to contact us is to email info@vbds.org

HOW TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES ONLINE:

Please note, only members may register for classes.

1. Login to your account at vbds.org here (See below if you don’t have an account). If you have forgotten your password, use the “Forgot Password” function on the sign-in page. If you can’t remember your username email membership@vbds.org and a volunteer will help you out.
2. Go to Classes by Level/Category
3. Find the level you are interested in and click on purple button for example: “Newcomer” or
“Pre-Bronze”
4. Click on the purple button: “MORE INFORMATION” this will take you to the class specific page with more details.
5. Scroll down. Your name and phone number from your profile will already be entered. PayPal is the default and easiest payment method but you can change that by clicking on it and select “Pay Offline” instead.
6. Click on “RESERVE YOUR SPOT”
If you kept PayPal as the option you will be temporarily transferred to the PayPal site. After completing payment you will be returned to the VBDS site.

Don’t have an account?
If you are not a current member, signing up online is easy!
1. Click on the purple “JOIN” button at the top right of any page.
2. Scroll down, and select “Regular” or Student/Disability membership ($72 or $52)
3. Fill in your contact information.
4. Click on the bottom button “Submit and Checkout”.

Membership expires on August 31, 2022.

Need help registering on our website? Email us at info@vbds.org and a helpful volunteer will contact you.

Youth Membership is for under eighteens. They are not required to pay membership dues but, shall have no voting rights and may not serve as a director. They may work with the board or any committee in an advisory capacity on youth matters.  A Youth Membership shall expire at the end of August each year.

Because Youth Members also qualify as “Students”, they benefit from the VBDS student pricing structure for classes and other discounts (see Student/Disability Membership below for student pricing).

Students

To qualify for Student Membership, you must be enrolled in a public or private K-12 school, or provide proof of full-time enrollment (valid student ID, etc.) in a post secondary educational institution.  A student registered in a co-op work term is regarded as full time.  A student who is classified as full-time during the winter shall be regarded as full-time for the following summer.

Disabled Persons

To qualify for Disability Membership, you must be eligible for Provincial or Federal Persons With Disability designation. Evidence of current disability status must be provided.

Presentation of your ID cards

To verify your Student/Disability eligibility, you must present your ID card if requested by: the VBDS registrar, the instructor or any VBDS Director.

PayPal is our preferred method of payment. We are a member funded volunteer organization managed by volunteer members. PayPal creates the least amount of work for our volunteers.

We do however, accept most forms of payment including:

In person: Visa, Mastercard, Debit, personal cheques and cash (if accompanied by two forms of ID).

Online: Interac e-transfer emailed to treasurer@vbds.org. If paying by this method please include your name and a detailed description of what the payment is for.

We hold three practice sessions per week.  There is no cost for members; potential new members and out-of-town visitors may attend two VBDS practices as guests of VBDS.  After that, visitors and potential new members must become VBDS members.  To find out about cancellations or holiday schedule changes, check the VBDS Calendar BY CLICKING HERE

PLEASE CHECK OUR MOST UP-TO-DATE SCHEDULE HERE

TUESDAY 7:00 – 9:00 pm $5 for non-members Les Passmore, 286 Hampton Road (kitty corner ish to Tillicum Mall)
Wednesday 6:30 – 8:30 pm for all members Les Passmore, 286 Hampton Road
SATURDAY 12:00 – 2:00 pm for all members Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, 3220 Cedar Hill Rd (at Finlayson)
SUNDAY 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Silver & up Only [*1]  Les Passmore, 286 Hampton Road

Footnotes

  1. Sunday morning Silver & up practices have a different format than regular practices. The first hour is all Standard, the second hour all Latin. Four to five of the same genre are played before moving on i.e. 4-5 Waltz’s then 4-5 Tango’s, etc.
Venue Dimensions Sq Ft
Cedar Hill Rec Centre 54 x 84 4536
CENTENNIAL UNITED CHRUCH 30 x 45 1350
  • Bring a clean, comfortable, non-marking pair of shoes to change in to for dancing.  Street shoes may be dirty resulting in damage to the floor, possibly making it harder for us to rent halls.
  • Your shoes need some give as you will want to dance up on the balls of your feet.
  • If you are dancing slowly, or stopping to practice a step, stay towards the centre of the floor, so that the faster dancers have room on the outside in which to move.  While this may be counter intuitive it is standard etiquette but works best on larger size dance floors.
  • In consideration of others, no perfumes or strongly-scented body products should be used before attending any dance event.
  • Leads are to dance with consideration for the ability of the follow.  Do not be forceful; after all, the action of leading is simply inviting the follow to move.
  • Out-of-town guests are welcome to attend practices at no cost.
  • If you are a prospective member you are welcome to come for two practices; after that, you should join the Society to continue.
  • The Tuesday evening practice is both a Line Dance practice (first hour) and a Newcomer practice (second hour). Non-member students attending Intro to Ballroom workshops are invited to attend these practices. Non-member drop ins are available for a $5 fee.
  • Most Classes last an hour. Many people bring a bottle of water for refreshment.
  • Please limit use of perfumes or strongly scented body products.
  • You don’t need special ‘dance shoes’, however, we ask that you bring a clean pair of shoes to dance with, to avoid damaging the hall floors.
  • Take advantage of our practice sessions to hone your skills.
  • Have fun.
  • No, you do not need a partner to join, to register/attend classes or to attend practices.
  • Registering for classes with a partner guarantees you of having one but if you are a solo dancer we will make every effort to find a volunteer for you.
  • The classes, especially at the beginner levels, have a social atmosphere; our instructors encourage switching of partners to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate fully (though students are not obligated to switch partners).
  • Volunteer partners are usually available in most classes but they may have to share their time with other unpartnered students in the class.
  • Class assignment to Hall / Instructor / Day and Time
    The schedule for first session of the year has determined the specific Hall, instructor day and time for each level/dance. The basic scheduling philosophy is to keep these the same for the remainder of the year of dance classes.
  • However, several alternatives to a consistent year of classes have been requested and being reviewed; for example:
    • Switching the time of the Latin & standard is being reviewed. VBDS typically has standard dances first in the evening, usually around 7:00pm, and then Latin classes follow these. It is being reviewed if this should be changed to Latin first and then Standard. The first hour is generally preferred, and VBDS has found that standard dances are more preferred over Latin, so standard dances typically are done in the preferred time slot.
  • Pay electronically and securely with your credit card when you click the “Reserve Your Spot” button here on the website.
  • Pay in-person at the Official Registration night – The official registration dates are at first class. These dates have more volunteers to help you, and you may pay with your credit card, cash or cheque.
  • Pay in-person at a VBDS Practice night – Please note that other than the official registration dates above, other practice nights are not guaranteed to have a registration volunteer and may not be able to accept credit card payments or cash. VBDS registration volunteers will make an effort to be at most practices or designate another volunteer with the credit card machine.  Cheque registrations will be accepted on any practice night by most board members. Cash payment is not preferred during practice nights as receipt book may not be available.
  • Pay by mail-in Cheque – You may send us a cheque via the Canadian Postal Service.
    • This method of payment is not preferred
    • Include each member’s first & last name, phone # and email
    • Include the class number(s) from the schedule
    • Cheque MUST BE made payable to Victoria Ballroom Dance Society
    • Mail the cheque in time for VBDS to receive it prior to start of class
    • Mail cheque to:
      Victoria Ballroom Dance Society
      PO Box 35024 RPO Hillside
      Victoria  BC   V8T 5G2
  • Student and disability discounts when applicable are available for those who qualify. Only core classes are applicable to discounts. Core classes include international ballroom dance classes from Beginner to Gold levels only.
  • Class Pro-rating is not available.
  • Purchasing dance classes:
    • You may purchase dance classes for either session or both sessions at once.
    • You may purchase classes in the second session at any time prior to start of class.
    • You must be a VBDS member to attend any member class on our class schedule. When purchasing on-line, the membership cost will be added to your cart automatically when necessary.
    • VBDS offers other types of dance classes: Dances, workshops and introduction classes are open to the public.
      • Public classes are NOT included in the schedule of membership classes.
      • Public classes are NOT payable on the website.
      • Public classes are pay as you go, pay at the door.
      • Public classes offered by VBDS usually have discounted price for VBDS members.
      • All VBDS dances and workshops within a dance are open to public.
      • Public classes & dances are listed on this website on the calendar page.
    • In case of insufficient enrollment or other event beyond our control; VBDS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CANCEL CLASSES.
    • Refunds
      • Class registration fees are non-refundable unless the VBDS cancels the course. The VBDS reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient enrolment, in which case a full refund will be issued. If a class is cancelled due to hall or instructor unavailability, the VBDS will either schedule a make-up class or issue a pro-rated refund based on the amount paid.
      • Refund requests (including pro-rated refund requests) will not be provided, except in the following cases:
        If a proven medical condition, such as illness, injury, or bereavement, is promptly demonstrated.
        If a class is rescheduled and a member is unable to attend the make-up session, they may request a refund for the missed class.

Abbreviations for Halls and their addresses:

CUC = Centennial United Church, 612 David St
CHR = Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, 3220 Cedar Hill Rd
LPC = Les Passmore Centre (Saanich Silver Threads), 286 Hampton Rd

Unfortunately, no.  Each member must register his or her own account on this website using the instructions detailed above under “How to Apply for Membership”

As long as both members hold an active, valid membership in the same membership category (ie: both members hold a regular membership, or both members hold a student/disability membership) you may reserve more than one spot in each class.  Simply choose the quantity under the Bookings heading on your chosen class, and reserve your spots.

  • VBDS policy on discounts is specific to one person.