Gowan Whalley

I have been an active member of UCL Dancing Le Rock for the last two years, helping to organise events like the Christmas Dance, running the Monday sessions last year and keeping the society going over the summer. The latter of these even involved organising smaller events for people still in London outside term-time, such as a Le Rock picnic in Regents Park followed by swing dancing in the NED. Alongside these core roles I have also been heavily involved in teaching; whether this be demonstrating to the class as a whole, going around afterwards to see if members need any help with the moves in the sessions or teaching extra moves they have seen either online or during social dancing. The last of these has sometimes led to us creating new ways of connecting moves together or even new moves entirely which we have then taught to our members.

I have always strived to make the society feel as friendly and inclusive as possible, trying to make sure people don’t feel lost or left out and that everyone has a chance to dance during the classes if they want to. This is something I would like to continue doing and so I am applying for an official teaching position in the Dancing Le Rock exec. I feel that my past involvements show both my suitability for the role and commitment to the society, and I look forward to continuing teaching Le Rock to our members this coming year.