Breaking down barriers: a road test of Ceroc dancing for teambuilding

Ceroc dancing
Organiser: Dance Extras

Carolyn Harris Atkins, HR manager of JC Decaux UK, writes:

JC Decaux UK has about 60 employees in its finance and administration team including human resources, IT, finance, purchasing, fleet and facilities based in two head-office locations, Brentford and West London. We meet formally about three times a year where our finance director, Philip Thomas, gives us all an update on how the company is doing; uses the forum to welcome new starters; and announce promotions. The afternoon finishes with a team-bonding exercise. Last year the HR team had to come up with the event idea so we thought it would be fun to introduce Ceroc dancing, hosted by Dance Extras, allowing people to meet in informal circumstances.

It was so successful that with seven weeks to go to the Christmas party, the company announced that Ceroc lessons would be held weekly at a gym across the road from the Brentford office. We had about 40 minutes of tuition. Everyone was paired up and rotated around so that everyone danced with a different partner.

It’s key to get people working together and a teambuilding event is a place where people get to put faces to names and meet colleagues first hand as it’s not always practical during work time. So often people sit within their own department and have no appreciation or understanding of what others in the company do.

Other road tests

Breaking down barriers: teambuilding day road tests evaluates circus skills, treasure hunts and creating a symphony orchestra as teambuilding events.