A Cambridge geochemist, who will represent Great Britain at a major Latin dance world championship, had to keep on top of practice during fieldwork expeditions, and even rehearsed her steps on Greenland’s windswept tundra – in between polar bear watches.
Dr Carrie Soderman – who is investigating rare earth elements and why they form in particular environments – says she took any opportunity she could to stay on top of her routine during downtime on recent research trips, and ahead of the WDSF World Championship Formation Latin Adult in Vienna on December 13.
“I was missing training with the rest of the team for weeks at a time, and I needed to keep up with the changes that were being made to our dance,” she said. “So, I’d watch the videos my coach was sending me, and I’d practise a bit of the routine or some footwork at our camp in the evening – in between cooking dinner and keeping a watch for polar bears!”
XS Latin Cambridge (A team) at the 2024 British National Championships. Carrie is first on the left.
A Postdoctoral Researcher in the University’s Department of Earth Sciences, and a Fellow at Selwyn College, Dr Soderman’s work is trying to understand what controls magmatic enrichment of metals – critical for green technologies – by applying a new modelling toolkit to case studies around the world.
She says the stark contrast between the ruggedness of her work in the field and the glitz of Latin dancing brings a perfect balance to her life.
“I’m not naturally the sort of person who would choose to wear fake tan and false eyelashes, that’s not me, partly because I’m a geologist and I like being outdoors. But I like having those two commitments, two things that I love doing equally.”
And she believes formation Latin holds a particular appeal for scientists, because of the order and structure involved. In fact, many of the people in her dance club, XS Latin, are also scientists.
Carrie in Greenland, using a UV torch to identify fluorescent minerals. Credit: Charlie Beard
“Even though we’re telling a story, there are lots of patterns, or ‘formations’. It’s very ordered for dancing, and my brain likes order and logic, so perhaps being a geologist and a formation dancer is not so strange! We have a really high proportion of scientists and medics on the team, and I don’t think that’s a fluke. There are a lot of degrees and doctorates floating around, most of which are in science.”
XS Latin was founded by ex-Cambridge students (hence the ‘X’), including the current head coach David Mallabone. And although it attracts a lot of people connected to the University – students, staff, and alumni – anyone is welcome. The club will be holding castings for new members, from complete beginners to experienced dancers, in early 2026. Dr Soderman joined after completing her PhD in Earth Sciences in 2022.
“Having a team around you is really motivating, because you’re representing the team as well as yourself. In formation dancing, you also have lots of tricks, some of the stuff that really isn’t in couples dancing – lots of throws and spins, so you’re developing new skills and it really makes you use your brain. The routines are longer too, so you’re telling a story for about six minutes, and in a way it’s actually more like a piece of theatre.
“The routine we’ve been working on for the world championships is themed around the musical Hamilton. It is definitely a step up from anything we've done before, so we’re really excited to see how well we can do with it.”
Carrie with the team coming off the floor at the 50th British National Championships. Credit: Charles Wei.
Read the original story by Stephen Bevan
Main image: Charlie Beard. Insets: Charles Wei, Soderman family.