On Top of The World
A group of 17 students from Oxford University Dancesport Team returned from Florida earlier this month carrying the Intercontinental Varsity Dancesport trophy. Having participated in the major event organised by the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancing Association at the Ocean Centre conference facility in Daytona Beach, the UK Champions went on to beat 11 other varsity teams from the UK, USA and Canada. The result was a convincing win for Oxford, who scored 36 points - 8 points clear of their nearest rival.
The competition came at the end of a week of workshops and demonstrations by some outstanding names such as Jean Marc Genereux and France Mousseau, former world professional 10-dance Latin champions, and Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova, USA Amateur Latin champions and World Amateur Latin championship finalists.
Oxford are now in training to defend several titles over the coming few months including Sheffield Open Varsity Champions, Southern National Varsity Champions, and Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Champions. They have already successfully defended the title of Nottingham Varsity Ball Champions against particularly stiff competition from arch-rivals Cambridge University and Imperial College.
The team is the largest university team in the country and is part of the Oxford University Dancesport Club - one of the largest dance clubs in Europe, and the largest sports club in the University.
The team won 23 of the available 24 trophies during the 2000-2001 season and has currently won 9 of the 10 trophies it has competed for so far this academic year. Oxford University regards Dancesport highly, having awarded Full Blue University colours to several men and women from previous years - the same honours awarded to some members of the University's famous rowing and rugby teams.
Oxford have held the title of National Varsity Champions for two successive years and having beaten Cambridge University 18 times of the 28 that the Varsity Dancesport match has been held.
31st Jan 2002