UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society Takes Gold!

a U! a U! a UCT!!!!!!! THE WINNING TEAM!

Intervarsity (the annual South African National Student Ballroom and Latin-American Dance Competition - ooh, how fancy it sounds!) is always the biggest event of the year for UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society. This year, the competition was hosted by Tuks on Saturday 11 August. After six months of training (and only six months of dancing for the beginners), the team of 70 dancers hopped onto an Intercape Sleepliner (aah comfy!), singing cheers, eating junk food and watching dancing movies. After over twenty hours of bus games and bonding, we collapsed onto our beds in Pretoria on Friday night for an hour or two before the social.

Dominic Nunes and Wendy Stephenson waltz
 to victory in the Silver Ballroom Section

Tuks' theme for Intervarsity was "The Phantom of the Opera" and their 'black and white' social was in keeping with the theme when each dancer was given a mask. These masks were used as an ice breaker game - "ladies ask a man from a different university, with a mask that is a different colour from yours, for a jive", although peripheral vision is somewhat skewed when wearing a mask, as we learnt, and so is finding people...The social was thoroughly enjoyable and served as a way for the dancers from the different universities to meet, assess the competition and to get in some last minute practise.

Angela Boroughs and Vaughan Moss
doing a 'surprise Tango'

When Saturday morning arrived, despite our fatigue, we were ready to dance our hearts out to maintain our title as the winning university (15 out of 21 competitions!). UCT competed in 23 sections, including Beginners’ to Novice-level Ballroom and Latin, Viennese Waltz, Sokkie, Paso Doblé, Mambo, Boogie, Same-Sex Cha-cha (oh the outfits!) and a 'surprise Tango' in which the gentlemen were blindfolded. UCT also competed in the Formation and Team Dance Sections. The Formation Dance is a choreographed group dance, while the Team Dance is an event in which each university enters eight couples who each perform a different dance, but are scored as a team. This year's UCT formation dance was a Paso Doblé-based Latin combination dance to the music of Georges Bizet's Carmen. UCT came third for Formation with Maties taking second place and Tuks in well-deserved first.

UCT's Formation Group Dance - A Paso Doblé

Despite the fierce competition from Stellenbosch, Tuks, NMMU, NWU, Rhodes and Wits, UCT won 21 medals – 9 Gold, 7 Silver and 5 Bronze. UCT also waltzed off with the Team Dance Shield, the Spirit Trophy and the Overall Trophy, winning the competition with 140 points, with Maties achieving second place (108 points) and Tuks coming in third (81 points).

The winning snowman!

Our friends from Maties ended the day on a high when they flocked towards us as the awards ceremony came to a close, chanting "a U! a U! a U, C, T!" and we chanted back with "Maties jou lekker ding!" We knew that the day had been worth all of the sweat, excitement and nerves.

After all of the dancing and cheering, we then piled ourselves, our medals and our trophies back onto the bus (with far less energy) and (most of us) slept our way back to Cape Town, with a bit of snow along the way.

Intervarsity is by far the biggest bonding and learning experience, and probably the most memorable event of the UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society calendar. We would like to say a huge thank you to Tuks for organizing such a fantastic competition, our competitors for being such great sports, our committee for organizing such a smooth Intervarsity and our Intervarsity Team for succeeding in their first profession - win, win, win, win!

The winning Team Dance
From L-R: Francisco Agostinho and Nomusa Mavimbela (Jive), Richard Parry and Thandeka Cochrane (Rumba), Tebo Cochrane and Priscilla Chauke (Cha-cha), Chris Garrard and Clare Garrard (Samba), William Wu and Zulfa Martin (Quickstep), Irenee Kaminuza and Ncediwe Mdlulwa (Rhythm Foxtrot), Jared Baboo and Gibwa Cole (Tango) and Nathanael Sargeant and Maxine Van Der Schyff (Waltz).

Photos by Arran Graham and Nick Heins

Inter-what? The lowdown on Intervarsity...

Intervaristy....the word on everybody's lips post Medal Tests...If you're feeling dazed and confused amongst all of the partner-grabbing and routine-planning, never fear, your blogging friend is here!

2011 Intervarsity Team

Inter-what?!?
Intervarsity - A competition (a friendly one) where we (UCT) compete against Stellenbosch, Wits, Rhodes, Tuks and NMMU. This year, the competition is being hosted by Tuks in Pretoria on Saturday 11 August.

What does it involve?

Liza and Richard get their Salsa on

We leave UCT on Thursday 9 August early in the morning. After traveling on the LUXURY bus for a while, singing songs, playing games and getting a good night's rest <ahem> we will arrive in Pretoria on Friday 10 August for the 'Black and White' Social where we get to meet the dancers from the other universities (the competition!). We will spend the night in one of Pretoria's lovely backpackers and be ready for the main event - the 2012 National Student Ballroom and Latin Dance Championships (aka Intervarsity). Then it's back on the bus (with our trophies and medals!).

There is also a very cool Broadway Social at UCT on Friday 3 August to prepare for Intervarsity and you'll get to see the Formation Team's dress rehearsal!

How much is it?
For the incredibly low price of just R900 you will receive:

• A super suave 2012 UCT Ballroom Intervarsity hoodie
• Accomodation in a Pretoria Backpacker's
• Transport to and from Pretoria on a luxury bus
• Extra dance class fees for the Sunday classes (so that your dancing becomes even more amazing)
• Competition entry fees

Tebo and Liesbeth jive into the Beginner Finals

Of course your R900 does not cover all of these costs, so, your friendly UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society subsidies the rest so that you can enjoy Intervarsity on a student budget!

The Competition
The actual competition which starts at 10am on Saturday 11 August, is an entire day of dancing. That doesn't mean that you yourself will dance the entire day without stopping. The competition is divided into different sections and heats. The standard Ballroom and Latin dances (which you are taught in your class - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced etc.) are divided into sections according to levels and the dances and steps that you know e.g.
Beginner Ballroom: Waltz and Rhythm Foxtrot
Beginner Latin: Cha Cha and Jive
The Ballroom and Latin sections are danced at different times (there may be a few heats and other sections in between them), so you can have one partner for Ballroom and a different partner for Latin!

Claire and Nick show off their spins

There are also Open Section dances. These are:

• Boogie
• Sokkie
• Mambo (Salsa)
• Viennese Waltz
• Paso Doble
• Same-Sex Cha Cha
• Surprise Tango (We won't know exactly what this entails until the day of the competition, but it is recommended that you do not enter this section unless you are familiar with the International Tango which is taught to Advanced dancers and up)

 These dances are 'open' because you do not need to dance with a partner at your level (e.g an Intermediate dancer can dance with a Beginner) and you will be competing against couples from all levels.

Alistair and Jeanne looking glamorous for Novice Ballroom

Each section will have heats depending on how many couples have entered that section. Once the judges have selected the couples that they want to see again, those couples progress to the Quarter Final, Semi Final and the FINAL where you collect the GOLD! The junior levels are usually earlier in the day as well as the initial rounds of the open dances. As the day progresses you will get to see the more advanced dancers in action! We get more points for Beginner couples who do well than more advanced couples who do well - Beginners, YOU ARE SUPER IMPORTANT so please come to Intervarsity!

We end the day off with the Team Dance event (where couples from various levels will be chosen by Iliana to do Waltz/Rhythm Foxtrot/Quickstep/Tango/Samba/Cha Cha/Rumba/Jive torepresent UCT in a tag-team style dance-off against the other universities), the Formation Dance (an 8-couple group dance which the formation team has been rehearsing) and the Prize Giving Ceremony! If (When) you get through all of the rounds and progress to the Final, you will receive a shiny certificate and a medal in the Prize Giving Ceremony.

Iliana, Maureen, Dom and Lara with the trophies!

At this ceremony, trophies are awarded for the best Team Dance, the best Formation Dance, the most SPIRIT (so get ready to do some shouting) and best overall University (the one with the most points). Last year we won every single trophy - this year we plan to do exactly the same thing, so bring your A-game!

But winning isn't everything (although it's lots of fun). The best thing about Intervarsity is that you truly get to bond with the other members of UCT Ballroom in a way that isn't possible in regular classes. We will be spending a lot of time on the bus (with lots of stops in between) so there will be plenty of time to make new friends - friends with dancers at different levels! Your dancing will also improve dramatically with the extra classes, the different partners that you dance with for the different sections and the experience of performing at such an amazing event.

Words cannot describe the Intervarsity experience (although I've tried really hard to). Just do it!

A Night in India!

UCT Ballroom Formal 2011: ‘A Night in India’

On the evening of Saturday the 17^th of September, the UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society arrived at Kelvin Grove for a night of elegance – in India! Saris, henna, lavish materials, bindis and even a turban or two made their way into the ballroom, which was adorned with the colours and textures of an Indian palace. Thanks to Lucy Farrow and her team of helpers, every lady was made to feel like an Indian princess and every gentleman like a maharajah.

After being greeted with a glass of bubbly, we were swept into a whirl of colour – bright pinks, reds, oranges and yellows dangled from every inch of the magnificent room, with its golden chandeliers and sweeping staircases. After having our photographs taken by a professional photographer (and practising many a dip for the camera), we were welcomed by our chairlady, Lara, to the 2011 committee’s final major event for the year.

Not only is the formal the main social event on the Ballroom calendar, but it is also a chance to thank the current committee for all that they have done for the society. The most improved beginner for the year, the dancer who shows the most promise, was also announced, and this year it went to Salahuddeen Ahmad.

The hours of searching for that perfect outfit to fit the theme - winding oneself into a sari (without looking like a sack of potatoes), searching for sari fabric, having henna done (thanks to Bhanoo Sukha of Art of Mehndi) was well worth it! No Indian-themed Formal would be complete without an appropriate line dance, so once we had had our delicious butternut soup starter and buffet main course, we all sprang onto the sprung dance floor for Iliana’s Indian routine. And of course no dancing social is complete without the Macarena, Cha Cha Slide and some Cotton Eye Joe… (we like our line dances, ok?) and plenty of Ballroom and Latin dances too!

Now that the floor had been warmed up, it was time for the final performance of the 2011 formation dance (not really Indian as such, but it did involve ‘Waka Waka’…). After that, we all tucked into the array of sweet delights.

We could have danced all night, but as the clock struck 12 (or rather, 1am), so Cinderella had to leave the ball (before her sari turned back into a draped piece of 6-metre fabric). The formal was a fantastic evening and we eagerly await the 2012 ball!

- Kathryn Luyt

Professional photos from the event can be found on our Facebook page!

Formation

At the beginning of every year we start practising what is known as The Formation. This is a dance in which a number of couples perform in sequence. This sequence is choreographed by our coach, Iliana, who also chooses the songs; usually according to a common theme. The dance is made up of sections in which you change the type of dance; usually when the music changes. Iliana tends to stick to a major dance group; i.e. mostly Latin-style dances or mostly Ballroom-style dances.



The formation will be performed at Intervarsity in its own category, with most universities entering one formation group each. This means that a trophy will go to the formation winners and we are proud to say that we were the 2010 winners. In 2009, we came second; another outstanding achievement. Goes to show how committed we are!



Previous Formations

Having been part of the 2009 and 2010 formation teams, I can speak for both teams when I say that we had a really good time practicing and performing our dances. Learning the formation dance is a frustrating and sometimes difficult endeavour; with countless hours practicing sequences and timing. Being a beginner in the 2009 formation, I found it quite strenuous on my little toes, but had a good time nonetheless. Let me just say, if you keep coming to practises, you will get it sooner than you think.

When the formation finally comes together, it’s a truly great feeling. Not only do you feel a great sense of achievement, but you also start to see how beautiful it looks, with eight or ten couples doing very similar things. You also get to do a few unconventional dance routines which can feel awkward at first, but are usually quite fun.



The 2009 was a straight Viennese Waltz which was performed to the “Harry Potter” theme song. In 2010, we spiced up our routine to include numerous Ballroom-style dances (with a few sassy samba moves thrown in). This was performed to different songs from the “Lion King” soundtrack. This year we will be doing a Latin-style formation, which promises to be very African, very sexy and mountains of fun.

Would you like to do the formation in 2011?

Unlike most other universities, the UCT Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society encourages beginners to compete in the formation. We try to team them up with a dancer from a higher level. Anyone can learn the formation, as long as you are willing to put in the time. Commitment is the biggest thing. We will be practicing at least once a week at first, which will increase just before Intervarsity to twice a week at least. We continue practicing through the holiday and sometimes on Sundays, so if you cannot make these times, then you need to reconsider doing the formation.



Yes, you have to work harder at this than anything else dance-related you have ever done. Yes, your feet are going to hurt. Yes, you are ocassionally going to feel very lost. But you get to partake in an extremely rewarding dance routine, getting to know a team of other dancers and doing something different every Tuesday night. You also get to wear a shiny new outfit. Formation is really good fun; you are going to laugh more than any other time in your life.