Inter Varsity Dance Competition

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Inter Varsity Dance Competition
The Winter Gardens Empress Ballroom (49059924802).jpg
Empress Ballroom competition venue
NicknameIVDC
Genre Dancesport competition
FrequencyAnnual, last Saturday in February
Venue Winter Gardens, Blackpool (since 2007)
Location(s) Blackpool, England, UK
Inaugurated1962;63 years ago (1962)
Most recentFebruary 22, 2025 (2025-02-22) [1]
Participants587 couples (2025) [2]
Activity
Organised byInter Varsity Dance Association (IVDA)
Website www.universitydancesport.com

The Inter Varsity Dance Competition (IVDC) is an annual student dancesport competition organised by Inter Varsity Dance Association (IVDA). [3] The IVDA write rules regarding entries, dress code and which dances will be part of the competition.

Contents

All UK universities may send representatives provided they are a member of the IVDA, and students who study at universities that do not have teams may gain special consideration to dance for another university. 27 UK universities took part in the 2022 IVDC. [4]

Whilst dancesport in the UK has seen a decline that shows like Strictly Come Dancing have rectified, the Inter Varsity Dance Association (IVDA) has remained consistently popular and struggles to find a UK venue large enough for its annual competition. Since 2007 the competitions have been hosted at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The 2025 competition saw 587 couples compete, [2] which is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, as the 2020 competition saw 678 couples compete. [5]


As of 2024 the US has a similarly strong student scene, culminating in various tournament's across the country. Mainland Europe has the slightly smaller European Tournament for Dancing Students, which has been running in multiple countries since 1989, with participants attending from Great Britain on a smaller scale.


Competition and events

IVDC is an annual event running since 1962 and hosted by different UK member universities and normally occurs in the last weekend in February or first weekend in March each year. There are individual competitions during the day in ballroom, Latin, rock'n'roll, offbeat and the Team Match. [6]

For the Latin and Ballroom Events students are divided according to experience: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Ex Students are also able to compete in some competitions. In lower ranking competitions dress restrictions apply. Beginners are encouraged and there is the "Best Beginners Team Trophy" which presented to the university with the most successful beginners overall. Other individual returnable trophies available:

The Offbeat Competition is a "Fun" team "freestyle" even - the university can enter a three-minute routine in any dance style. Interpretations vary from fun routines such as "The Full Monty" to serious high quality street dance routines. The Offbeat Winners Shield is presented to the winning team.

The most important event of the competition is the team match, which pits teams of up to 48 dancers from each member university against each other. These are split into teams of four couples (A, B, C, D, E, F) and each couple represents their University in one of Waltz, Cha Cha, Quickstep, and Jive. Progression is done as a team and scored across all four dances. This competition has undergone a drastic overhaul in recent years following innovations by Alistair Braden whilst at Bristol University. The team match is now a two-division system that ranks all universities entered, instead of the traditional team match. The following Team Trophies are awarded at IVDC:

The trophies held in the highest regard are the EADA Overall trophy and the A-Team trophy.

History of results

YearA-Team WinnersOverall ChampionsEx-Student team matchAdvanced ballroomAdvanced LatinOffbeatLocation
2025 [2] Oxford Cambridge BirminghamThomas Winter, Anna Duncan (Oxford)Grant Connor, Anna Duncan (Oxford)BathWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2024 [7] Oxford Cambridge BirminghamShaoyang Yuan, Chongxuan Qi (Edinburgh)Peter Bath, Rosanna Shurvinton (Bristol)DurhamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2023 [8] Imperial Cambridge ImperialYo-Der Song, Maria Volovaya (Imperial)Arthur Mui and Beth Gardiner (Birmingham)BathWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2022 [9] Imperial Cambridge ImperialTom Winter, Anna Duncan (Oxford)Edoardo Chidichimo, Emily Gibbs (Cambridge)DurhamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2020 [10] Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Victor Solecki, Iris Roatis (Imperial)Mathias Kirkegaard, Maria Pieridou (Bath)LeicesterWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2019 [11] Imperial Cambridge -Pawel Bzinkowski, Aleksandra Modrzejewska (Oxford)Matthew Cavuto, Mariya Pozdeyeva (Imperial)WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2018 [12] Cambridge Cambridge -Mathias Kirkegaard, Claire Kilding (Bath)Nikita Fedorov, Katerina Tse (Durham)WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2017 [13] Cambridge Cambridge -Mathew Stoneman, Yasmine Young (London)Tianci Ma, Adela Capilnasiu (Imperial)NottinghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2016 [14] Cambridge Cambridge -Filip Bar, Yasmine Young (Cambridge)Roland Parandi, Jessica Quirke (Oxford)NottinghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2015 [15] Cambridge Cambridge -James Lewis, Rebecca Murray (Nottingham)Kien Trinh, Kirsty Mary Davies (Cambridge)CardiffWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2014 [16] Cambridge Cambridge -Joe Johnson, Eva Johnson (Cambridge)Nathan Clark, Sarah Buckley (Bristol)ManchesterWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2013 [17] Oxford Oxford -Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva (Liverpool)Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva (Liverpool)KentWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2012 [18] Cambridge Cambridge -Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva (Liverpool)Kyle Taylor, Poline Shklyaeva (Liverpool)LiverpoolWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2011 [19] Oxford Oxford -Graham Dixon, Robyn Price (Nottingham)Arman Sahovic, Maria Naumchenko (Imperial)BirminghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2010 [20] Oxford Oxford -Arman Sahovic, Maria Naumchenko (Imperial)Tudor Balan, Janet Gooi (Manchester)ImperialWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2009 [21] Cambridge Cambridge -Arman Sahovic, Anne Marie Wirth (Imperial)Peter Kecskemethy, Reka Balogh (Oxford)WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2008 [22] Cambridge Cambridge -Ryan Lamb, Katie Armstrong (Durham)Ivan Lubenko, Pippa Underwood (Oxford)Winter Gardens, Blackpool
2007 Cambridge Cambridge -Ryan Lamb, Katie Armstrong (Durham)Lev Kravchencko, Toni Isaacs (Bristol) [23] ImperialWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2006 Cambridge Cambridge -Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg (Cambridge)Alexander Hobbs, Samantha Jayatilaka (Imperial)Guildford Spectrum
2005 [24] Bristol Oxford -Nick Faull, Ju Min Wong (Oxford) [25] Arun Arumugam, Lisa Pesik (Bristol)Imperial Winter Gardens, Blackpool
2004 Oxford Oxford -Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg (Cambridge)Nick Faull, Harriet Smith (Oxford)SheffieldStoke-on-Trent
2003 [26] Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff (3 way tie) Oxford -Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg (Cambridge)Scott Bradley, Sarah Adams (Cambridge)BristolWatford
2002 [27] Oxford Oxford -Martin Bird, Shelley Bird (Reading)Igor Strukov, Rebecca Emmott (Sheffield)SheffieldStoke-on-Trent
2001 [28] Oxford Oxford -Martin Bird, Shelley Bird (Reading)

[29]

Ellis Williams, Indika Gunaratne (Imperial) [29] CambridgeStoke-on-Trent
2000 Cambridge Oxford -Martin Bird, Shelley Bird(Reading)George Georghiou, Lucy Jones (Cambridge)LondonGuildford
1999ImperialImperial-S Richmond & J.Silmon-Clyde (Imperial)EssexOxford (Oxford Brookes Sports Hall)
1998LondonLondon-A Walker & S.E Long (Liv/York)SheffieldManchester (Winsford)
1997ImperialImperial-A Walker & J Killup (Liv)ImperialLondon (Watford Colosseum)
1996ImperialImperial-Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long (Liv/York)BathUEA
1995 Oxford -Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long (Liv/York)ImperialHull
1994Imperial-Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long (Liv/York)NottinghamLiverpool
1993Imperial-P Latter & H Schafer (Cambridge)ImperialLondon (Grosvenor House Great Room) [30]
1992Imperial-MC Bath & G Rydill (Liv)ManchesterNottingham
1991Imperial-MC Robinson & CA Turner (B'ham)BathBirmingham
1990 Oxford -MC Robinson & CA Turner (Aston)Hull
1989 Cambridge -S Thompson & M Webber (Bristol)Southampton
1988Leeds-Liverpool
1987 Cambridge -Bristol
1986 Cambridge -Leicester
1985Imperial-Cambridge
1984 Oxford -Warwick
1983 Oxford -Lancaster
1982 Oxford -Southampton
1981Lancaster- Oxford
1980 Oxford -Cambridge
1979 Cambridge -Lancaster
1978Liverpool-Liverpool
1977Liverpool-Imperial
1976Liverpool-Exeter
1975Liverpool-Newcastle
1974Liverpool-ManchesterImperial - Lyceum Ballroom
1973Leeds-Manchester
1972Leeds-Liverpool
1971Leeds-Leeds - Leeds Refectory
1970Manchester-Bristol
1969 Cambridge -
1968UCL-
1967Liverpool-
1966Liverpool-
1965Leicester-
1964Liverpool-
1963Manchester-

See also

References

  1. "IVDC 2025". Inter-Varsity Dance Association. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "IVDC 2025 Results". competitor.escrut.com. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  3. "University dancesport".
  4. "IVDC 2022 Team Match".
  5. "IVDC 2020".
  6. "About". Inter Varsity Dance Association. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. "IVDC 2024 Results". competitor.escrut.com. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  8. "IVDC 2023 Results". competitor.escrut.com. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. "IVDC 2022".
  10. "IVDC 2020".
  11. "IVDC FINALS 2019".
  12. "IVDC 2018".
  13. "IVDC 2017".
  14. "IVDC 2016".
  15. "IVDC 2015".
  16. "IVDC 2014".
  17. "IVDC 2013".
  18. "IVDC 2012".
  19. "IVDC 2011".
  20. "IVDC 27th February 2010". Scrutelle.info. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  21. "IVDC 28th February 2009". Scrutelle.info. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  22. "IVDA 2008 results". Archived from the original on 14 March 2008.
  23. "IVDC; England - Blackpool Saturday, 10 March 2007". Dancesportinfo.net. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  24. "2004-5 | Oxford University Dancesport". www.oudancesport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  25. "Results 2004/5". team.oudancesport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  26. "Results 2002/3". team.oudancesport.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  27. "Bristol University Latin American and Ballroom Dancing Society". Bris.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  28. "Bristol University Latin American and Ballroom Dancing Society". Bris.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  29. 1 2 "Inter Varsity Dancing Association, England - Stoke-on-Trent; Sunday, 18 March 2001". Dancesportinfo.net. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  30. "IC Dance" (PDF). Felix . No. 962. 12 March 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 6 June 2025.