CUDT Old Team, New Team (OTNT): November 12th 2023

Chesterton Sports Centre, Cambridge

The first CUDT Reunion Match (Old Team New Team) was held in Wolfson College in 1998. In the early days, the Reunion Match took the form of a series of one dance competitions in the team dances of Waltz, Quickstep, Cha-cha-cha and Jive only, with couples from the current team scoring points against a team of alumni couples. The Old Team won the inaugural match. Since then, the friendly competition has expanded and in 2019 over 50 couples competed in the event, with the team match changing shape to match the IVDC format, and teams blending alumni, current CUDT members, and beginners.

For beginners and new partnerships, OTNT is usually the first chance to dance together in (friendly) competition and show the progress they have made in the first few weeks of term. For experienced couples, it is quite the experience to go from dancing amongst beginners in one round to dancing amongst the more experienced in the open rounds.

The Southern Universities Dancesport Competition (SUDC): February 2024

Southern Universities UK Nationals

The universities of the south of England and Wales, (traditionally, those south of Coventry) compete at the annual SUDC, known by some as the regionals and for many the final competition preparation for the university nationals. Universities bid to host the SUDC and so the event moves around the South; Cambridge last hosted in 2010. The SUDC sees the first appearance of the Offbeat competition, a team showdance style competition.

The Inter-Varsity Dance Competition (IVDC): February 24th 2023

The Empress Ballroom, Blackpool

The IVDC has been held annually since 1960 and is the national competition for university dancers. The event has grown rapidly in recent years and in 2015, over 700 couples entered for the open events. University societies bid to host the event and for its first 45 years the event moved around the country. In 2005, it was held for the first time at Blackpool’s historic Winter Gardens, the home of competitive ballroom dance in the UK. Every IVDC since 2007 has been held here.

Like most university competitions, the morning and afternoon sessions consist of open competitions at levels from beginner to advanced, including same sex. The standard of competition is high and the winners of the 2012 Advanced Ballroom went on to win the British National Amateur Championship in the same year. The evening session contains the highlight of the day, the team match, in which teams of four couples represent their universities. CUDT have won the Overall Team Trophy at 11 of the last 12 IVDC’s.

The Cambridge vs Oxford Varsity Match: May 2024, Oxford

The first Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity Match in ballroom dance was held in 1973 and since then, the event has been held annually, the hosts alternating between the two universities. The event is unique to the university Dancesport circuit as all couples in the team need to dance all four of Waltz, Quickstep, Cha-cha-cha and Jive. Cambridge have won the Varsity match for 12 consecutive years. 

The Varsity Match is viewed by the universities as a competition to rival the nationals in its prestige and both universities award Blues to dancers in the event. The 2015 match saw the first award of a Full Blue to a Cambridge man, thirteen years after the first Cambridge woman received a Full Blue, meaning both sexes from both universities have now been awarded Full Blues for representing their university at this event.