IVDC-Blackpool

Winter Gardens, Blackpool. If you are Dancesport dancer, this is THE place to be. Every year, right before the huge Blackpool Dance Festival, there's Blackpool Inter Varsity Dancesport Championship (IVDC), and Universities all around the UK will "shipped" their dancers into this small little town of Blackpool. Like any other competition, there will be two sections-the Latin (Cha-Cha-Cha, Rumba, Jive, Samba, Paso Doble) and the Standard Ballroom (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep).

Surrey BDLC to Blackpool with our mini bus and driver, Alex

Being in the Dancesport for 3 years, I had only competed in Singapore and Malaysia. IVDC brings dance competition to a whole new level and scale to me. Usually in Singapore, we only have at most 2 rounds before semi-finals but in IVDC, you can have up till 10 rounds before the semi-finals with each round having almost 10 heats! Can you imagine how large the competition scale is? Okay, I might be a bit "san ba" (out of the jungle) to some people, but this is the largest competition that I have ever participate in.

Inside Winter Gardens, walkway to Spanish Hall

Empress ballroom

Under the Surrey University Ballroom and Latin Dance Club, we paid 31 pounds each to Blackpool with meals and accommodation included. We checked in Blackpool at about 11 pm on 4th March and started the competition day on 5th March by 6 am. Yes, hair, make-up, breakfast takes up this much time. And at 8.30am, all of us walked to Winter Gardens, in the freezing cold weather. 

Cosy dining hall in Highland Bank's Hotel

Breakfast for the day-crunchy nut

Hearty breakfast before a busy day

Getting ready

Off we go to Winter Gardens-on foot

My first waltz-photo courtesy of Fred

Winter Gardens is such a magnificent and grand ballrooms. The first event starts at 9.30 am and lasted all the way to almost midnight. Boyfriend and I took part in the Intermediate Latin and Beginners Waltz. First time doing Waltz felt really good and for Latin, I thought we did well, better than expected.

Roarrie--Our mascot to cheer for us

While waiting...

Before the Latin segment

After all the individual events, all the schools have a team match. Every school will send in 2/3 teams of 4 to dance (Waltz, Cha-Cha-Cha, Quickstep or Jive) and each team will be marked in accordingly. We've only lasted for 2 rounds, but I still enjoy every bit of the process.

One of the best couple on the floor

New dance experience, new friends made. That's all I can conclude from this competition. Although we are always never at the top, but seeing other dancers dance just inspires me to work harder to be better. 

Surrey BDLC @ Blackpool

New found friends

Will this be my last time here?