Inter Varsity Dance Competition


The Inter Varsity Dance Competition is an annual student dancesport competition organised by Inter Varsity Dance Association. The IVDA write rules regarding entries, dress code and which dances will be part of the competition.
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.
Whilst dancesport in the UK has seen a decline that shows like Strictly Come Dancing have rectified, the Inter Varsity Dance Association 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, which is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, as the 2020 competition saw 678 couples compete.
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, salsa, rock'n'roll, offbeat and the Team Match.
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 Timur Olegovich Gulinskiy Advanced modern Trophy
  • The Novice Modern Trophy
  • The Intermediate Modern Trophy
  • The Far’s Advanced Latin Trophy
  • The Novice Latin Trophy
  • The Intermediate Latin Trophy
  • Ex-students ballroom trophy
  • Ex-students Latin trophy
  • The Dance Basics best Beginners’ Trophy
  • The Choice of London Rock ‘n’ Roll Trophy
  • The Edna Murphy Shield
  • The Far’s Dance Best Newcomer Trophy
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 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 EADA Overall IVDA Champions Trophy
  • The Choice IVDA Overall Runners-Up Trophy
  • The Far’s Dance A-Team Winners Trophy
  • The Choice IVDA A-Team Runners-Up Trophy
  • The B-Team Winners Shield
  • The IDTA B-TEam Runners-Up Trophy
  • The C-Team Winners Shield
  • The IDTA C-Team Runners-Up Trophy
  • The D-Team Winners Trophy
  • The IDTA D-Team Runners-Up Trophy
  • The EADA IVDA Division 2 Winners Trophy
  • The Choice IVDA Division 2 Runners-Up Trophy
  • The IVDA Challenge Trophy
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
2025OxfordCambridgeBirminghamThomas Winter, Anna Duncan Grant Connor, Anna Duncan BathWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2024OxfordCambridgeBirminghamShaoyang Yuan, Chongxuan Qi Peter Bath, Rosanna Shurvinton DurhamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2023ImperialCambridgeImperialYo-Der Song, Maria Volovaya Arthur Mui and Beth Gardiner BathWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2022ImperialCambridgeImperialTom Winter, Anna Duncan Edoardo Chidichimo, Emily Gibbs DurhamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2020OxfordCambridgeCambridgeVictor Solecki, Iris Roatis Mathias Kirkegaard, Maria Pieridou LeicesterWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2019ImperialCambridge-Pawel Bzinkowski, Aleksandra Modrzejewska Matthew Cavuto, Mariya Pozdeyeva WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2018CambridgeCambridge-Mathias Kirkegaard, Claire Kilding Nikita Fedorov, Katerina Tse WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2017CambridgeCambridge-Mathew Stoneman, Yasmine Young Tianci Ma, Adela Capilnasiu NottinghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2016CambridgeCambridge-Filip Bar, Yasmine Young Roland Parandi, Jessica Quirke NottinghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2015CambridgeCambridge-James Lewis, Rebecca Murray Kien Trinh, Kirsty Mary Davies CardiffWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2014CambridgeCambridge-Joe Johnson, Eva Johnson Nathan Clark, Sarah Buckley ManchesterWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2013OxfordOxford-Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva KentWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2012CambridgeCambridge-Kyle Taylor, Polina Shklyaeva Kyle Taylor, Poline Shklyaeva LiverpoolWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2011OxfordOxford-Graham Dixon, Robyn Price Arman Sahovic, Maria Naumchenko BirminghamWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2010OxfordOxford-Arman Sahovic, Maria Naumchenko Tudor Balan, Janet Gooi ImperialWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2009CambridgeCambridge-Arman Sahovic, Anne Marie Wirth Peter Kecskemethy, Reka Balogh WarwickWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2008CambridgeCambridge-Ryan Lamb, Katie Armstrong Ivan Lubenko, Pippa Underwood Winter Gardens, Blackpool
2007CambridgeCambridge-Ryan Lamb, Katie Armstrong Lev Kravchencko, Toni Isaacs ImperialWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2006CambridgeCambridge-Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg Alexander Hobbs, Samantha Jayatilaka Guildford Spectrum
2005BristolOxford-Nick Faull, Ju Min Wong Arun Arumugam, Lisa Pesik ImperialWinter Gardens, Blackpool
2004OxfordOxford-Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg Nick Faull, Harriet Smith SheffieldStoke-on-Trent
2003Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff Oxford-Paul Fannon, Vesna Kadelburg Scott Bradley, Sarah Adams BristolWatford
2002OxfordOxford-Martin Bird, Shelley Bird Igor Strukov, Rebecca Emmott SheffieldStoke-on-Trent
2001OxfordOxford-Martin Bird, Shelley Bird Ellis Williams, Indika Gunaratne CambridgeStoke-on-Trent
2000CambridgeOxford-Martin Bird, Shelley BirdGeorge Georghiou, Lucy Jones LondonGuildford
1999ImperialImperial-S Richmond & J.Silmon-Clyde EssexOxford
1998LondonLondon-A Walker & S.E Long SheffieldManchester
1997ImperialImperial-A Walker & J Killup ImperialLondon
1996ImperialImperial-Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long BathUEA
1995Oxford-Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long ImperialHull
1994Imperial-Mark Birchenough, Shannah Long NottinghamLiverpool
1993Imperial-P Latter & H Schafer ImperialLondon
1992Imperial-MC Bath & G Rydill ManchesterNottingham
1991Imperial-MC Robinson & CA Turner BathBirmingham
1990Oxford-MC Robinson & CA Turner Hull
1989Cambridge-S Thompson & M Webber Southampton
1988Leeds-Liverpool
1987Cambridge-Bristol
1986Cambridge-Leicester
1985Imperial-Cambridge
1984Oxford-Warwick
1983Oxford-Lancaster
1982Oxford-Southampton
1981Lancaster-Oxford
1980Oxford-Cambridge
1979Cambridge-Lancaster
1978Liverpool-Liverpool
1977Liverpool-Imperial
1976Liverpool-Exeter
1975Liverpool-Newcastle
1974Liverpool-ManchesterImperial - Lyceum Ballroom
1973Leeds-Manchester
1972Leeds-Liverpool
1971Leeds-Leeds - Leeds Refectory
1970Manchester-Bristol
1969Cambridge-
1968UCL-
1967Liverpool-
1966Liverpool-
1965Leicester-
1964Liverpool-
1963Manchester-