This is not your grandma’s ballroom dancing. It is a blend
of athleticism, three-inch heels and sequins. With an undefeated
record last year, the UCSD Dancesport team is lending credit to this
sport. The cha-cha is a sport? Don’t let the rhinestones and
bright smiles fool you—this is hard work. UCSD Dancesport team
may have started from humble beginnings as
a recreational club in 1989, but today it
is the largest club sport on campus, with over 150 team members.
 Within competitions, there are a
variety of styles and levels. The formation team is a group of
eight couples doing a choreographed
routine in unison. The routine
incorporates several dances such as samba, jive, rumba, paso doble
and cha-cha. Last January, UCSD’s formation team won first
place at the Intercontinental Collegiate Championship in Dayton Beach,
Fla., with an “Evita”-themed routine. They were
able to beat longtime rival BYU-Idaho, a university that has a major
in ballroom dance. Throughout the competition season, the formation
team sashayed their way
to the number one spot, never losing a single meet.
The individual couple events are
the other side of competition and allow for more spontaneity and
creativity. Unlike the group
practice
schedule of the formation team, individual couples must work with
a coach or other dance professional to develop choreography on their
own.
In the finals during the past season, UCSD was usually represented
by five out of the six couples on the floor.
One of the keys to good dancing is
making it look effortless, hours of intense practice go into the
competitions. Female dancers remain serenely dazzling as they cha-cha
in three-inch heels, but the footwear is not without its drawbacks.
Like ballet dancers, they have blisters and bloody toes. “It
is art, but it is also a sport,” coach Peter Edwards says. “My
kids come out of practice sweaty and tired just as much as the
guys playing basketball.”
To see the team in action, check out the first match of the season
at the “Day by the Shores” at the Main Gym on March 5.
This will be the 10th anniversary of this home event, so look for
the special professional’s showcase after the competitions.
For more information, please visit http://recadmin.
ucsd.edu/sports/teams/dancesport.
Contributors to Cliff
Notes:
Karla Devries, '04
Evelyn Hsieh, '05
Jessica Megill, '05
Darren Posey, '05 |
