The morning of the competition we went out to the gravel parking lot behind our hotel and, ran through the routine a few times for good measure.
On the afternoon of November 25th, we finally danced at the competition we had been training for. The Austrians had warned us about the Worlds. Teams that had placed first at the Austrian Open would get “creamed” at the Worlds. The Germans and Lithuanians dominated. Their athleticism was unparalleled, the artistry was most expressive and the flowing formations were exact yet very complex. The couples on each team looked identical, making uniformity easily achievable.
They must have found our 'African/jungle' routine very unconventional. We were complimented on our creativity, music, and on the original choreography. However, I knew we had confused some people when they commented on how much they liked the “Pocahontas” routine.
In the end, we ranked 15th in the World. We were extremely proud to represent Canada at this World-class event. Seeing European formation teams in competition was essential for our team's improvement. Without this experience, we would have never guessed what formation team dancing was all about. We've watched and learned from the best. We now know what we needed to reach for the top and can assist future Canadian athletes with knowledge gained from our experiences.
I learned about the European philosophy. In the West, we like to know a little about a lot things. In Europe, it is better to focus all your energy on one passion and master it, than to be mediocre at bunch of different activities. Year after year, formation team members will dance the same routine until it is perfect. Their dedication shows!
Mariannina Cusano
Andrew Lloyd Weber… blue hair… the “roundabout”… studios on the Vancouver equivalent of Robson Street… a stuffed yellow rabbit…
What, you may ask, is this girl going on about? Perhaps all the formation team training has gone to her head? While that may, in fact, be partially true, the words above are all used to describe the Austria's number one Latin formation team – UTSC PSK Forum Wien.
As someone who had never been to Europe before, I had all of the North American generalizations on board with me as I landed in Vienna – “those Europeans are SERIOUS dancers who don't joke around and practice every day for 4 hours at a time”. With that in mind, I think that I, and the rest of my teammates, were wonderfully surprised when we met with reality.
The friendship between our two teams began with casual “Hellos” in the hall outside the dressing rooms at the Austrian Open and an invitation to hang out over lunch. While the Chinese food was marginal (by Vancouver standards anyway), the understanding each of the teams gained about the other over the meal was definitely not. Among other things, we discovered that our two teams had quite a few similarities – no, their team doesn't practice every day; yes, it's been difficult for them to get financial sponsorship too; no, their coaches don't train with them for free; and yes, it is hard to recruit members sometimes.
The Austrian team's routine to music from various Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals won them second place at the Austrian Open. Believe me, they had the Canadians cheering for them all the way through their routine!
The real fun came the next evening, with an invitation to our team to visit their dance studio on Vienna's famous Mariahilferstrasse (think Robson Street times 100). Talk about interactive and educational! We were let in on the secrets of the “stationary roundabout” (a MUST for all European formation teams!). While our team has attempted to train that move in the past… well, we weren't quite able to figure it out at the time. But, with the Austrian guys who weren't afraid of practicing with us and ending up with bruises and sprained wrists, us Canadians quickly mastered the concept (note: concept) in no time. After many dizzy turns on the floor, a half hour lesson on the man's body position, and one bloody nose, we could actually do it! The fun, however, did have to come to an end, but not before managing to dance the Viennese Waltz in Vienna (thanks, Royal!) and some hearty Viennese food!
At the World Championships in Wels, Austria, we were again treated to the awesome hospitality of PSK Forum Wien when we were loaned our very own Canadian mascot for the competition! You see, every team chooses a mascot (usually a huge stuffed animal) to bring good luck when competing – another lesson in European formation team dancing. While we didn't have a Canadian grizzly or beaver out there, the cute yellow rabbit we were loaned did just the trick!
Now you must be wondering where the blue hair comes in. This is where we move on to the huge party after the World Championships. We were treated to the sight of one of the Austrian guys (thank you, Oliver!) in bright blue hair. Of course, special mention goes to the second Austrian team (Perchtoldsdorf), who showed up with some of their men in women's makeup – blue eye shadow and fake eyelashes included!
Thank you once again to our fabulous Austrian friends and we hope to see you next year at the World Championships!!!
We began as a group of eager, mostly inexperienced dancers. Under the
direction of Viktor Yasel, 9 couples worked diligently for 4 months to
prepare a routine. Our goal as the UBC Ballroom Dancing Latin Formation
Team was to attend the 13th Annual Intercontinental DanceSport Festival in
Florida held Jan. 3-10, 2000. Spare time and finances were limited. We're
still fundraising to pay off our debts but here's our glorious story.
Leaving Vancouver January 2nd we began our mission. As the only Canadian
team, we would join 36 other teams from the US and England in Daytona Beach,
FL. Few of us knew what we were in for.
It was 7 days of boot camp training for ballroom dancers. Our days were
filled with the highest caliber of dance instruction. Numerous celebrities
in the world of DanceSport like Jean-Marc Genereux and France Mousseau from
Montreal (five-time Canadian and North American Latin Amateur Champions and
ten-time Canadian Latin Pro Champions) taught endless theory and technique
workshops. Regardless, of how physically and mentally exhausted we became,
we attended these workshops religiously. Evenings were filled with
individual and team competitions.
With our days and nights being so busy, we had difficulty trying to organize
a team practice. However, our Formation Team managed to get up and practice
at 7am – yes, we all got to dance our routine on the beach while watching
the sunrise – that's what I call dedication! On Thursday evening, the UBC
Latin Formation Team danced brilliantly in the elimination round and got a
call-back for the finals.
On Friday night all would be decided. As team captain, I had to pick our
performance position out of a hat. Of the 3 teams in the finals, we would
be dancing first. This was a stressful situation to be in. Not only would
we have to impress the judges but we knew the competition was stiff and only
a flawless performance would keep our dream alive. We were introduced as
"The Canadian Team from the University of British Columbia". From the
moment we stepped onto the dance floor we put our exhaustion, aches and
fears aside, and danced our energetic 4.5 minute routine to music that
included the sounds of Lou Bega, Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan. The
crowd, filled with new friends we made during our stay, cheered relentlessly
until their roar became deafening. Our samba, cha-cha, rumba, jive and
paso-doble seemed to impress them.
Then came the tough part. We would have to sit and watch our competitors
try to out-dance us. I became nervous because both teams were extremely
talented and danced amazing routines. However, it was a question of who the
judges liked best.
Nothing compares to the anxiety I experienced while the MC announced the
results. I'll never forget it. He said, "In third place, with 203 points
the University of " and he paused creating and eerie silence that lasted
forever. He continued, "California San Diego" and I made myself take a
breath for fear of fainting. Then, the instant he announced Ricks College
Idaho as winning 2nd place with 218 points, everyone in our team formed a
huddle and jumped around cheering uncontrollably. With tears of victory
streaming down my face our team gratefully accepted our 1st place trophies
from the dignitaries. We won the formation team competition with an
incredible score of 251 points. After all the adversity we had overcome to
attend this competition – victory was sweet. The song 'We Are The Champions'
blasted in ballroom and we were thrilled.
Three retired ladies on vacation from Toronto congratulated us expressing
how proud they were to see the Canadian team win – we all felt a sense of
patriotism.
At the conclusion of the weeklong festival, UBC had accumulated (through
individual and team competitions) the most points of all the Colleges and
Universities in attendance -- we kicked butt! Since we were indoors dancing
morning 'till night, none of us had suntans but we did manage to play a
little beach volleyball and do a little swimming before leaving Daytona.
Late January 10, returning home via 2 planes and 3 buses, an exhausted, cold
and aching group of dancers arrived in snowy Vancouver -- but nobody dared
to complain. The truth was that we all had a marvelous time. Afterall, we
ARE the champions!
The UBC Formation Team would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to coach
Viktor Yasel for his faith in our team and to the UBC Dance Club for all
their support. Also, we wish to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to
our fundraising efforts.
Our next performance will be at the SnowBall Classic IDSF International Open
DanceSport Competition held February 4-6, 2000 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Join us also at the 38th Annual UBC Gala Ball on March 17-18, 2000 at the
Garden Auditorium, PNE.
Mariannina Cusano
UBC Latin Formation Team Captain 1999-2000 and 2000-2001
Twenty six members of the UBC Dance Club and Latin Formation Team joined hundreds of dancers from across the US, England and Germany at the 11th Annual Intercollegiate International Dance Festival in Orlando Florida this January. There they took part in competitions for all levels in the collegiate and Adult events, placing very well in all.
After months of practice and with the generous support of those at home to boost their energy, the Formation Team took first place! A team match held for university students had three UBC teams entered, where they placed 2nd and 4th. In the individual competitions, couples in the now famous purple jackets placed in nearly every event.
We were very happy to be able to represent Canada with such a strong showing in Florida, but the greatest part of competition was being commended for our sportsmanship and friendliness.
This week was not just about competition, though. A busy schedule of workshops kept us challenging our bodies and minds with intensive workshops from morning 'til night. The instructors came from Canada, the US, and Britain, and featured well known names like Jean-Marc Genereux, France Mousseau, Michelle Officer, and Clive Phillips. It was truly an amazing experience to dance so much for several days straight and to feel my body finally start to catch on!
The festival is held annually, and alternates in location from Orlando to London, England. I would very strongly encourage anyone to go to England in March, 1999!
We would like to extend a huge thank you for your continuing generous support over the past months which made this trip possible. The UBC Dance Club Latin Formation Team would also like to thank Calvin Lee very much for his much appreciated hard work and patience in coaching the team over the past 8 months.
Veronica Woodside President, UBC Dance Club 1997-1998 Member, Latin Formation Team 1997-1998 and 2000-2001