Team O” on tour!
Didn’t we have a lovely time, the day we went to Belgium …


The inaugural ‘Team O on tour’ trip was an unqualified success, and from small beginnings big things grow! Late last year a group of EADA members decided to try to move their dancing forwards – initially through structured ‘finals’ training at Egham and then by going to compete overseas. The purpose of the latter was to experience first-hand the way that continental couples perform, and to dip our toes into the “bigger pool”……..

The first trip was chosen to coordinate with the World Open Senior II ballroom championship in Liege, for which Richard / Jennie Funnell and Ian Saville / Julia Brookes were selected to represent England. 5 couples and 2 supporters hired a minibus, decked it out with St George crosses and drove via the Eurotunnel and Calais to Liege, arriving later than planned at 2’O’clock in the morning. The time change, having to leave after work, and “Black Friday” on the M25 all took their toll! It doesn’t matter how much you anticipate bad traffic, it always seems to be worse!! Still, the friendly banter and a few choruses of “we’re all going on a European tour” soon lightened the mood

It was clearly a “weekend of two halves”!

Saturday
After an early start for the Worlds, where couples had to collect their numbers by 7.45am, the action started at 9am. The dancers were warmed up, the supporters ready with flags and the hall filled to the brim with fit enthusiastic “over 45s”. The programme declared that there were 197 couples in the Open World Championships, but then the compere announced they had to scrap the repechage as the couples now exceed the 200 allowed in IDSF rules. So heat 1 of 15 started … and it took 2 hours to get through the first round alone with judges having to be granted a break after the VW!

We also had 2 entries in the Senior I competition, again receiving great support from the team.

The competition was fierce, the music long, the other couples very tall (the attending English dancers would never feature in a basketball team) and the standard very high. Results didn’t go the English way and even with vocal support and flag waving the couples dropped out of contention. So, off we went to a local restaurant to lick our wounds, put the world of dancing to rights and then plot the next day’s assault on the IDSF Senior II and III events.

Sunday
Well, how things change. After a night of reflection and soul searching (and some rest!) the English landed again in the hall determined to do better and this time every couple progressed a round further! A more dynamic approach was used with a desire to get seen through a focus on movement and impact. The support was louder, the flags waved more vigorously and a real team spirit was born .

A long journey home flew by (well, it did for those who weren’t on driving duty!) and we all confirmed our desire to go again. An email from one team mate said …

As I understand them, the objectives were to build team spirit ("tick"), to raise understanding of what we need to do to compete at such a level in the future ("tick") and to have a good time ("tick"),… all satisfied for me.

So what next? For those English dancers determined to help create a step change in their performances we challenge you! Train harder (as we do in Egham), support your peers as it will lift your performance (as we do in Team O) and experience what it takes to dance overseas where they are miles ahead of us in so many ways (as we have now started to do). We will now look at the IDSF calendar for 2008 and then pick some dates where they hold IDSF events for many age groups and styles. We will organise the transport (it cost circa £50 per person to get to Liege and back) if we get the interest. Are you up for it? You can contact me through the webmaster if you are!

Go Team O!!!


Ok – who forgot to fetch the minibus?????

Mr Townsend – Fashionably late.

All aboard!

Essential last minute practice


How many Ballroom dancers does it take to work a petrol pump?


John Townsend & Sabine Kunzte


Go Team O


Irene Jolly


England England England


We made the 24!!


The Sunday Support Team


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