About IVDA

The Inter Varsity Dance Association (IVDA) is the student-led, non-profit administrative organisation promoting dancing amongst University students in the UK. The IVDA Executive Committee arranges a national competition each year for University students, as well as implementing initiatives to help assist University dance clubs across the country. The current membership of the IVDA consists of 9,000 student dancers from over thirty Universities.

The IVDA was formed in 1962 with the following aims:

• to promote Ballroom and Latin American dancing within universities
• to organise an annual Inter Varsity Dance Competition
• to extend participation of university dancers in competitive dancing both on the University Circuit and the Open Circuit
• to seek to raise the standard of dancing amongst students

IVDA & EADA Working Together
The aims of the IVDA are therefore synonymous with the EADA and the organisations are working together to increase the number of students competing on the open circuit and to encourage students to continue dancing once they graduate.

In order to encourage more students to compete on the open circuit the EADA established an EADA-IVDA membership deal offering discounted membership to EADA for all members of the IVDA.

Membership of EADA under this scheme runs from 1st October to 30th September (based on the academic year) To join fill in a membership form and send it with a cheque payable to EADA and a small SAE to: EADA, 11 Quarry Gardens, Paignton, DEVON, TQ3 2QH
Forms can be downloaded here:

Benefits of joining EADA
If you want to compete on the open circuit you must join EADA. However joining EADA also entitles you to various discounts: 10% off Supadance, Dancesport International, and Crystal-Clover. Members of EADA also receive InMotion, the EADA Newsletter and an e-newsletter E-Motion.

The EADA website has a variety of information about dancing on the open circuit and there is the forum where you can place ads for dancing partners, ask advice, find out details of competitions, and browse the costumes for sale. You can also purchase a range of EADA merchandise at affordable prices


The University Circuit

Any UK University student is eligible to compete in the student events at University competitions, and each competition typically has events for former students. A complete calendar with information on all university competitions can be found on the website: www.universitydancesport.com

If you would like more information about IVDA, if you are a dancer at University but your University does not appear to have a dance team, or for more details about the Inter Varsity Dance Competition, contact the IVDA President:

Moving from the university circuit to the open circuit
This may seem like a daunting move at first but the open circuit is not intimidating as you may think – there are a range of events at most competitions from beginners through to Amateur. In order to make things easier we have devised a guide to how open competitions work and how to go about competing on the open circuit,
Please feel free to contact universities@eada.org.uk with any questions you may have.

Other initiatives:

EADA-IVDA Training Day:
EADA is hosting a series of training days specifically designed for IVDA members to encourage those students who want to compete on the open circuit. The training days offer top coaching at an affordable price suited to those new to the open circuit. The first day was held in January 2006, for a report on the event click here:

Qualifying Competitions:
University competitions are now acting as qualifiers for Champions of Tomorrow in Blackpool in January and Stars of the Future in June in Brentwood. Those students who come in the top two in the Beginners Ballroom events, Beginners Latin events, Novice Ballroom, Novice Latin, Intermediate Ballroom and Intermediate Latin and the highest placed Under 21 all girl couple will qualify.

For more information contact: publicity@universitydancesport.compublicity@universitydancesport.com

IVDA is also working with competition promoters to arrange events at open circuit competitions which are designed for those who have competed on the University circuit. The first of these was the “University Dance Challenge” team event at the West London Champions in Egham in December 2006, which has now become an annual event. See www.universitydancesport.com for more information