| Subject: Varsity - the view from the Slithery side |
Author:
The Serpent
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Date Posted: 15:02:33 05/19/03 Mon
By popular demand, an assessment of last weekend's 30th Varsity match between Oxford and Cambridge, held in Cambridge. Winners, losers, plain inconspicuous mediocre middle of the roaders, none will escape the unerring scrutiny of the Serpent's eye. (Actually, that's not technically true, just the winners and losers will feature).
Firstly, a few of the stylised facts:
1) Oxford won the A team by a large margin, though not quite as large as last year.
2) The A team match was essentially over after the ballroom results, during which Oxford built up a lead of over 450 points (out of a possible ~1500)
3) Nevertheless, Oxford won both latin dances as well.
4) Oxford won the B team by just 6 marks - the tightest margin in Varsity history.
5) This was achieved through winning the jive, having lost both ballroom dances and only narrowly (about 4 marks) winning the Cha.
Individual winners were:
A team:
Best Oxford Ballroom: Nick and Harriet
Best Oxford Latin: Tris and Jumin
Best Oxford Overall: Nick and Harriet
Best Cambridge Ballroom: Paul and Fai
Best Cambridge latin: Solon and SuAnn
Best Cambridge overall: Solon and SuAnn
Best overall ballroom and overall: Nick and Harriet
Best overall latin: Tris and Jumin
B team:
Best Cambridge everything: Ben and Elisabeth
Best Oxford everything: Greg and Georgina
Best Overall everything: Ben and Elisabeth
A few comments on the teams, followed by the winners:
A team:
This was billed as one of the closest Varsity matches in years, but it patently wasn't. There were a few dodgy selections at the bottom of the Cambridge team, but top to bottom they were outclassed. The problem with Varsity is that ballroom comes first, and that creates a strong impression going into the latin for the judges. Yet Oxford were so superior in the ballroom that the latin was irrelevant. In Nick and Harriet, Peter and Jane, Sugata and Hazel they had three of the top four couples in this year's IVDC advanced modern. Add to that Robin (who finished 5th at IVDC) and Jumin (former national quickstep champion) and this was an Oxford ballroom side that Cambridge had no chance of matching. And it seemed that they knew it. No Cambridge couples came out to practise in the warm-up and throughout the match many of Cambridge's couples looked nervous and psyched out. A lack of balance on the Cambridge team was a mistake, and stood in stark contrast to the Oxford team.
In the latin, things were not much better. Buoyed by their obvious superioriy in the ballroom, Oxford's couples danced better than expected in the latin, whilst Cambridge's couples loooked short on confidence. An indicative moment came in the back to back Jive. Oxford's four couples stayed on the floor and stood in the middle of the floor. Cambridge's oncoming four couples restricted themselves to dance on the side of the floor on one side - essentially conceding space to Oxford. Oxford's malaise in the latin had anyway been overstated, and this was a balanced team, with Tris and Jumin, Dave and Caroline, Wolfram and Emmy and Tomas and Laura giving latin strength. Add to that mix Nick and Harriet, who had frequently made advanced finals in latin, and there was a strong nucleus of a latin side. Only Scott and Sarah and Paul and Fai danced with any conviction in the latin for Cambridge.
Nonetheless, it was closer than last year, and Cambridge have had a hugely successful year, drawing SUDC and IVDC A team matches. Varsity was closer, but Cambridge need ballroom dancers on the A team if they are going to compete, and they must address a tail-end to the A team that is weak year after year.
B team
Oxford have never lost the B team, but they came closer than ever before this year. Having filled the A team with every latin dancer they could find, Cambridge had all their left over ballroom dancers in the B team, with the talismanic leadership of Ben and Elisabeth, who led from the front. The team was consistently good, and Cambridge didn't suffer from a weak lower end as they usually do. They rightfully won both ballroom dances and lost both latin dances. That is virtually unheard-of in the Varsity match. Oxford, meanwhile, had a weak B team. One ineligible couple was about par for the course, but the bottom end of the team was the weakest that I can remember. 6 marks difference is basically a draw, but neither Oxford nor Cambridge will see it like that.
Nick and Harriet
Danced very well despite the small size of the floor, and were worthy winners in both ballroom and overall. The ballroom had good movement to go with Nick's trademark strong hold. They had good floor presence and thoroughly deserved their awards. Were helped by being in the weaker of the two Oxford heats for ballroom, but nonetheless have been the best ballroom couple on the circuit recently, and definitely deserved to win. Latin was strong and rhythmical, if it times not quite centred, especially in fast spinning movements. They were the third best couple in the latin overall, and were virtually unchallenged overall.
Paul and Fai: Paul Fannon's effort at this year's Varsity match should go down in Varsity folklore as one of the greatest. Despite suffering badly with Glandular fever (so I believe), and collapsing between the ballroom and latin, Paul fought through both the ballroom and latin and danced very well. He was the deserving winner of the best Cambridge ballroom, and probably a little unlucky not to pick up the Cambridge overall trophy after a decent showing in the latin (even if at times he looked close to death). He was more than ably supported by Fai Assakul, Cambridge's first full blue dancer, who went on later to show exactly what she's capable of in latin with her open circuit partner (worth watching if you get the chance!)
Tris and Jumin
Tris has not had a lot of luck in the past two years. He's managed to finish second a lot of times, he didn't dance Varsity last year because his partner was ineligible, he suffered a collapsed lung before SUDA this year, and then lost his partner for Varsity. All of which meant that, coming into Varsity, Tris's only first place was Warwick team cha this year. Fortunately, he got a national champion partner in Jumin, who simultaneously allowed him to dance to his potential in the latin, and get him to dance ballroom better than anyone could have expected. The latin was musical, had good body rhythm, was fast, grounded, technically strong and well presented. Personally, I though best latin overall was a one horse race.
Solon and SuAnn
The Varsity match has become a bit of a jinx for Solon. It seem he never dances as well at Varsity as during the rest of the year, and it proved to be the case yet again this year. Solon and SuAnn were good in the ballroom, despite a lack of movement that a dwarf would be ashamed of, showing good musicality, footwork and an excellent top. But in the latin I thought they were very lacklustre. Having performed so well at SUDC and IVDC this year, it was disappointing to see. There was little of the usual sparkle, although much may have been due to an ailment on SuAnn's part. Solon can sometimes seem to sulk, and it seemed so on Saturday. Nonetheless, they had enough to win best Cambridge latin, staying controlled, on time and hitting good lines.
Ben and Elisabeth
The B team match was a battle of the ineligible dancers at the top end, Cambridge entering the daddy of university dancers, Ben Wooly, with Elisabeth, both of whom having done 4 or more A team matches already. For those who don't know Ben, he has now finished, by my calculations, his 11th year on the university circuit. He is known recently for his Cambridge days, but once made history as the first Oxford sportsperson to compete for Cambridge against Oxford, having had a row with the Oxford club (both claim they are owed money from the other). Anyway, they had a bit too much for the others on Sunday. Ballroom was very good, as was the latin. Elisabeth is an exceptional dancer - technically very strong and also very expressive. Fought off competition from Greg and Georgina, but were worthy winners, at least in Ballroom and overall.
Greg and Georgina
Danced very well, and should have won the latin, which was full of life, very rhythmical and well presented. Ballroom was good, but the height difference worked against them to a certain extent, and Georgina lacked CBM at times.
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