The group that wowed international audiences. Pictured here from L-R: Nadine Buys, Teagan Desvaux de Marigny, Tania Vossgatter, Kirvan Fortuin, Jody Sissing, Odille de Villiers, Natasha Rhoda, Megan Goliath and William Constable

Nine students from UCT's School of Dance have returned triumphant from the ITS Festival, an international Dance competition held annually in Amsterdam. Of the seven international dance companies represented, this group was the only one from Africa and ultimately the one that walked away with a coveted ITS Guest Award prize for the best international performance.

The week-long trip, 24-29 July was made possible thanks to intensive planning and choreography, dedicated fund-raising efforts as well as a faculty grant. The diverse group, all undergraduates ranging from second to fourth year level, were selected following an audition process. They were accompanied on the trip by School of Dance staff members Lindy Raizenberg and Angie Pearson. The winning performance, entitled A Journey from Past to Present consisted of four themed dance pieces, each forming a part of the South African story. From the experiences of 1950'S black migrant workers in Coal Train (choreographed by African Dance Lecturer Maxwell Rani); a performance entitled A Brief Encounter that portrayed a light hearted meeting between strangers, to the power of sisterhood in Tan Bi , ending with a celebration of the Pantsula - a quintesentially South African dance style that originated in the urban townships.

"I think that there is something really special about the energy that we as South Africans bring to everything we do. We received a standing ovation from the audience because they responded to our compelling energy. Our students did not try to emulate European dance styles but rather delivered an authentic and techically skilled performance" said Lindy Raizenberg, Lecturer in Classical Ballet and Choreography.

The UCT dance group beat two other nominees for the ITS Guest Award: The Central School of Ballet from London who delivered a contemporary ballet performance entitled Ballet Central 2012 and the Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts who staged a dance interpretation of the play Waiting for Godot . In awarding the prize, judges commented on the novel way in which the South African performance had merged both traditional and international dance styles in a manner that was unique and exciting.

The Netherlands is widely acknowledged as the centre of Dance in Europe and a visit to Nederlands Dans Theatre in the Hague, was a trip highlight. However for some, the trip held a significance beyond that of the competition - a chance to see the world and exposure to the highly competitive international dance scene. In between rigorous practice sessions and the workshops leading up to competition day, the group took time out to tour the city of Amsterdam. Third year African and Contemporary Dance major, Jody Sissing said "It was my first trip overseas so it was very exciting and very cultural. Amsterdam as a city is very cultural and accepting of people. The trip helped me realise that dancing is what I want to do, I loved performing but seeing all the opportunity there for dancing made me really excited about my career."

It's clear that the future is bright for these students: Teagan de Marigny will soon join the Ikapa Dance Company; Kirvan Fortuin has been accepted into the prestigious CODARTS (Rotterdam) and William Constable is currently working with Bovim Ballet in a season of Queen at the Ballet, at the Baxter Theatre.