Okuno and Shiraishi win All Japan Collegiate DanceSport Championships

Tokyo Tech's 4th-year undergraduate Takaya Okuno and Shiori Shiraishi from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies won the International Style cha-cha division at the 60th All Japan Collegiate DanceSport Championships on December 13, 2015.

Pair sharing the joy of winning
Photo courtesy of Yamauchi, Gekkan Dance View

What is DanceSport?

DanceSport is competitive ballroom dancing where couples are evaluated by a panel of judges. The collegiate championships have two categories, international style Standard and Latin, each of which is comprised of four divisions — International Standard includes waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, while International Latin consists of samba, cha-cha, rumba, and paso doble.

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  Standard style
  by Takahashi and Kimura
  Photo courtesy of Nozomi Takeue

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  Standard style
  by Sugimura and Hirata
  Photo courtesy of Nozomi Takeue

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  Latin style
  by Suzuki and Hatta
  Photo courtesy of Saki Imahashi

Comments from Takaya Okuno, 4th year, Civil and Environmental Engineering

I am proud to be a Tokyo Tech student good at both academics and sports. I achieved this victory due to my strong will and conscious daily efforts. Various people have helped me along the way, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

Okuno exploding with joy
Photo courtesy of Yamauchi, Gekkan Dance View

Tokyo Tech Ballroom Dance Club

Four couples from Tokyo Tech Ballroom Dance Club participated in the championships. The club was founded in 1946, and currently consists of 30 Tokyo Tech students,14 from Shirayuri University, and 8 from Sugino Fashion College.

• Ballroom Dance Club (Japanese)
• Japan University DanceSport Federation (Japanese)