They hardly put a foot wrong. With flair and dazzling dance performances, the Dance Sport team of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus has successfully defended their title as University Sports South Africa (USSA) Dance Sport champions.

The NWU team of 20 athletes competed against dancers from 13 South African universities in a tournament hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Westville Campus in Durban from 28 June to 3 July.

They danced across multiple categories including ballroom, Latin, team formation, American show dance and team match. Every athlete progressed to the finals in their respective sections, accumulating a total of 93 points, enough to secure the overall victory.

Head coach and participant Prince Motaung says tight schedules and limited resources marked the team’s preparation. “This year has been extremely challenging, with exams in between training sessions, back-to-back competitions and no proper venue to rehearse,” he said after the tournament. “However, the team still came out on top, and they defended the title with honour.”

The NWU competed in the beginner and adult championship categories, collecting podium points that reinforced their dominance in the national university dance circuit.

“Their performance in the final stages of the tournament demonstrated consistency and coordination, particularly in the team sections where group synchronisation is crucial,” says Prince, who is also the current vice-chairperson of USSA Dance Sport NUSA.

Having won the championships in 2024 and 2025, the Mahikeng team is already preparing for the next competition cycle – while at the same time ensuring they do justice to their academics.