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One week on from their historic MBAT victory MBA Juliet Zhu gives a front-row view on dancing the team to gold

Published

The Saïd Business School MBA team captured the MBAT gold medal for the fifth consecutive win in this year’s ‘MBA Olympics'.

Three days of intense competition across sporting events tested the teams’ resolve, organisation and execution to the limit. MBA student Juliet Zhu, co-captain of our dance team, shares why she got involved, how she prepared and what it was like to compete on the MBAT dancefloor. 

‘Dance has always been an escape for me, a way to let go of all the stresses and worries of daily life and immerse myself in the rhythm and flow of movement. From a young age, I was drawn to various styles from the elegance of ballet to the high-energy beats of hip-hop. Each style of dance spoke to a different part of me, allowing me to explore different facets of my personality and emotions. Since the age of five, I trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Chinese, and Hip Hop, and have been a part of many dance teams in Canada. However, my most recent team with Oxford Saïd would lead me to one of the most fulfilling dance performances of my life.  

‘Upon joining the Oxford Saïd MBA program, I knew I wanted to get involved in the MBAT dance competition. Throughout the year, I had been brainstorming production concepts, hoping to showcase the diversity of our cohort. When the theme was released as "World of Dance," my co-captain and I knew we had to create a piece that would tell the story by incorporating the various styles of dance that we had all grown up with. Our concept revolved around a girl travelling around the world, experiencing different styles of dance and culture. We had three main dances with five transitional dances, featuring a total of ten different styles. We were determined to be bold with our creativity, whether it was incorporating belly dance into jazz-funk, combining an Irish tap dance with a Chinese fan dance, or remixing bhangra with mainstream hip hop.  

Not only did we have each other's backs, but our entire cohort was our biggest cheerleader. I think that's what made our performance at the MBAT competition so special.

Juliet Zhu

MBA student

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‘The road to the competition was not without its challenges. My co-captain and I ran rehearsals every day for two weeks, from teaching choreographies, creating detailed blockings and transitions, mashing up a smooth remix, to making sure everything was polished for the big day. I was no longer just a dancer in a performance; I was now responsible for everything behind the scenes – props, costumes, staging, lights, music – every little element that creates a full performance. 

‘As the lights came up on the stage, all the stress disappeared, and I was transported back to my dancer days, feeling free and alive. The feelings you get while being on stage are indescribable, and the sense of accomplishment, as I saw my classmates applauding and cheering as we finished the show, was unlike anything I had ever experienced. 

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‘I am incredibly grateful to have had the support of my dance team throughout the entire process of creating our performance for the MBAT competition. The power of teamwork and the support network that we created was truly remarkable. Not only did we have each other's backs, but our entire cohort was our biggest cheerleader. I think that's what made our performance at the MBAT competition so special. It wasn't just about showcasing our individual talents; it was about coming together as a team to create a performance that celebrated our diversity and our shared love for dance. This experience gave me some of the most beautiful moments in my MBA journey, and it's moments like these that also remind me why I fell in love with the art of dance in the first place.’