DanceSport
Encyclopedia
Dancesport denotes competitive ballroom dancing
, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport
where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair
.
Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesport organizations at the national and international level, such as the World Dance Council
.
The name was invented to help competitive ballroom dancing gain Olympic recognition. The physical demands of dancesport has been the subject of scientific research.
These categories apply to both individual couples and formation dance
.
In 2007 the WDC Amateur League was created. This organisation runs a number of competitions and has its own world ranking system for amateur dancers.
Each member country in the WDC has its own national organisation, such as the British Dance Council
, which acts as a forum for the many interested parties in that country. The national bodies decide on their delegates to the WDC.
of dancesport
, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee
(IOC).
Originally founded in 1957 as the International Council of Amateur Dancers (ICAD), it took up the name IDSF in 1990. In 2011 it was renamed to WDSF to emphasise the global character of the organization.
In the past, the focus of the IDSF was on administering amateur dancers and competitions. However, in 2010 the IDSF Professional Division was created (formerly known as the IPDSC), which extended this focus to professional dancesport.
WDSF members are not permitted to dance in competitions which is not granted by the WDSF, or one of its member federations.
, an event open to all, to competitions conducted exclusively for university students, such as those hosted by the Inter Varsity Dance Association
in the UK.
Amateur competitions commonly include events that group dancers by age, experience, or both. For example, events might group young dancers by age, such as: juvenile (<12yrs), junior (12-16yrs), and youth (16-19yrs). Events may sometimes cover a wide range of ages, with groupings such as: under 21yrs, adult, senior I (Over 35yrs), senior II (Over 45yrs), and senior III (Over 50yrs). Adult competitions are often further divided into categories such as beginner, novice, intermediate, pre-amateur, and amateur.
(WDC) rules for international competitions are lengthy and detailed. The music for competitions is kept confidential until the event. The music always follows a strict tempo and, for a couples competition, it will have a duration of no less than 90 seconds, and no more than two minutes.
Some elementary competitions are restricted to "basic" steps, but international competitions are open as to choreography
, within the limits of the traditional style of the individual dances. Only the Viennese waltz
has defined choreography: it is limited to nine well-specified figures. Lifts are not permitted, except for Show Dance titles. The tempo for each dance is defined. In the finals, couples are marked under the skating system
and judged by timing, footwork, rise and fall, alignment, direction and floor craft. Competitors must meet World Anti-Doping Agency
rules.
(IDSF) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee
as the sole representative body for dancesport, on September 5, 1997. At that point, many dance organisations changed their titles to incorporate the word sport. This recognition gives the IDSF, potentially, a unique status. The IDSF website shows letters and certificates from the IOC that recognise dancesport as an eligible sport for inclusion pursuant to rule 29 of the Olympic Charter.
On its website, the IDSF gives an upbeat appraisal of the chances of dancesport being included in a future summer Olympic Games. However, dancesport has not been included as an official event at the Olympics since its recognition, and there are many who doubt that it ever will. The 2008 Beijing Olympics did not include ballroom dancing and neither will the 2012 London Olympics
.
Ballroom dance
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport
Wheelchair DanceSport
- External links : IPC- Wheelchair Dancesport*...
where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
.
Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesport organizations at the national and international level, such as the World Dance Council
World Dance Council
The World Dance Council Ltd , is a registered limited company, and the legal successor to the International Council of Ballroom Dancing, and was established at a meeting organised by P.J.S Richardson on 22 September 1950 in Edinburgh...
.
The name was invented to help competitive ballroom dancing gain Olympic recognition. The physical demands of dancesport has been the subject of scientific research.
History
The first unofficial world championship took place in 1909, and the first formation team was presented in 1932 by Olive Ripman at the Astoria Ballroom, London. Dancesport was first broadcast on TV in 1960.Styles
The term dancesport applies only to the International Style of competitive ballroom (often referred to as Standard or Modern) dancing and Latin dancing. Today, it includes the following style categories:- Standard
- Latin American
- Ten Dance
These categories apply to both individual couples and formation dance
Formation dance
Formation dance is a style of ballroom dancing. It is pattern or shadow team dancing by couples in a formation team. The choreography may be based on a particular dance or a medley of dances...
.
World Dance Council
The World Dance Council (WDC) is a registered limited company, and the legal successor to the International Council of Ballroom Dancing (ICBD), which was formed in 1950 in Edinburgh. The WDC operates through a general council and two committees:- The World Dance Sport Committee regulates professional dancesport at the international level.
- The World Social Dance Committee "deals with all matters of the dance profession that relate to the activities of Dance Schools and Dance Teachers". It does not regulate social dance directly – that is the business of individual organisers, the dance teacher organisations, such as the Imperial Society of Teachers of DancingImperial Society of Teachers of DancingThe Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...
, and the chains of dance teaching schools in the United States (such as the Arthur MurrayArthur MurrayArthur Murray was a dance instructor and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name....
organisation).
In 2007 the WDC Amateur League was created. This organisation runs a number of competitions and has its own world ranking system for amateur dancers.
Each member country in the WDC has its own national organisation, such as the British Dance Council
British Dance Council
The British Dance Council was formed in 1929 as the Official Board of Ballroom Dancing . The name was subsequently changed in 1985 to the British Council of Ballroom Dancing and in 1996, the name was changed to British Dance Council...
, which acts as a forum for the many interested parties in that country. The national bodies decide on their delegates to the WDC.
International DanceSport Federation
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), formerly the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), is the international governing bodySport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
of dancesport
DanceSport
Dancesport denotes competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair....
, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC).
Originally founded in 1957 as the International Council of Amateur Dancers (ICAD), it took up the name IDSF in 1990. In 2011 it was renamed to WDSF to emphasise the global character of the organization.
In the past, the focus of the IDSF was on administering amateur dancers and competitions. However, in 2010 the IDSF Professional Division was created (formerly known as the IPDSC), which extended this focus to professional dancesport.
WDSF members are not permitted to dance in competitions which is not granted by the WDSF, or one of its member federations.
Competitions
There are a wide variety of dance competitions. They range from the well known Blackpool Dance FestivalBlackpool Dance Festival
The 8-day Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England since 1920. It is also the largest ballroom competition: in 2003, 1539 couples from 54...
, an event open to all, to competitions conducted exclusively for university students, such as those hosted by the Inter Varsity Dance Association
Inter Varsity Dance Association
The Inter Varsity Dance Association is a non profit student, administrative organisation, which promotes dancing amongst UK university students...
in the UK.
Amateur competitions commonly include events that group dancers by age, experience, or both. For example, events might group young dancers by age, such as: juvenile (<12yrs), junior (12-16yrs), and youth (16-19yrs). Events may sometimes cover a wide range of ages, with groupings such as: under 21yrs, adult, senior I (Over 35yrs), senior II (Over 45yrs), and senior III (Over 50yrs). Adult competitions are often further divided into categories such as beginner, novice, intermediate, pre-amateur, and amateur.
Rules
The World Dance CouncilWorld Dance Council
The World Dance Council Ltd , is a registered limited company, and the legal successor to the International Council of Ballroom Dancing, and was established at a meeting organised by P.J.S Richardson on 22 September 1950 in Edinburgh...
(WDC) rules for international competitions are lengthy and detailed. The music for competitions is kept confidential until the event. The music always follows a strict tempo and, for a couples competition, it will have a duration of no less than 90 seconds, and no more than two minutes.
Some elementary competitions are restricted to "basic" steps, but international competitions are open as to choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
, within the limits of the traditional style of the individual dances. Only the Viennese waltz
Viennese Waltz
Viennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called...
has defined choreography: it is limited to nine well-specified figures. Lifts are not permitted, except for Show Dance titles. The tempo for each dance is defined. In the finals, couples are marked under the skating system
Skating system
The Skating system is a method of compiling scores in ballroom dance competitions. It was introduced by the British Official Board of Ballroom Dancing in 1937...
and judged by timing, footwork, rise and fall, alignment, direction and floor craft. Competitors must meet World Anti-Doping Agency
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
rules.
Dancesport as an Olympic event
After a long campaign, the International DanceSport FederationInternational DanceSport Federation
The World DanceSport Federation , formerly the International DanceSport Federation , is the international governing body of dancesport and Wheelchair DanceSport, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee .Originally founded in 1957 as the...
(IDSF) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
as the sole representative body for dancesport, on September 5, 1997. At that point, many dance organisations changed their titles to incorporate the word sport. This recognition gives the IDSF, potentially, a unique status. The IDSF website shows letters and certificates from the IOC that recognise dancesport as an eligible sport for inclusion pursuant to rule 29 of the Olympic Charter.
On its website, the IDSF gives an upbeat appraisal of the chances of dancesport being included in a future summer Olympic Games. However, dancesport has not been included as an official event at the Olympics since its recognition, and there are many who doubt that it ever will. The 2008 Beijing Olympics did not include ballroom dancing and neither will the 2012 London Olympics
London Olympics
London has hosted the Olympic Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948, with a third scheduled for 2012. The planned 2012 Olympics will make London the first city to have hosted the modern Games of three Olympiads...
.
See also
- List of DanceSport dances
- World Ballroom Dance Champions
- World Latin Dance Champions
- World 10 Dance Champions
- List of dance organizations
- Dance basic topics
- Dancesport at the 2005 Southeast Asian GamesDancesport at the 2005 Southeast Asian GamesDancesport was an event at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. The competition took place on November 27, 2005 in the Main Hall of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, Philippines.Medals were contested in 2 dance categories.* Latin American dances...
- Formation danceFormation danceFormation dance is a style of ballroom dancing. It is pattern or shadow team dancing by couples in a formation team. The choreography may be based on a particular dance or a medley of dances...
- English Amateur Dancesport AssociationEnglish Amateur Dancesport AssociationThe English Amateur Dancesport Association Ltd is a volunteer-led organisation which represents the interests of Amateur Dancers within England. EADA provides support and training for Amateur dancers and acts as the voice of English Amateur dancers amongst other dance organisations both in the...
- Ice dancingIce dancingIce dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
- Dancesport at the 2010 Asian GamesDancesport at the 2010 Asian GamesDancesport at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Zengcheng Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China from November 13 to 14, 2010.-Medal table:-Standard dance:-Latin dance:-Five dances:November 14-Quickstep:November 13-Slow foxtrot:November 13...