Eada the voice of english amateur dancers

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Duffers Guide to Dance Organizations
Everything you never wanted to know about the organizations that influence your dancing.

There is a baffling array of organizations within the dance world, and it would be extremely difficult to give a complete overview of the interrelationships between all of them. This then, is an overview of SOME of the organizations and in brief what they do.

A lot of this stuff has been lifted from the organizations sites in the vague hope it makes more sense to you than it does to me.

I present these in alphabetical order. So, we will cover:

BCDC BDC, BDF, BDFI DPA	EADA, IDSF IVDA SD Sport England	Teaching Organizations TSB WADA WADSA WDC

BCDC
British Competitors Dancesport Corporation
www.britishcompetitors.com

This group look after the interest of Pro competitors.They have two seats on the British Dance Council, (BDC) , and also have a seat on the International Professional Affairs Committee, which solely deals with competitive issues around the World.

"The BCDC keeps it's members up to date with World issues and important changes that are happening in the ever-changing Dancesport Industry. "

BDC
The British Dance Council
www.british-dance-council.org

The BDC is the umbrella organization for Ballroom, Latin American, and Disco Freestyle dancing in the UK.

The Council is made up of Teaching Bodies, Professional Dancers Organizations, Amateur Organizations (including EADA) and one Public Company (Leisure Parcs who own the Wintergardens)

One of the main functions of the Council is to formulate and administer the rules for competition dancing. All Dance competitions in Great Britain are governed by these rules. Have a look at some of the other duffers guides that explain some of these rules.

The BDC also grant “Championship” status to many dance events each year.

BDF
The Ballroom Dancers Federation
http://www.bdfonline.info

The Ballroom Dancers Federation sits on the BDC council and many of the sub-committees and is one of the Organizations that look after the interest of competitors, (mainly professional).

The British Dance Council doesn't organize World and European Championships and doesn't fund (pro) competitors to go abroad to represent their country: the BDF does that.

The BDF also organizes the Congress at Blackpool, as well as hold the titles (as organizers) for the oldest Championships in Great Britain, the Star Championships.

BDFI
http://www.bdfi.org/

Like the BDF, only international - hence the “I” at the end. They organize the Congress at Blackpool on alternate years.

"The objectives of the B.D.F.I. are: to promote the spirit of good fellowship
and sportsmanship and to protect and advance the interest of competitions,
demonstrators, coaches, teachers, adjudicators, scrutineers and promoters internationally; to further the goodwill and co operation between the Federation"

Mission statement stuff that, right off their web site! No I don't understand it either!

DPA
Dance Promoters Association

These are the chaps who actually put on the competitions in the UK. The DPA looks after their interests at meetings at the BDC. You don’t have to be a member of the DPA to run a comp, but most organizers are. EADA is always working with the DPA to try to find ways to improve the running of Dance Competitions.

EADA

English Amateur Dancesport Association
www.eada.org.uk - but you know that already.

EADA is the governing body for Dancing as recognized by Sport England. If you compete at any level above beginner you need to become a member. (Don’t worry, they're not fussy - they let me join, you’ll be fine just click here to go to register)

EADA sends representatives to the BDC to speak on behalf of amateur competitive dancers in England. EADA is also a member of the IDSF so holds regular meetings with them to represent your interests on the international stage.

EADA selects the couples and sends them overseas to take part in international comps like the world and European Championships run by the IDSF. Each year promoters run a number of chart rated events. The results of these competitions are collated to form the charts, and when EADA receives the invite for the competitions from the organizer, the couple or couples at the top of the chart are invited to go to represent England. EADA then pays the travel costs for that couple.

Although the National Selection Competitions, (NSC) or Chart Rated Events (CRE) as they are sometimes known are run under BDC rules, there are some rules that apply chart events, so for example the age groups for these are slightly different from the usual Sunday events. Look out for more duffers guides in the future on this . You can also download the EADA chart event rules by clicking here

Oh and by the way its got the best looking webmaster out of any dance organization in the world.

IDSF
International Dance Sport Federation
www.idsf.net/

Possibly to change its name in the near future to the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)

The IDSF recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee - no there's no info about them, I hope you've heard of the Olympics!) as the International governing body for dance. It is therefore also a signatory of WADA and implements the anti doping policy.

This is the body that runs most of the amateur competitions overseas, and this is the body that sets the rules for those comps. It organizes the Grand Slam events, and the Amateur World Championships.

The IDSF is also active in promoting dancesport to a wider audience. One of the initiatives has been involved in recently is the Eurovision Dance Contest which was seen in millions of homes across Europe.

IVDA
Inter Varsity dancesport Association
http://dance104.valuehost.co.uk/Mambo/

IVDA is a student-led administrative organization, which promotes dancing amongst UK university students. Its main concern is dancesport, but it also assist those who compete in other dance styles.

It aims to promote Ballroom and Latin American dancing within universities .

The Association also hosts the annual national student dance competition, the Inter Varsity Dance Competition (IVDC), and enforces the regulations for the competition.

SD
Scottish Dancesport
www.dancesportscotland.org

Scottish Dancesport; Formerly SADA Scottish Amateur Dancesport Association
Like EADA but for Scotland.

Sport England
http://www.sportengland.org/

This is the Government body set up to promote all varieties of sport in this country.

Sport England is the brand name of the English Sports Council which is a distributor of Lottery funds to sport Sport England (formerly the English Sports Council) is the governing body responsible for advising, investing in and promoting community sport in England. Its ambition is to get two million people more active in sport by 2012.

EADA is the officially recognized by Sport England as the governing body for dance in this country. So Sport England come to us to implement any new measures such as child protection measures that the Government may wish to see applied in all sports.

Teaching Organizations
There are a bucket load of these - they include:
Allied Dancing Association (ADA)
British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD)
International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA)
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD)
National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD)
Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association (NCDTA)
Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance (SDTA)
United Kingdom Alliance Ltd (UKA)
Welsh Alliance of Professional Teachers' of Dancing (WAPTD)
(All of the above sit on the BDC)

These are Organizations for dance teachers to improve and develop the art and technique of dancing. Most have their own qualifications for teachers, and also run their own medallist systems and competitions run using BDC rules.
If you take part in Medals, and medallist comps you are doing so under their auspices.

These Organizations also produce the technique books and syllabi that are used for restricted step competitions. See our duffers guide on this.

TSB
Trustees Savings Bank

Nothing to do with dancing really, but I have an overdraft with them. As they have paid for so many of my dance lessons, I thought it would be only polite to give 'em a mention.

WADA
World Anti Doping Authority
http://www.wada-ama.org/en/

These are the chaps that test for drugs in sport.
The IDSF is recognized by the IOC, (International Olympic Committee – no I’m not describing them 'till they put dance in the Olympics, that’ll show em!). The IDSF has signed up to the anti doping policy. As in turn EADA is a member of the IDSF, EADA members may find themselves tested for performance enhancing drugs.

This is the one organization who literally do take the Pee.

WADSA
Welsh Amateur Dance Sport Association
Like EADA, only Welsh.

WDC
World Dance Council,
www.wddsc.com

(Formerly WDD&C whatever that stood for). This is the organization that organizes the major professional Championships and World Championships.

The WDC is the world authority for professional Dance and Dance Sport incorporating the World Dance Sport Committee and the World Social Dance Committee.

"The WDC is committed to their goal of encouraging and promoting dance through its broad world membership. Furthermore, the WDC is also committed to promoting dance by taking a more commercialized approach to running the World Championship Title events. Involving sponsors in these events and attracting multi-media to share this exciting and fast growing sport, (as evidenced by movie and television hit sensations), will serve to benefit and encourage participating professional dancers and involve others."