Since 1972 Team Matches have always been a friendly invitation affair originally made up from individual schools or clubs from different countries.

We stress these Team Matches are not and never have been Official representatives of their own individual country. I would also like to emphasise that in keeping with the traditions of the Junior Dance Festival this is a friendly Team Match.

Subsequently, a Teacher from different countries who regularly attends Junior Blackpool for the whole week of the Festival has been invited to select a team from those couples entered to dance at the Festival. The Teacher takes no part in the Team Match whatsoever.

As Organiser I was shocked to be told that a letter addressed to me regarding the team from Italy had been put on an Italian website. Especially as I had no knowledge of it and was told it involved the Junior Dance Festival and its Team Matches.

In view of its contents, a meeting was arranged in Bournemouth during the UK Championships in January with F.I.D.S. representatives President Mr Ferruccio Galvagno, Daniele Tondon and Alessandro Valeri, I as Organiser, The Junior Chairman/Vice President British Dance Council Mr Robert Bellinger, The Chairman of the May Festival Mr Marcus Hilton MBE and the President of the British Dance Council Mr Len Armstrong.

The problem seemed to be that F.I.D.S. wished to select a full National representative team which would be unfair to the other Teams in view of how they are selected remembering this is a friendly invitation Team Match between the couples taking part in the Dance Festival.

However, from the discussions it was agreed that the F.I.D.S. President Mr Galvagno would liaise with the Teacher when she contacted him. The Teacher has tried many times by telephone without any success. On Friday, 20th February which was the closing date of entries I was informed by F.I.D.S. representative Daniele Tondon that Mr Galvagno would not speak at any time to the teacher involved to sort out this domestic problem.

I was totally shocked and amazed to find out, again from an Italian website that all Italian Juvenile and Junior dancers have been forbidden by F.I.D.S. from attending the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival in April.

To say I am at a loss to understand why they are taking this action is an understatement. It would appear that these young people are being used in some domestic political dispute.

I am extremely disappointed for the Italian Juvenile and Junior couples who having sent their Entry Form and Competitor Entry Fee Form to F.I.D.S. now find that Mr Galvagno has not forwarded them onto the Dance Festival Office and therefore, they are not entered to dance, despite the fact their parents would have booked flights and hotel accommodation with all incurred expenses. How can this be allowed to happen at such a late date?

The Blackpool Dance Festivals wishes to remain neutral, open to all and does not get or wish to be involved now or in the future in domestic politics of any country.