Switch to English language

All Forums English Dancesport

What is happening to English DanceSport??


keggs Joined on 24 Декември 2005 Total posts: 208	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 10 Декември 2007 г. 16:55 Hi Chunky-Monkey (like the name by the way - where did you dream that up from) Thanks for your positive comments. I know I keep saying but unfortunately I am going to keep on saying it until the establishment gets it head out of the sand and actually listens. The only real way of giving everyone a level playing field is to abolish this myth that being a pro somehow bestows God-like qualities. The only criterion for being professional is income. I make my living now from teaching dancing. That makes me a professional - not the fact that I am qualified to teach. Get rid of this artificial demarcation between amateur and professional then many of the problems we are currently involved in will disappear never to rear their ugly head again. It doesn't mean all our problems will go away but at least everyone will have equal opportunity to do what they want to do. There is a niche for everyone in this business. Other sports - Golf, Tennis to name just a couple have removed this barrier. Why can't we? In any case what benefit is there now to become professional. If someone suggests prestige then I'll scream. On the hand the benefits we could derive from removing this artificial barrier. I can think of several. 1. An immediate level playing field for all involved 2. The chance for teaching societies to increase their revenue by allowing others to take a qualification to teach / coach 3. The chance for amateurs who turned pro to compete for longer if they want 4. A more unified sport or at least the chance to become more unified. With unity come fresh ideas and momentum instead of division, hatred and stagnation which is precisely the situation we have at present. Can anyone else add to ther list? Some here have tried to tell us that unity won't happen. Perhaps not. I refuse to believe that. We can do something. I have made a suggestion of creating something new - I call it the Britsih Dance Sport Association. It doesn't have to be a formal organisation in the early days. It can simply be a forum for change - a mass movement if you will. I envisage it as being open to any Brirtish dancer - amateur or pro who want to make a start on changing the way we do things. And yes, invite business people who have the acumen to move it forward. It doesn't have to be a threat to the BDC or any other organisation but if it grows the way I want to see it grow then the BDC and everyone else will have to sit up and either listen or be swallowed up. This is only one suggestion. Others here and elsewhere may have better ideas. But we have got to do something. If you are interested (truly interested) please email me privately. The naysayers on this forum will never agree to anything except maintaining the status quo. Why they would want to do that though is beyond me. It's often said if it aint broke don't try to mend it. Our world isn't just broken it's shattered. Put guess who are picking up the pieces? Regards Steve Reply Quote
chunky-monkey Joined on 17 Септември 2007 Total posts: 11	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 11:46 What blow away the "myth" that a dance-pro is the superior life form? OOHHH I'm not so sure Keggs, surely this would see the end of the world as we know it??? ;-))) In that one sentence you've encapsulated the malaise of English Dancing, the relationshipship between the "service provider" and the "end-user" is completely the wrong way round. Far too many Pros see themselves as some sort of superior being, far too few act/behave in what would be considered "professional conduct" in any other industry. In between there are number of dedicated teachers who work hard, give a lot to their pupils but are constrained by the "shamateurish" way the industry is run! The name came from a flavour of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - bananas & nuts (just about describes me!) Merry Christmas to all the contributors on this and other threads, it's been fun!!! Reply Quote
polkadancer Joined on 20 Октомври 2006 Total posts: 1 137	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 11:56 Dear Chunky-Monkey Sorry to hear about the terrible weather in your part of the world. You had better not insult keggs by telling him the "dance pro" consideres themselves a superior life form. We all know who has the superior the supreme etc etc.................and you must not upset Carlos and Heinz rulers of the world.. Reply Quote
keggs Joined on 24 Декември 2005 Total posts: 208	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 13:01 Couldn't agree with you more Chunky-Monkey. The sooner the end is nigh the better. Dear Polkadancer - you're in danger of developing a sense of humour. I'd stop while you're ahead. Best wishes Steve Reply Quote
polkadancer Joined on 20 Октомври 2006 Total posts: 1 137	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 13:13 Is the "English Dance Scene" different to the rest of the world? Is "simplydancer" from England. My sympathies to England the only country in the world suffering this "malaise". Reply Quote
keggs Joined on 24 Декември 2005 Total posts: 208	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 17:39 One minor point. I'm British not English. So it's the British scene not English scene. Regards Steve Reply Quote
polkadancer Joined on 20 Октомври 2006 Total posts: 1 137	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 19:22 Sad you have not realised that IDSF want the English, the Scottish, the Welsh the Northern Irish so they can get four times the money- and increase their membership count by 4 and not 1. Reply Quote
keggs Joined on 24 Декември 2005 Total posts: 208	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 17 Декември 2007 г. 21:33 Those remarks have nothing to do with my minor point. Steve Reply Quote
keggs Joined on 24 Декември 2005 Total posts: 208	Re: What is happening to English DanceSport?? 18 Декември 2007 г. 09:51 Mathematically you are wrong but I'll let that go. I have a fundamental objection to my country being split up the way it is for international sport. It isn't just dancing - football, rugby etc. I have never supported any team other than Britain and never will. And that goes for dancing. At least he IOC doesn't recognise anything other than Britain. Yes, the IDSF does get 4 times the money - I object to that also. I might endorse much of what the IDSF is trying to do but like you I'm not a slavish follower. I make my own mind up in my own time and decide for myself what I believe. As you have found out I can disagree vehemently. That applies to the IDSF as much as the WDC, BDC or any other organisation which I feel is moving in the wrong direction. All through my life I have been known to fight for the underdog and those less fortunate than me. It's why I hold the political views I do hold. When I judged comps I was absolutely fair. I even had a row about it once with a colleague who couldn't understand why I didn't maek my own couples. My answer was simple - they didn't dance well enough. If the IDSF or anyone else is abusing their power then I will make my feelings known. But that doesn't mean that I oppose everything they do. The same applies to the WDC or BDC. I support the IDSF because between the 2 so called governing bodies, I believe the IDSF ultimately has the best interests of all dancers at heart. The WDC is interested only in maintaining the status quo and will do anything including using amateurs to continue this process. The same applies to the BDC. I have felt this for many years now. Before I even saw the Vince Bain presentation. In fact, I found it quite a surprise when I saw the IDSF statement regarding the WDC. This is how I have felt about them and the profession in general for many years now. I have probably held these views far longer than the IDSF itself so it's not me supporting the IDSF but the IDSF supporting me. British dancing has to make a decision - is it going to support (a) the WDC (b) the IDSF or (c) decide to support the creation of a world wide body advancing the interests of all, irrespective of whether they believe in the pro/am divison or not. The same applies to other nations. In Britain though it's the WDC member the British Dance Council that controls both amateur and professional affairs. EADA can pass as many resolutions that it wants to but if the profession doesn't agree then EADA is scuppered. Our recent scrap over the the amateur teaching scheme is testament to this fact. The BDC (aka teaching societies) have put so many restriction on this scheme that in my opinion it's a non starter. And the same people are complaining there is a shortage of dancing teachers. Give me a break. This is just one reason why I find the British profession as hypocritical as the rest of the world's profession. I'm sorry for the spillover to this thread from the hypocritical thread above but as you will see there is a connection. Regards Steve Reply Quote