BALLROOM DANCE
Competitive dancing
Competitions, sometimes referred to as DanceSport, range from world championships, regulated by the World
Dance Council (WDC), to less advanced dancers at various proficiency levels. Most competitions are divided into
professional and amateur, though in the USA pro-am competitions occur. The International Olympic Committee now
recognizes competitive ballroom dance.[7] It has recognized another body, the International DanceSport
Federation (IDSF), as the sole representative body for dancesport in the Olympic Games. However, it seems
doubtful that dance will be included in the Olympic Games, especially in light of efforts to reduce the number of
participating sports.
Ballroom dance competitions are regulated by each country in its own way. There are about 30 countries which
compete regularly in international competitions. There are another 20 or so countries which have membership of
the WDC and/or the IDSF, but whose dancers rarely appear in international competitions.[8] In Britain there is the
British Dance Council, which grants national and regional championship titles, such as the British Ballroom
Championships, the British Sequence Championships and the United Kingdom Championships. In the United
States, amateur dance proficiency levels are defined by USA Dance (formerly United States Amateur Ballroom
Dance Association, USABDA).
Ballroom dancing competitions in the former USSR also included the Soviet Ballroom dances, or Soviet
Programme. Australian New Vogue is danced both competitively and socially. In competition there are 15
recognised New Vogue dances, which are performed by the competitors in sequence. These dance forms are not
recognised internationally, neither are the US variations such as American Smooth, and Rhythm. Such variations in
dance and competition methods are attempts to meets perceived needs in the local market-place.
Internationally, the Blackpool Dance Festival, hosted annually at Blackpool, England, is considered the most
prestigious event a dancesport competitor can attend.
Formation dance is another style of competitive dance recognised by the IDSF.
Elements of competition
Intermediate level international style Latin dancing at the 2006 MIT ballroom dance competition. A judge stands in
the foreground.In competition ballroom, dancers are judged by diverse criteria such as poise, the hold or frame,
posture, musicality and expression, timing, body alignment and shape, floor craft, foot and leg action, and
presentation.[9] Judging in a performance-oriented sport is inevitably subjective in nature, and controversy and
complaints by competitors over judging placements are not uncommon. The scorekeepers—called scrutineers—will
tally the total number recalls accumulated by each couple through each round until the finals, when the Skating
system is used to place each couple by ordinals, typically 1-6, though the number of couples in the final may vary.
Medal tests
Medal examinations for amateurs enable dancers' individual abilities to be recognized according to conventional
standards. In medal exams, which are run by bodies such as the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD),
each dancer performs two or more dances in a certain genre in front of a judge. Genres such as Modern Ballroom
or Latin are the most popular. Societies such as the ISTD also offer medal tests on other dance styles (such as
Country & Western, Rock 'n Roll or Tap). In some North American examinations, levels include Newcomer, Bronze,
Silver, Gold and Championship; each level may be further subdivided into either two or four separate sections.
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