The coronavirus may still be playing havoc with the DanceSport competition calendar, but work nevertheless continues unabated at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee with regard to Breaking’s possible inclusion at the Olympic Games in four years’ time.

The IOC provisionally approved Breaking for the 2024 Olympic Programme in June 2019 along with Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing – each proposed by the Paris organisers as additional sports for their edition of the Games. The IOC then earmarked December 2020 as the deadline to make its final decision on the inclusion of the four sports, a deadline that was upheld last month by the IOC Executive Board (EB) in spite of the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 to 2021.

“For the [Paris 2024] event programme, we have maintained the December 2020 deadline, even though new sports can now not be tested on the Olympic stage, but we need to give certainty to the concerned athletes, their NOCs and Federations and the Organising Committee,” IOC President Thomas Bach said following the IOC EB meeting on 10 June this year.

The decision to stick to the original deadline came after a review by the Olympic Programme Commission that considered the impact on and feedback from key stakeholders, including the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and athletes. The Commission argued that maintaining the initial deadline would “provide certainty to all the involved parties” and aid in all aspects of planning for Paris 2024.

The Heart of Paris

While the Breaking community awaits the final decision by the IOC (the exact dates of the December EB meeting will be communicated in due course), the WDSF has meanwhile given its tentative approval to Paris 2024 to host Breaking, should it get the nod this December, on the Place de la Concorde in the heart of the city.

The Organising Committee has proposed that a temporary multi-sport venue be built on the famous square located between the iconic Champs-Elysées and the jardin des Tuileries, with 3x3 Basketball, BMX Freestyle and Sport Climbing also being considered for the venue.

Paris 2024 expects the stadium to provide a totally new experience and to attract new and younger spectators. 

“The WDSF remains excited and hopeful about the IOC decision this December on Breaking at Paris 2024,” says WDSF President Shawn Tay. “Our ongoing discussions with Paris 2024 have been very fruitful and we are in full support of their proposed concept to host Breaking, should it be approved, on the Place de la Concorde, which would be a truly magical backdrop for the world’s best b-boys and b-girls to showcase their incredible talents to a massive global audience.”

Youth Olympic Games

A springboard to Paris 2024 for up-and-coming Breakers could come in the form of the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022, where Breaking will be making its second straight appearance at the multi-sport event for athletes aged 15-18 (for Breaking the ages are 16-18, so anyone born in 2004, 2005 or 2006 for Dakar 2022).

Preparations are well under way in the Senegalese capital, and the IOC says it will confirm the official qualifying schedule and rules for the 4th edition of the summer YOG at the next meeting of its Executive Board on 15 July. The WDSF will announce the details as soon as they become available.

The Rise of ‘Cypher’space

And while we all can’t wait for battles to resume again in the flesh, the WDSF has been busy teaming up with FISE to organise the next best thing – Breaking battles online!

E-FISE Montpellier is a new and innovative online experience that will kick off on 9 July with a video contest open to all b-boys and b-girls. The rules are simple: shoot, submit and share for your chance to advance to the finals, which will be shown live on FISE TV and Eurosport on September 12.

Breaking will join BMX, Rollerblading, Parkour, Skateboarding, Scooter and Wakeboarding with minimum overall prize money of €150,000 up for grabs (€4,500 each for the winning b-boy and b-girl). Fans will be able to vote for their favourite videos online, while a “WEBSTIVAL” featuring online activations will provide festival vibes throughout the competition period.

World Championship and Beyond

Last but certainly not least, a new date for the rescheduled WDSF World Breaking Championship in Nanjing, China (postponed from 2020 to 2021) will be communicated shortly.

In the meantime, stay tuned to WDSF channels for all Olympic-related information and other exciting news in the weeks to come!

The WDSF Athletes Commission is looking for candidates to be elected as the representative for the American region.


The WDSF Athletes Commission (AC) is a permanent commission of the WDSF Presidium that consists of athletes who are elected solely by other WDSF athletes. The AC represents the interest of the athletes, advises the Presidium on matters that are relevant to the athletes, and works to improving the communication between the Presidium and the athletes.

The term of our current American representative, Mr. Anton Belyayev, has ended as he has retired as an active athlete. As such, all active athletes having their residence in the American region may now volunteer or be nominated as candidates. One of the candidates approved by the Commission as qualified under the WDSF Athletes Commission Operating Policy will be elected to serve a 4-year term as a member of the Athletes Commission.


Any active athlete, who has to be at least 18 years of age, and must have his/her residence in the American region may submit his or her candidacy together with a resume and reasons or statement for candidacy, to the following e-mail address by 17 July 2020, 17:00 CET: nospam.athletes@wdsf.org.

Following your submission to the AC, each candidate will need to be approved and after approval will be added to the list as an eligible candidate.

We will be conducting an electronic election from 20 July 2020 up to and including 3 August 2020. Further instructions on the electronic voting will be issued once the candidates are known.

Following the elections, the candidate voted in will become a part of the Athletes Commission.


We are looking forward to receive your nomination!


Many thanks.

On behalf of The Athletes Commission
René Ewals, Secretary

Today, the WDSF Academy is pleased to present a video lecture from the reigning World Champion in Standard, Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite who received the title for the first time at the last WDSF World Standard Championships held in Lithuania in December 2019.





In this video lecture Evaldas and Leva will touch topics of Couple Position including «Hand Hold» and «Centre Connection» as well as the topic of Rotation and Sway in Standard dances.

The WDSF Athletes Commission is looking for candidates to be elected as the representative for the Asian region.


The WDSF Athletes Commission (AC) is a permanent commission of the WDSF Presidium that consists of athletes who are elected solely by other WDSF athletes. The AC represents the interest of the athletes, advises the Presidium on matters that are relevant to the athletes, and works to improving the communication between the Presidium and the athletes.

The term of our current Asian representative, Miss. Rikako Ota, has ended. As such, all active athletes having their residence in the Asian region may now volunteer or be nominated as candidates. One of the candidates approved by the Commission as qualified under the WDSF Athletes Commission Operating Policy will be elected to serve a 4-year term as a member of the Athletes Commission.

Any active athlete, who has to be at least 18 years of age, and must have his/her residence in the Asian region may submit his or her candidacy together with a resume and reasons or statement for candidacy, to the following e-mail address by 20 July 2020, 17:00 CET: nospam.athletes@wdsf.org.

Following your submission to the AC, each candidate will need to be approved and after approval will be added to the list as an eligible candidate.

We will be conducting an electronic election from 23 July 2020 up to and including 6 August 2020. Further instructions on the electronic voting will be issued once the candidates are known.

Following the elections, the candidate voted in will become a part of the Athletes Commission.

We are looking forward to receive your nomination!


Many thanks.


On behalf of The Athletes Commission
René Ewals, Secretary

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is delighted to announce that its partnership with longstanding Associate Member the World Rock’n’Roll Confederation (WRRC) has been extended for another four years.

The renewal agreement, effective 1 January 2021, was signed today by WDSF President Shawn Tay and WRRC President Miriam Kerpan Izak.

The WRRC has been an Associate Member of the WDSF since 1994 and is the global governing body for all aspects of the DanceSport disciplines Rock’n’Roll, Rock’n’Roll Acrobatic, Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop, Bugg and Doublebug, either directly or through its National Member Bodies.

“The WRRC has been a valued and trusted partner of the WDSF for over a quarter of a century and the renewal agreement is testament to the importance of this mutually beneficial relationship,” said President Tay. “The signing of this extension underscores the commitment of the WDSF to developing all DanceSport disciplines to their fullest potential around the world, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with the WRRC, in particular with regard to the restarting of competitions in the post-pandemic period.”

WRRC President Kerpan Izak said: “We are thrilled with the renewal agreement, which means our organisations will continue to work closely together in a variety of areas for the benefit of Rock’n’Roll and all DanceSport disciplines. Rock’n’Roll has been gaining in popularity among young people in recent years and it has always excelled when featured at multidiscipline events. We remain as ambitious as ever as we look ahead to the next four years of collaboration with the WDSF.”

The World Rock‘n’Roll Confederation was established in 1984. Each year it organizes around 50 international competitions, including World and European Championships, World Masters and World Cup tournaments. For more information, please visit the WRRC website.

Over the past decade, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)’s Professional Division has grown beyond expectations to where it is now a solid part of the global governing body’s glittering array of offerings.

The WDSF Professional Division was established in 2010 when the International Professional DanceSport Council (IPDSC) was incorporated into the WDSF, then known as the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF). It was a big step, but one that gave DanceSport a new lease on life.

Before then, couples looking to become professional dancers had to migrate over to the IPDSF to take part in competitions. The merger allowed both professional and non-professional arms of DanceSport to grow with common aims and development programmes, taking the sport to new heights.

“There is now a bridge between the two divisions, so they don’t have to make a choice between one or the other,” explained Peter Maxwell, the inaugural IPDSC president and Honorary WDSF Professional Division Life President. 

“With the IPDSC incorporated into the WDSF, it has the benefits of being part of a big, well-run federation,” he continued, adding that the collaboration has resulted in some exciting new developments, including Street Latin, the brainchild of WDSF President Shawn Tay.

“The WDSF has run some experimental styles that have been very, very, successful. For example, Street Latin, which is couples doing what they do in their regular clothing. The issue is whether it maintains the same structure or whether it develops into something different.”

Much of the growth and development of the Professional Division can be put down to the work of Verena Sulek, who was appointed as the first WDSF PD Director in 2013.

Under her guidance the Professional Division has grown to 52 registered member bodies, with over 770 registered Professional Division dancers. In addition, 411 WDSF adjudicators have gained their Professional Division adjudicators licence.

“The last 10 years have been marked by the building up of the professional base and widening of the previous understanding of DanceSport by introducing new dancing disciplines, such as Breaking, Salsa, Disco, Hip Hop,” Sulek said.

“During the first few years the growth was significant, and it has now been stabilised at the level of over 50 WDSF National Member Bodies registered with the Professional Division, and with around 700 active athletes in Standard and Latin disciplines.”

Helping the Professional Division establish itself in the hearts of DanceSport fans was the development of the World Championships that began in 2007 with three classes – Latin, Standard and Ten Dance.

Since then it has grown to the extent that all five classes – Latin, Standard, Ten Dance, ShowDance Latin and ShowDance Standard – now have their own individual World Championships, along with World Championships in Standard and Latin at the Masters’ level.

This has allowed the sport to develop to the extent that the traditional powerhouses of Italy and Russia, who claimed all but one of the first 18 gold medals on offer over the first six editions, are now being challenged by couples from across the world.

This was demonstrated at the 2016 World Championships, where for the first time five different countries – Austria, Canada, Denmark, Lithuania, and Russia – provided the five gold medallists.

“We cannot say that dancing in PD is technically different, but it is, at least at the highest level, more mature,” Sulek said.

“The top professional athletes have already been – some of them many times – WDSF World Champions in Standard and Latin. They are very experienced, aged 30 and above, and being more mature dancers means that the emphasis is on the harmony of movement, balance, and music, rather than speed and power.”

For the moment the Professional Division, like all DanceSport disciplines, is working out how to move forward in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A decision on when competition will resume has yet to be made, and the advice – as well as the restrictions – differs from country to country.

Even so, Maxwell, a man who developed a love of dancing after being introduced to it by his parents’ lodgers, is confident the WDSF will ensure that when DanceSport does return it will continue its impressive work with the Professional Division. 

“The WDSF acted very quickly and that is in both divisions,” he said, referring to the measures the organisation has taken during the pandemic, which include reducing expenditures and securing an interest-free loan from the WDSF’s bank, UBS. The loan is partially guaranteed by the Swiss government and has the strong support of the International Olympic Committee. 

“As an organisation they are very together and will be able to flick a switch and be back to operating,” Maxwell continued.

“It was incumbent on the WDSF to create a Professional Division. That was the intention and it is getting there. It is not the easiest or quickest process, so it is still very much in development. It is not a quick fix and know it will be a long-term thing, but it is growing.”

Dear WDSF members, Dear Colleagues, Dear friends, On behalf of the WDSF Sports Commission, the WDSF Presidium and on behalf of the WDSF in general, as Vice-President for Sport, I address you, our national members, with deep respect and esteem.

Monitoring

Since the beginning of the entire state of emergency, the WDSF closely monitors the course of the situation in all countries, listens carefully to all the information received from its members, and works daily to find a practical way as to when to once again organize national and international competitions.

Actual Situation

We are going through very difficult times and the truth is it unclear how long they will last. Actually, in some countries the virus is not controlled at all and in many others, where it seems to be under control, we are facing a second and even third wave of outbreaks of this extremely dangerous virus.

Risks

According to the latest information from the World Health Organization, out of the total number of infected, which is more than 11 million, as many as 60% of them were infected just during June. You will agree that the situation is really serious and unpredictable. One of the characteristics of our beautiful sport is that we (athletes and officials) need to travel around the world to take part in national and especially international competitions. This fact exposes us to the virus and places us in a high-risk category.

Learning to live with the virus

Many of us work professionally in DanceSport, meaning that we need it to make for a living. We need to learn how to live with this new difficulty and, dear colleagues, we need a lot of effort to deal with it. All of us!

Responsibility

One thing we need to be aware of: The responsibility is not just on the WDSF, neither on just the NMBs or local organizers of competitions. The responsibility of each individual is far greater and everyone must be aware of this fact.

Protection

First of all, we need to protect our Athletes by educating them and their parents, secondly we need to protect our Officials and of course to organize our competitions in well-prepared venues. This will mean offering our maximum support to the Organizers by attending and conducting competitions in the most responsible way abiding with all the health recommendations and avoiding any possible conflict situations.

Recommendation and Restriction

The WDSF Sports Department is working to produce a prescribed range of recommendations and restrictions that will allow the organization of WDSF events in the near future. These recommendations and restrictions need to be seen as an opportunity to restart our Competition System as soon as possible. It is in all our interests to ensure the maximum consensus and support from all DanceSport institutions. Now, more than ever, we need to stick to the updated health guidelines because in these circumstances the recommendations and restrictions will literally save lives.

We will make it!!!

Nothing in our world lasts forever and of course, this virus will be defeated in the future. The question is how we, as the DanceSport family will overcome it. Definitely, we need to do it together by supporting our organizers, protecting the health of our athletes and officials and taking care of our Local and National Federations. Together!

In conclusion, I express my gratitude for your cooperation and patience in these difficult times. We hope that very soon this all will be behind us and we will return to our daily lives, to our competitions, and supporting our hard-working athletes. Take care of your health because it should be the first priority to all of us.

Nenad Jeftic WDSF Vice-President for Sport

**************************

WDSF Sports department has prepared temporary instructions for our competitions´ organizers. The released instructions are sent to give members, officials and organizers an idea about the needed safety regulations. WDSF Sports Department is working on the GUIDELINES with more detailed instructions and restrictions for organizing WDSF competitions.

Temporary Instructions

Today's video lecture by the WDSF Academy is dedicated to one of the most spectacular DanceSport disciplines, Formation.

Alexey Litvinov kindly prepared this video lecture together with his famous formation team "Vera" from the city of Tyumen, which became European and World Champions numerous times.

In this lecture Alexey speaks about specific adjudicator components for Formation competitions.

The “Encyclopaedia of Competitive Dance in Slovakia 1957 – 2017” is a book of Olympic proportions.

For starters it’s 758 pages long. It also weighs 3.5 kilograms and took author Petr Horáček and photographer Jozef Harangozó six-and-a-half years to complete.

So perhaps it’s not entirely surprising that the book was recently named “best publication promoting sport and Olympic ideas” during the 57^th General Assembly of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee (SOŠV).

Nevertheless, Horáček says the accolade caught him a little off guard. “At first I was startled,” he said. “Then, of course, I felt moved and honoured. The award is considered highly prestigious in our country.”

SOŠV Secretary General Jozef Liba described the encyclopaedia as “an exceptional and richly illustrated bilingual [Slovak and English] representative publication” with “an extraordinary historical and factual value and artistic visual processing.”

The book chronicles the transformation of competitive dance into DanceSport in Slovakia, from a pleasurable pastime into a popular sport. The narrative is imbued with the Olympic spirit thanks in part to the close ties enjoyed between the Slovak DanceSport Federation and the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

“The book maps the beginnings of dance events in our region from the end of the 19th century, when present-day Slovakia was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, following with the eras of interwar and post-war Czechoslovakia,” said Horáček, who when not writing books is also President of the Slovak DanceSport Federation and Chair of the Historical Commission at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).

“I like a logical, chronological approach, in this case from the establishment of competitive dance up to the present day,” he continued. “However, the book also includes several analytical chapters which explain certain phenomena and introduce individual personalities outside the linear chronological pattern.”

In addition to classic DanceSport, the book also presents the development of Acrobatic RnR, Paradance, University Dance, Formation Dance, Showdance, and Exhibitions, as well as portraits of most of the significant personalities of the dance movement in Slovakia, including members of the national Hall of Fame.

The encyclopaedia was a mere 400 pages when it was originally published electronically in November 2017 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of organized competitive dance in Slovakia. But soon afterwards Horáček and Harangozó were “swamped” with new contributions (mainly authentic photographs) from members of the Slovak DanceSport Federation, resulting in the extension of the publication deadline for the book in its printed form, which eventually hit the shelves in autumn of 2018.

Asked to describe the most surprising thing he discovered while researching the book, Horáček admitted he was “astonished by how much we did not know … and how many things were different than we originally assumed.” He was especially pleased to uncover some long-forgotten results from Slovak dancers at European and World Championships.

The six-and-a-half-year odyssey was rewarded with a result of its own when “Encyclopaedia of Competitive Dance in Slovakia 1957 – 2017” beat out some 20 other titles to win the SOŠV’s Ladislav Chudík Award, named after the famous Slovak actor. It is the first time any member of the Slovak DanceSport Federation has received such an honour, one that Horáček credits equally to his close friend and long-time collaborator, “Dodo” Harangozó.

“Dodo has long been the most respected photographer of DanceSport in Slovakia,” said Horáček, whose first publication, 2011’s “The Best of Uni-Dance…”, also featured the photography of Harangozó. “He has created an excellent archive of photographs taken at competitions held in Slovakia during his nearly 30-year-long career, while as a photographer and graphic designer by profession he also knows how to process historical, often damaged photographs. [The Encyclopaedia of Competitive Dance] could never have been created without his contribution!

“Furthermore, as one of my closest friends, he is the only person to have enough patience and strength to work with me,” Horáček added with a smile.

After a half dozen years toiling away on what can only be described as a labour of love, now that the encyclopaedia has been published and received its fair share of plaudits, is it finally time for Horáček and Harangozó to rest on their laurels?

Not a chance. Plans are already under way for their next publication – one with decidedly global ambitions.

“The WDSF is a large, global family developing DanceSport, one of the most beautiful types of aesthetic sports,” Horáček said. “The size and strength of individual members is not important: What really matters is unity and togetherness. Slovakia is a very small country and its DanceSport federation is not large either. Despite this, we have been glad to contribute to casting a bright light on our sport within the Olympic environment.

“Personally, as chair of the WDSF Historical Committee, I will be incredibly happy when we manage to prepare a beautiful and valuable publication about the history of the world dance movement, including the presentation of individual NMBs!”

……..

Copies of “Encyclopaedia of Competitive Dance in Slovakia 1957 – 2017” can be requested from the Slovak DanceSport Federation’s administrative office by mail at Škultétyho 1, 83101 Bratislava, Slovakia or email at nospam.szts@szts.sk

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and Chinese DanceSport Federation are pleased to announce that a new date for the rescheduled WDSF World Breaking Championships in Nanjing, China has been set for 20 June 2021.

Originally scheduled to take place in August 2020, the Championships were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This rescheduled event will take place at the Lishui Sports Centre and is expected to attract some 150 b-boys and b-girls.

“The success of the 2019 Breaking World Championships in Nanjing gives us great confidence in our Chinese hosts, who are aiming to organise an even more spectacular event next year,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “The health of the Breakers, organisers and fans remains our top priority, of course, and we are committed to working with the local organisers to ensure the best and safest conditions possible.”

The WDSF will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation around the world and follow recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of the People’s Republic of China with regard to the organisation of the World Championships.

Detailed information on the updated deadlines and qualification procedures will be communicated in the coming months.

The WDSF World Breaking Championships will be jointly organised by the WDSF, the Chinese DanceSport Federation, the Social Sports Administration Centre of Jiangsu Province, the Nanjing Sports Bureau, and the Lishui District People’s Government of Nanjing City.

B-girl Ami (JPN) and B-boy Menno (NED) are the reigning world champions, having topped the podium at the 2019 event.

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) today confirms the news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and government of Senegal have mutually agreed to the postponement of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2022 by four years to 2026 due to ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the IOC cited factors such as “the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the subsequent postponement of major international sports events, and the operational and financial consequences of the global health crisis” for the decision to reschedule the event. The IOC Session ratified the agreement on 17 July.

Breaking was set to make its second appearance at the YOG in 2022 following its highly successful Olympic debut at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, where 24 breakers from 18 countries competed in 1vs1 and mixed-nationality Bonnie & Clyde battles.

The WDSF appreciates that this news will be disappointing to the many young b-boys and b-girls who were looking forward to competing in the Senegalese capital in two years’ time.

“The WDSF and everyone involved in the planning for Dakar 2022 are naturally disappointed, but we fully understand that the decision was made in the best interests of the athletes, so we are in full agreement with it,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “We share the frustration of all the b-boys and b-girls who were aiming to battle at Dakar 2022, and will redouble our efforts to ensure we organise the best possible event for breakers aged 14 to 18 in 2026.”

Updated information regarding the qualification procedure for Dakar 2026 and other details will be communicated by the WDSF in due course, subject to approval by the IOC.

WDSF Academy is proud to present today's video lecture by the legendary dance couple, Paolo Bosco and Silvia Pitton.

During their dancing career they won the World Championships in Standard six times and became the Winners of the World Games, besides many bright victories at all significant international competitions both among in Amateurs and Professionals.

In today's video lecture, Paolo and Silvia will share basic information about Throwaway Oversway.

“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”– The Olympic Charter

As a proud member of the Olympic Movement, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) works daily to ensure that access to our sport remains barrier-free and inclusive to all.

With this goal in mind, we warmly welcomed the signing of a cooperation agreement in March 2019 with Special Olympics International (SOI), which led to the official recognition of DanceSport as a discipline within the Special Olympics.

The agreement was signed by WDSF Vice-President for Development Antoni Czyzyk and Special Olympics International CEO Mary Davies with the aim of developing DanceSport in Special Olympics structures and including dance as an official sport at the Special Olympics World Games.

“Our two main goals currently are to include DanceSport as a discipline in the next Special Olympics World Games and to increase awareness through all WDSF and SOI Members that we are working together and are offering DanceSport for people with intellectual differences,” says Czyzyk, adding that work between the two organisations is progressing well in a number of important areas.

Talks are under way to determine when DanceSport will make its full Special Olympics debut, and the DanceSport community will be notified as soon as a decision is made. The next winter edition of the Special Olympics World Games is scheduled for 22-28 January 2022 in Kazan, Russia, while the next summer edition is slated for 16-25 June 2023 in the German capital.

Another joint project being undertaken is the development of a “World Championship Special Olympics DanceSport,” the first edition of which is set to take place in August 2021 in Graz, Austria. Although Czyzyk admits that the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress in this area, the event is still on the calendar and he is optimistic that it will go ahead as planned.

Away from the dancefloor, the WDSF and SOI are also making headway. In cooperation with Dr. Pierre Gider, Chair of DanceSport in the Special Olympics Resources Team, the focus has been on developing documents that will facilitate trainers and instructors working with athletes interested in participating in DanceSport at the Special Olympics World Games, and developing adjudicating rules and a system that will allow for fair assessment of athletes presenting different styles and types of dance.

“In the nearest future we have planned the development and alignment of existing Special Olympics DanceSport (SODS) rulebooks according to existing WDSF rules, and development of a coaching guide for SODS as well as modifications for WDSF coaches and a suggested handbook,” Czyzyk says. “We plan to establish a team that will include representatives from the SOI, WDSF and academic staff. We are aware that these publications are necessary before considering further development of DanceSport in Special Olympics structures.”

One of the biggest setbacks due to COVID-19 for Czyzyk personally was the cancellation in his home country of Poland of the 1^st International Congress for trainers, instructors and adjudicators who want to develop Special Olympics DanceSport. The congress was scheduled, along with a Special Olympics DanceSport show competition, to coincide with the WDSF World Championship Disco Dance in Elblag, Poland this June.

“I must admit that I was very disappointed with the necessity to cancel both the WDSF World Championship Disco Dance in Elblag, which was to be the first such event in Poland organised under the auspices of the WDSF, and the first international congress for trainers, instructors and adjudicators,” he says. “We had already started preliminary talks not only with the SOI  through Pierre Gider, but also with the SOI branches in Poland and Europe. Everyone was very enthusiastic about this initiative, we had planned the training program, and indicated potential experts to conduct lectures and workshops.”

Having regrouped in May to discuss the action plan for the months ahead, the two organisations considered rescheduling the congress to a date in the fall. But as travel and other social-distancing restrictions continue to differ from country to country, it remains difficult to even consider a new date at present.

“At the moment, we are left to observe the current situation and wait for a full international opening that will allow us to safely carry out this activity,” says Czyzyk. “It is difficult to make binding decisions without knowing what awaits us in the fall. However, I hope that we will soon return to our normal functioning.”

It is a sentiment shared by all the dancers looking forward to participating officially in their first Special Olympics World Games. In the meantime, the WDSF will continue to work hand in hand with our partners at SOI to ensure that everyone has the access and opportunity to practice the sport we love so much.

About Special Olympics

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. It fosters acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than 6 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.

Today's video lecture of the WDSF Academy is presented by a wonderful partnership, both in life and on the dance floor, Björn Bitch and Ashli ​​Williamson.

Having recently completed their competitive career, Björn and Ashli ​​have won 10 World Championship titles, including World Professional Standard, World Professional 10-dance and World Professional Show Dance Championships.

In today's lecture, Björn and Ashli ​​will talk about Drive action in Standard.

This educational video сompletes the project of the WDSF Academy aimed at supporting athletes during the isolation period caused by COVID-19.We wish all athletes to return to practice and competition floors as soon as possible!

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is set to begin competition before the end of 2020, subject to the status of the coronavirus pandemic, according to WDSF Vice-President for Sport Nenad Jeftic.

“We are planning to restart our competition system from October/November 2020, but it depends on how the situation with COVID will unfold,” Jeftic says. “As things stand now, the first competitions will likely be held in Europe. In some regions, the situation is already quite favourable for their organisation.”

That news will be music to the ears of dancers worldwide who have been deprived of WDSF-sanctioned events since the pandemic started disrupting the competition calendar in earnest this March.

A comprehensive checklist has been drawn up to ensure that it will be safe to proceed with the restart of competition. Items include everything from the number of entry and exit restrictions in countries to the establishment of regular passenger flights and the ability of organisers to apply appropriate preventative measures to protect all participants.

“The biggest challenge is how to get back to normal pre-COVID life and simultaneously to protect the health and well-being of all of us – athletes, officials and everyone who works for DanceSport,” says Jeftic.

While the overall safety requirements will be the responsibility of the event organisers, for Jeftic, the real onus will be on the individual. “We are faced with a dangerous pandemic, so the responsibility of each individual is of vital importance. The complete system depends on how seriously each individual will understand and approach this situation.”

To assist the DanceSport community with preparations for the eventual return to competition, the WDSF has been hard at work preparing a handbook of safety and operational guidelines.
“Some days ago, the WDSF sent short instructions to our Members to see what they could expect in future,” Jeftic explains. “We are now working on the whole book, with detailed guidelines for organisers to be completely prepared when organising their competitions. Very soon the book will be sent to our Members and published on our website. It will contain all instructions and above all restrictions regarding social distancing, special requests regarding the organisation of competitions, mandatory wearing of masks, disinfection, etc.”

It is apparent that DanceSport will return in a very different guise than what the community was accustomed to pre-COVID, at least until it is safe to return to normal conditions. This will require a great deal of understanding and flexibility from all participants at each competition venue but is a necessary pill to swallow during these unprecedented times.

“The pandemic situation is different from country to country,” Jeftic says. “In some places the virus is controlled and in others it is not. Also, the restrictions of each country’s government are different and we have to find a certain amount of measures that will meet the minimum criteria so that competitions can be held and adjusted to the situation. When it comes to a pandemic like this, everything is a big challenge, but we are halfway to overcoming it.”

Having worked tirelessly for over five months to find a solution that will get all our athletes back on the dancefloor as quickly and safely as possible, Jeftic remains surprisingly positive even in the face of such unexpected and unwelcome circumstances. It is a lesson that all of us can heed as we look forward to returning to competition.

“I have to say that everything is very unpredictable, but all my life I have been a great optimist,” Jeftic says. “Despite my negative experience at the beginning of the pandemic, I am very optimistic about finding a solution to continue with the regular activities of our wonderful sport. Optimism is inherent in people and I am, above all, a man.

“We are doing our best to be positive and strong in these difficult times.”

Dear NMBs,

 Due to the current situation in the world regarding the pandemic COVID-19 which you are all very aware of, we take this opportunity to inform you that, unfortunately, due to the higher health risk to Senior athletes, all Senior Championships and competitions scheduled to take place from September to December this year, will be cancelled until further notice.

We believe that you all know very well that this was a difficult decision but as a responsible Sports Federation WDSF had no choice and ensure that we eliminated the risks and protected the health of all our Senior athletes.

Best regards,

Nenad Jeftic 

WDSF Vice-President for Sport

Dear DanceSport community,

In light of recent feedback regarding a statement published on 2 August on the cancellation of all senior international (not national) championships until further notice, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) will revisit the matter together with our main stakeholders, including the Athletes’ Commission, to determine the best way forward for the entire community.

The WDSF values the opinions of all our stakeholders and we look forward to working together to find a suitable solution for all concerned.

The health of our dancers, adjudicators, fans and organisers will of course remain our top priority.

Further information will be announced in due course.

World DanceSport Federation

As the Vice-President responsible for development at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), Antoni Czyzyk has had his hands full since being elected to the role in 2017.

Over the last three years, Czyzyk has overseen work on a variety of projects aimed at driving DanceSport forward while adapting to new circumstances and opportunities. These include the strengthening of ties with the Special Olympics, a proposed new tournament format for couples outside the World Top 50, and the creation of a new evaluation system for American Smooth, among others.

Czyzyk is deeply committed to the assignment, which he says is vital for the WDSF as a modern, forward-thinking member of the Olympic Movement.

“[Innovation and development are] very important for a world federation, a member of the Olympic Movement,” he says. “We must not only take care of the development of the WDSF and DanceSport, but also react to what is happening in the world, and above all in the world of sports.

“We have to think about how to develop our discipline, how to adapt it to what our audience, athletes and dance enthusiasts expect from us,” Czyzyk continues. “It is also necessary to listen to the needs of our members, athletes and adjudicators … and to create new competition formats, to improve the competition rules, the adjudicating system, in other words everything that not only develops our discipline, but also makes it more interesting and accessible to society.”

One such project is the WDSF DanceSport Proficiency Test (WDSF DSPT), which is aimed at providing students just starting out in DanceSport with a clear pathway to move beyond the social dance level.

Developed in conjunction with select federations, trainers and instructors, including DanceSport Australia President Gordon Gilkes, the programme is the only sports-based examination and training system fully developed and endorsed by the WDSF. The formal, coordinated programme will be directly managed by the WDSF DanceSport Academy and overseen by the WDSF Presidium to ensure efficiency, transparency and the highest level of professional ethics.

“The DSPT is a grading system whereby the student will work towards official recognition of the standard of performance they are looking to achieve,” Czyzyk says. “Beyond that it also challenges the student to work harder to reach a higher technical grade. Through these tests, the student gains confidence to perform in a controlled environment and be more prepared to progress as a competitor in DanceSport.”

The structure of the exam embodies the WDSF syllabus figures in different levels, from basic to pre-competition levels. Participants can start with a solo routine and advance progressively to dancing a competitive routine. The series of tests are the perfect preparation for any student looking to embark on an exciting journey as a WDSF DanceSport athlete.

The WDSF DSPT levels can be used as curriculum or as training guidelines at dance schools and clubs. To assist with this, the WDSF is currently preparing two marketing booklets intended for distribution to studios. The first is for teachers and outlines the medal system, suggested choreography, and the purpose of the proficiency tests. The second is designed for students, providing them with clear guidelines and encouragement to achieve their goals.

“We want to create a feedback mechanism at the same time,” Czyzyk says. “This will allow us to monitor the functioning of the system and, if necessary, make necessary corrections or improvements.”

The DSPT will initially be rolled out in Europe, but Czyzyk says he wants to see it adapted by as many NMBs as possible, all around the world.

The programme was intended to be introduced this year, but the launch was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Czyzyk, however, remains optimistic: “I would like the system to start as soon as possible. I had planned for it to be ready by this year’s WDSF Annual General Meeting (originally scheduled for June in Belgrade before being cancelled), but the pandemic situation has changed those plans,” he says.

“We all had to focus on how to function and achieve our goals in the new reality. I hope the system will be ready for implementation in the second half of the year.”

There is no doubt that the coronavirus has impeded WDSF operations this year, but it is also clear that the federation continues to work daily to ensure that DanceSport is forever moving forward.

And that is in no small part due to the heavy emphasis it places on development and innovation.

After giving serious consideration to the recommendations of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Medical Commission, the WDSF Presidium today ratified a number of important decisions with regard to the restart of competitions in 2020.

Due to travel restrictions and other impediments related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Presidium agreed to cancel all WDSF Grand Slams for the remainder of 2020.

With regard to the scheduled 2020 World and European Championships, the WDSF believes that due to fairness considerations they should only be conducted if most athletes are able to compete in the respective Championships. The WDSF is in close contact with organizers who wish to proceed with these events and is monitoring the circumstances on a weekly basis.

With regard to other WDSF competitions, including senior competitions, National Member Bodies (NMBs) and organizers that wish to host such events in 2020 are free to do so as long as the organizers, members and athletes accept full legal, financial and health responsibility for the conduct of the event and their participation in the event.

All participants must adhere to strict guidelines guaranteeing, to the greatest extent possible, their safety and well-being, which remains the utmost priority of the WDSF.  Click here to read the WDSF Temporary Instructions for the Organization of WDSF Competitions. Please note that all NMBs and competition organizers must strictly comply with their respective local and national government health requirements, which always take precedence over WDSF guidelines.

The Presidium understands and supports the desire of the DanceSport community to resume competing as soon as possible but once again underscores the necessity of each participant to take every precaution to ensure the safety of all concerned.

A decision was also taken on the 2020 European Championship Ten Dance in Aarhus, Denmark scheduled for 19 September 2020. The Presidium agreed that the NMB of Denmark can proceed with the event as long as a minimum of 18 countries are represented and the organizers take full responsibility for the health and welfare of all participants. The WDSF will not recognize the event as a European Championship should representatives of fewer than 18 member bodies participate at the event.

Finally, the WDSF Ranking Lists have been frozen until such time as the majority of WDSF competitions are operational again. The WDSF will ensure that the announcement of the resumption of the Ranking List will allow all dancers adequate time for preparation.

The WDSF Presidium

If one word could be used to describe the All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll (FDSARR) during the coronavirus pandemic, it would be “productive.”

Extremely productive, in fact.

In recent months the FDSARR has updated 24 of its regulations (including those on disciplinary proceedings, code of ethics and sports club regulations), met online with its 124 regional federations, organised numerous activities virtually for its athletes, launched a talk show and created a shop to promote its brand, all while carrying out its usual day-to-day activities.

And that’s only the half of it. Of course, when your President is Nadezhda Erastova, multitasking and getting things done tend to be second nature.

“We didn’t stand still during the regime of self-isolation,” says FDSARR President Erastova, adding that the current focus is on the resumption of competition, with the Russian National DanceSport Championships scheduled for 4-6 September.

The event will act as the 2020 National Championships for Formation Standard, Formation Latin, Adult Latin, Youth Latin, as well as the 2020 Russian National Cup for Standard. It will be held in strict compliance with the health and safety requirements of the Russian government. 

“We hope the situation will allow us to hold other competitions this year, too,” Erastova says. “However, this year we do not plan to hold international events since the situation with the coronavirus is still unpredictable and we do not want to fail the athletes.”

The athletes are not the only ones the FDSARR is looking out for. After speaking with its 124 regional members across the country, the Federation offered financial assistance to those struggling due to the lack of events during the COVID-19 period.

“Zoom helped us to ‘fly around’ the whole country and to listen to the problems of each region,” Erastova says. “Based on the meetings, the FDSARR Presidium decided to allocate donations equal to 200,000 euros in total to support regional federations. The donations can be spent on the organisation of competitions and rendering assistance to teachers and coaches who are currently in difficult situations.”

To keep athletes motivated during the pandemic, the FDSARR held online training sessions, seminars, quizzes and even competitions. “The Breaking competition was the most successful of all,” she explains, “having conducted an international battle in which b-boys from five countries took part.”

Another kind of contest invited young athletes in DanceSport, Breaking, Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll and Boogie-Woogie to create their own “Dream T-shirts,” with the winners taking home some extra pocket money and having their design printed on shirts that will go on sale at the new FDSARR shop, which was created together with Russian national DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll athletes. The shop sells everything from souvenirs and accessories to FDSARR-branded clothing. An online version of the shop is currently in the works.

If all that wasn’t enough, the Russian DanceSport community was also kept entertained thanks to a new online talk show programme called the “Open Collar Interview,” whose guests have included top Russian athletes, coaches and even scientists.

And the pièce de résistance of 2020? Well, that would be the start of construction on a new sports complex in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, where the FDSARR is aiming to host DanceSport, Breaking and Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll competitions when the facilities are complete.

“The sport complex is multifunctional but aimed at the sports developed by the FDSARR,” Erastova explains. “The complex will also be equipped with a swimming pool, fitness centre and a conference hall. At the same time, the Federation is also considering the purchase of a hotel and building a sports complex in the resort town of Gelendzhik, situated on the Black Sea, for training and rehabilitation of athletes.”

In other words, it’s a good time to be a dancer in Russia.

Ironically, however, one of the only hiccups in an otherwise expertly managed year under COVID-19 for the FDSARR has been a decline in the number of dancers.

“We did our best to do everything possible to keep our athletes,” says Erastova. “Unfortunately, some athletes have left the sport, but they are in the minority.”

Not one to dwell on setbacks, though, the FDSARR President says she is confidently looking forward to a brighter short- and mid-term future for DanceSport in Russia.

“It is unfortunately too early to think about the end of pandemic, but we live for the here and now, staying delicately optimistic about the future and believing that new sport victories lie ahead!”