DanceSport Talk

It's been very interesting to see the change of emphasis in the marketing messages of the CDDSC, the Canadian affiliate of the WDC. While I'm no fan of the politics taking place in the DanceSport world, the simple fact is that the IDSF has developed to a point where it represents choice in the amateur competition world, and WDC has no voice at all among amateurs. As I've pointed out in other posts, I admire the WDC's emphasis on quality dancing, while the IDSF is entirely focused on organizational structure. But the IDSF has done a masterful job of creating a market for both competitions and audiences, and this is paying off as competitors become comfortable with the many event choices available to them across the country and around the world. There are literally thousands of competitions available to members of IDSF associations, and this is what develops better dancers.

Success is always about who has the larger market. VHS won over Betamax despite being an inferior product, because it developed a bigger market. Blu-Ray won over HD-DVD because it created a marketplace, while the HD-DVD camp (though first to market) talked a lot about the market but didn't deliver the numbers.

A few days ago, the CDDSC released a new document begging dancers to join its ranks. It's almost pathetic to read, but shows an interesting change of emphasis. It seems that they are aware that the WDC's Amateur League will never get off the ground and are now putting the focus on moving amateurs into the realm of professionals. The document makes repeated references to making the transition from amateur to professional.

Like many dancers, I'm not in favor of bans and restrictions on where one can dance. But, for better or worse, that's the way it is and life goes on. The WDC Amateur League has no future, and this document, full of vague references without facts to back up its claims, ends up looking like piteous proof of that. Kind of sad, I suppose.

I've been reading an interesting book by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman, called "The Elements of Persuasion." It's a business book related to advertising and marketing communications. But the principles in the book actually relate to all of life, including dancing. The premise is that from our earliest moments, we use stories to interact with others; to share our needs, our joys and our disappointments. When an infant finishes the contents of the baby bottle and says, "All gone," he or she is telling a short yet powerful story that we all understand.

Maxwell and Dickman outline several elements that define every story. What struck me is that these apply equally well to the stories told in a 90-second dance performance. Here's what they believe makes a story effective:

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The firestorm of controversy about the recent SnowBall Classic finals stretches all the way from Montreal to Vancouver. Judging from a stream of E-mail traffic these past two days, it seems that all the talk at Classique has related to the fact that Canada's top couples didn't get marked into the finals at two key SnowBall events. Apparently, some people are upset that these couples didn't get automatically called back by the Canadian judge.

Last time I checked, it was expected that you had to earn your way into any final, it was never a "right" based on previous results. So what if Anton and Karolina were in the finals of the World Championship Ten Dance a few months ago. That doesn't automatically grant them entrance into every world-class Ten Dance final from that point on, Canadian judge or not. People are trying to call this a sport, yet they're expecting politics to take precedence over the quality of dancing. I was at the event. Here's what I observed:

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Tailsuits are a huge investment, so it's no wonder tailsuit care is such a common topic when male dancers get together. Because the tailsuit contains special construction to keep the shoulder area from rising up when the arms are raised, traditional suit care methods don't always work the same way for the tailsuit.

I've long known that one of the best ways to keep your tailsuit looking good is through the use of a wide enough hanger. Never use one of those thin plastic hangers -- or worse, a wire one -- because the stiffeners in the shoulder area will break down due to the weight of the tailsuit pulling against the hanger. I was thrilled to come across a very unique wooden hanger design from the Hanger Project. This hanger is especially designed to mimic the shape of the shoulder, providing the ultimate support. It even flares out at the ends, and comes in different widths to match the size of your jacket.

A couple of other tips:

• Take your jacket off between rounds so it doesn't get unnecessarily damp. In fact, it's better to have several shirts and change them between rounds if time permits, for the same reason.
• Let your tailsuit out to breathe for a day or so after each comp.
• Don't use one of those adhesive roller-type lint brushes because they leave adhesive residue. Instead, use a traditional lint brush.
• Steam your tailsuit while it hangs rather than pressing it, to avoid getting shiny patches on the fabric from the heat of the iron.

The world lost the other half of the incredible Irvine partnership last night. Ballroom dance icon Bill Irvine, MBE, passed away in the night just two weeks after his 82nd birthday. He had been ill for some time. Bill's wife, Bobbie Irvine, MBE, lost a battle with cancer on May 30, 2004 at the age of 71. To the very end, even through her illness, she continued to play an active role in teaching, judging and guiding major events like Blackpool. Bill was no less involved.

He began a career as a butcher's assistant in Scotland, but all he wanted to do was dance. He became known for practicing his Waltz, Quickstep and Foxtrot behind his delivery van, drawn by a horse called Doodles. Unable to find the right partner in England, he met Bobbie in Johannesburg. At the time, she was dancing with Vernon Ballantyne and he was partnered with Aida Kruger. Bobbie and Vernon defeated Bill and Aida at the 1955 South African Championship. Both couples were selected to compete in London. After both were defeated by others, Kruger and Ballantyne retired, throwing Bill and Bobbie together. They married in 1957.

They won their first World Championship title in Berlin in 1960, then won their first British Championship two years later, after the reigning champs Harry Smith-Hampshire and Doreen Casey retired. But four days later, they were beaten by Bob Burgess and Doreen Freeman at another event. They fought back and established themselves as the greatest competitive couple in history, winning three world titles in Latin as well as many in Standard. Between 1960 and 1968, the Irvines won 13 world titles. They won both the Standard and Latin Championships in 1966, a feat unequaled by any other couple before or since. Then they did it again in 1968 in a single day, setting a Guinness Record.

They were jointly awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) award in 1967 for their services to dancing. Until 1992 Bill was the Chair of the Ballroom Branch Committee. He retired as chair of the British Open Adjudicators in 2001, after 23 years of service. Both Bobbie and Bill were troubled by the new developments in technique, with style and subtlety being threatened by speed and drama. They were also concerned at how Latin dances were becoming indistinguishable from each other except by music.

Next time you're on the dance floor, take a moment to reflect on the legacy of Bill and Bobbie Irvine, and what they gave to this wonderful sport through passion, style, and commitment to flawless technique.

The published results of a recent WDC judges commission following the UK Open speaks volumes about the philosophical differences between WDC and IDSF. To understand why, you have to read both the WDC report and a recent IDSF AGM report. To be fair, the two kinds of meetings have different purposes, and I would expect an AGM to dwell heavily on administrative issues. These things are important, and the IDSF has done a wonderful job of bringing ballroom dancing into the public conciousness through organizational detail and lots of international activity. But it is interesting that you never see the IDSF ever talk about the quality of dancing. The WDC report, on the other hand, talked entirely about dancing -- the quality of dance and the behavior of dancers on the floor. I can't help but admire that focus. The judges who made up that commission, including such prominent names as Peter Eggleton, Hazel Fletcher, Caterina Arzenton, Luca Baricchi and others, were clearly passionate about the quality of dancing. They exclusively addressed such things as floor craft, footwork in Samba, musicality, character of dances and other things that have been lacking or losing emphasis in recent years. I'm really pleased to see that kind of interest in what this sport is ultimately all about: the quality of the dance performance. If the IDSF wants to reduce friction in the war between the pros, it would be wise to focus more energy on the quality of dancing.

Public safety bureaucrats in Blackpool, England decided that smooth parquet floors are dangerous and ordered that all community center floors be covered in carpet. Dancers, naturally, are outraged as many of them train, practice and social dance in community centers in this city known as the Mecca of ballroom dancing. Apparently, according to this article in the Daily Mail, the decision never examined whether injuries had occurred in the past. And in a perfect example of the absurdity of this decision, the CEO of Blackpool Coastal Housing, which owns the centers, claims that they were simply out to protect pensioners who make up a large group of the users of these centers. Get this: he says, "Carpet is the best option. I know it is not perfect for dancing, but it is perfect for karate." How many seniors do you know who are heavily into karate? One councillor said: "The parquet floor has been there since it was built in 1973, and there have never been any injuries in that time. Then all of a sudden the health and safety people come in and say it's got to be covered up with carpet." The lesson: if you value your sanity, never question the mind of a bureaucrat.