DanceSport Talk

Earlier this year, the DanceSport BC board heard from a member that her high school was not recognizing the many hours she put into her dance training as Physical Education credits. She asked if we could help argue in her defense.

During a meeting with her school's principal, I was stunned to learn that the provincial government guidelines for PE credits included every form of dance except one: ballroom dancing!

Two months of research went into a detailed white paper describing the need to recognize dance as a valid part of any public health initiative. The goal is to have the BC school system include ballroom dancing in its PE credits program, and to eventually include ballroom dancing as part of the educational system, just as it is in many parts of Europe, Britain, and a growing number of American cities.

Please download the white paper as a PDF document and share it with community leaders, especially physicians and educators. Over the next few months, I'll be meeting with many leaders to promote this initiative.

Download link:
www.dancesportbc.com/download/Promoting-Public-Health-through-Dance.pdf

You can also find this link on the DanceSport BC website by clicking on the "Downloads" menu button.

Live coverage of the BDFI Congress at Embassy Ball 2009. I couldn't be at the Thursday sessions because I was still in flight at the time, but I always appreciate these wonderful free lectures provided to anyone who wants to attend.

These are held in the spacious practice tent behind the hotel.
Click the "Read More" link to follow the lecture series. Note: iFrame does not work on iPhone; to access go to the direct link

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Every human endeavor has its heroes, those whose passion and dedication shaped destinies. In the dance world, we look up to Vernon and Irene Castle, Pierre and Doris Lavelle, Bill and Bobbie Irvine, Alex Moore, Ruud Vermeij, Bryan Allen, Peggy Spencer and so many other icons who changed the world of ballroom dancing for the better. They created dances, step patterns, music, costumes, ideas, a vibrant competition environment and more. They built what we enjoy today.

But we often forget that things weren't as easy for them as we have it now. That's why I'm so pleased with Brigitt Mayer's groundbreaking effort to record their stories before they are forgotten. Her new book, "Ballroom Icons," belongs on the shelf of everyone serious about ballroom dancing.

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