Who started this, anyway?
A few days ago, former IDSF president Rudolf Baumann published an open letter regarding the ongoing conflict the organization is having with the WDC. I was stunned at the perspective he shared.
Among his comments was this interesting statement: "As long as the WDC does not, or will not, accept the straightforward, common, obvious worldwide standard Sports principle that any Sport must be governed by one International Sports Federation (preferably recognised by the IOC), I see no solution to the problems he [referring to WDC president Donnie Burns] and his friends have created for the world's dancers."
Now, I have no problems with the IDSF pursuing its dream of Olympic status for DanceSport. While I don't agree that DanceSport should be in the Olympics, I don't care if they try. But I have a huge problem with the arrogant, my-way-or-the-highway demand that this one organization should decide that nobody else is allowed to dance. Here's why I struggle with that statement:
The World Dance Council (WDC) dates back to an organization known as the International Council of Ballroom Dancing (ICBD), which was founded on September 21, 1950. Initiated by Philip Richardson in Edinburgh, Scotland, it was organized by professionals to govern competitive ballroom dancing. Initially it consisted of nine European and three overseas members.
The ICBD was not the first association designed to regulate ballroom dancing. An earlier organization created in 1935 in Prague, called the Federation Internationale de Dance pour Amateurs (FIDA) only lasted until the war years and despite several attempts failed to be revived.
While the ICBD continued to grow and did a fine job in general of accomplishing its mandate, amateurs grew increasingly frustrated that they did not have a governing body representing their perspective on competitive dancing. Finally, on May 12, 1957, a group of amateurs was able to build a new organization known as the International Council of Amateur Dancers (ICAD).
The amateur organization needed the approval of ICBD to become a reality, and this was granted. ICBD joined hands with ICAD and lent its support, allowing it to rapidly gain momentum internationally. By the end of 1958 it already had national associations from 14 countries in its membership. But even then tensions began between the amateurs represented by ICAD and professionals under the governance of ICBD.
In 1965, through an contract known as the Bremen Agreement, the two groups formed a joint committee to help adjudicate their differences. It consisted of equal numbers of representatives from each organization.
ICAD became IDSF in 1991. ICBD eventually became the WDC.
The joint committee structured by the Bremen Agreement drafted a framework for cooperation under which the amateur organization had the sole authority to grant amateur world championships. There was no question that the ICBD had sole authority to govern professional events and professional world championships.
Which brings me back to Baumann's statement. The IDSF decided that there was no further need of the WDC. They took the position that there should be no more distinction between amateurs and professionals. If that's a goal they've set, fine. But to my knowledge, they did not consult the WDC on these major steps. They created their own judging system. They created a direct competitor to the WDC's professional registry (the IPDSC). They created their own professional competitions. And now they blame the WDC for not recognizing their authority as the sole governing body for competitive ballroom dancing!
In other words, this organization, started after the WDC, decides that the WDC should no longer exist and then gets upset when the WDC doesn't agree!
Let me make it clear that I like the IDSF. But it seems to me that the key issue in this conflict is not Donnie Burns and the WDC. The IDSF wants the WDC to accept the IDSF as the sole authority of DanceSport in order to "create harmony." What exactly would they have the WDC do? Fade away? Cry "uncle"? Run for the hills? Baumann feels that Donnie Burns must step down to open the door to "constructive talks." With whom do they expect to hold these talks? Any president of WDC worth his or her salt will feel the same way as Mr. Burns. You can't just wish away an organization that has stood for 57 years because you feel it's in the way of your plans for global domination!
The recent statement by current president Carlos Frietag that the WDC should continue to pursue the emphasis on art while the IDSF pursues an emphasis on sport now seems to be a hollow shell. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that the IDSF wants no competitive dancing to exist anywhere unless they govern it.
The WDC, in sharp contrast, takes the position that the IDSF can be free to manage its competitive world of DanceSport, be free to pursue its Olympic dream, be free to govern its member associations and athletes. It just wants to be free to continue doing what it has been doing all along, evolving in the same way the IDSF is evolving. I see nothing wrong with that.
There are many organizations in the world of hockey, and it has not hurt hockey's place in the Olympics. There are many governing bodies in motor racing. There are many non-Olympic world-class competitions in almost every area of sport and there has been no difficulty separating them from the Olympic Games. They coexist very peacefully. You have World Cup Skiing and Olympic skiing. You have NBA basketball or NHL hockey and Olympic (international rules) basketball and hockey. Why should DanceSport be any different?
Among his comments was this interesting statement: "As long as the WDC does not, or will not, accept the straightforward, common, obvious worldwide standard Sports principle that any Sport must be governed by one International Sports Federation (preferably recognised by the IOC), I see no solution to the problems he [referring to WDC president Donnie Burns] and his friends have created for the world's dancers."
Now, I have no problems with the IDSF pursuing its dream of Olympic status for DanceSport. While I don't agree that DanceSport should be in the Olympics, I don't care if they try. But I have a huge problem with the arrogant, my-way-or-the-highway demand that this one organization should decide that nobody else is allowed to dance. Here's why I struggle with that statement:
The World Dance Council (WDC) dates back to an organization known as the International Council of Ballroom Dancing (ICBD), which was founded on September 21, 1950. Initiated by Philip Richardson in Edinburgh, Scotland, it was organized by professionals to govern competitive ballroom dancing. Initially it consisted of nine European and three overseas members.
The ICBD was not the first association designed to regulate ballroom dancing. An earlier organization created in 1935 in Prague, called the Federation Internationale de Dance pour Amateurs (FIDA) only lasted until the war years and despite several attempts failed to be revived.
While the ICBD continued to grow and did a fine job in general of accomplishing its mandate, amateurs grew increasingly frustrated that they did not have a governing body representing their perspective on competitive dancing. Finally, on May 12, 1957, a group of amateurs was able to build a new organization known as the International Council of Amateur Dancers (ICAD).
The amateur organization needed the approval of ICBD to become a reality, and this was granted. ICBD joined hands with ICAD and lent its support, allowing it to rapidly gain momentum internationally. By the end of 1958 it already had national associations from 14 countries in its membership. But even then tensions began between the amateurs represented by ICAD and professionals under the governance of ICBD.
In 1965, through an contract known as the Bremen Agreement, the two groups formed a joint committee to help adjudicate their differences. It consisted of equal numbers of representatives from each organization.
ICAD became IDSF in 1991. ICBD eventually became the WDC.
The joint committee structured by the Bremen Agreement drafted a framework for cooperation under which the amateur organization had the sole authority to grant amateur world championships. There was no question that the ICBD had sole authority to govern professional events and professional world championships.
Which brings me back to Baumann's statement. The IDSF decided that there was no further need of the WDC. They took the position that there should be no more distinction between amateurs and professionals. If that's a goal they've set, fine. But to my knowledge, they did not consult the WDC on these major steps. They created their own judging system. They created a direct competitor to the WDC's professional registry (the IPDSC). They created their own professional competitions. And now they blame the WDC for not recognizing their authority as the sole governing body for competitive ballroom dancing!
In other words, this organization, started after the WDC, decides that the WDC should no longer exist and then gets upset when the WDC doesn't agree!
Let me make it clear that I like the IDSF. But it seems to me that the key issue in this conflict is not Donnie Burns and the WDC. The IDSF wants the WDC to accept the IDSF as the sole authority of DanceSport in order to "create harmony." What exactly would they have the WDC do? Fade away? Cry "uncle"? Run for the hills? Baumann feels that Donnie Burns must step down to open the door to "constructive talks." With whom do they expect to hold these talks? Any president of WDC worth his or her salt will feel the same way as Mr. Burns. You can't just wish away an organization that has stood for 57 years because you feel it's in the way of your plans for global domination!
The recent statement by current president Carlos Frietag that the WDC should continue to pursue the emphasis on art while the IDSF pursues an emphasis on sport now seems to be a hollow shell. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that the IDSF wants no competitive dancing to exist anywhere unless they govern it.
The WDC, in sharp contrast, takes the position that the IDSF can be free to manage its competitive world of DanceSport, be free to pursue its Olympic dream, be free to govern its member associations and athletes. It just wants to be free to continue doing what it has been doing all along, evolving in the same way the IDSF is evolving. I see nothing wrong with that.
There are many organizations in the world of hockey, and it has not hurt hockey's place in the Olympics. There are many governing bodies in motor racing. There are many non-Olympic world-class competitions in almost every area of sport and there has been no difficulty separating them from the Olympic Games. They coexist very peacefully. You have World Cup Skiing and Olympic skiing. You have NBA basketball or NHL hockey and Olympic (international rules) basketball and hockey. Why should DanceSport be any different?
