Re: What is happening to English DanceSport??

Monday, 15 October 2007 13:20

After an English dancer informed me in another topic on this forum that I should know the number who "absolutely do not give a damn"  I received an e-mail telling me that I should spend 15 minutes on the English Amateur Dancesport Association website forums and I would quickly realise two things.

First - what is wrong with English dancesport

and

Second that the dancers absolutely do not give a damn and thus we have the First situation.

Visiting the EADA forums and you see - it is backward in its thinking no ambition nor interest in the future. Rather a retirement home and no interest in the International stage and advancing the young....

Someone asks what about the WDC league and one member says

 "It does not affect the majority of our members".

Then the webmaster says something like there is no need to hurry nothing is going to happen till 2010.

It is happening NOW and has been for some months!

How wrong can the EADA webmaster be?  How irresponsible not to check that you have correct information when you are acting as the "mouthpiece" to the membership?

People ask about Assen.  There are no guidelines no advice no official position.  People are told write to "David" write to "Mary",  Come on!  This is a joke!! 

Provide leadership make a decision and make a statement. 

 The IDSF cannot stop any EADA member from going to Assen "David" and "Mary" can!

Are "David" and "Mary" young and ambitious with plans for their own dancing in the future ?

Are "David" and "Mary" in the sunset of their careers and just loving their ten minutes of fame and power?

If the members do not like the decisions of "David" and "Mary" then they can vote "David" and "Mary" out but of course they need to know the decisions rather then keep it wooly headed - no decision no hope for the futue and  - we never said that  - just blame the wicked coaches who refuse to teach us for nothing at all.

No replacements for "David" and "Mary"?

............................well then we can see what is wrong with english dance sport.

The problems with english dancesport are very clear indeed and until all the members absolutely care about the future and a position on the international stage then nothing is going to improve and it is English Amateur Dance REST IN PEACE..

Once the current top UK coaches disappear  then England the UK have no place in the world of dance - the ultimate dream of IDSF and IPDSC. It would seem that "David" and "Mary" are helping this IDSF dream to come true.   .

Re: What is happening to English DanceSport??

Tuesday, 16 October 2007 10:55

@Elaine

Ive just read your post and I couldnt agree with you more .The idea of a coach taking one couple under thier wing and giving two free lessons a week is a wonderful one. I really think that this would make a difference to our couples .

Re: What is happening to English DanceSport??

Tuesday, 16 October 2007 18:05

Re: What is happening to English DanceSport??

Wednesday, 17 October 2007 21:40

polkadancer:

Elaine:

 I have a suggestion. If every top coach in the country were to take one couple under their wing and give them two free lessons a week along with encouragement, support and guidance, could this make a difference??? Would our coaches be prepared to do this??

When I posted this suggestion it was an idea which just popped into my head, not something that I had given any thought to.  I was really just trying to look at ways in which maybe young british dancers could be helped.  Realistically I doubt it would ever happen.  Dance in Britain is so deep rooted in the past and the "good old days" with too many organisations involved. None of whom sadly seem to have any wish or incentive to want to bring about change or help our talented dancers. Although now recognised as a sport dance training in England is strictly private enterprise, unlike other sports such as swimming and athletics where local clubs flourish and young talent is nutured, encouraged and trained.

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Dear Elaine

You are someone for whom I have great respect. Although you might be horriefied we agree in quite a large part of our thinking.  Thank you Polkadancer, you might be surprised to hear that I often agree with much of what you say as well, although not always!!  The world would be a pretty boring place though if we all agreed about everything and had the same opinions. There would certainly be no encouragement for healthy debate! 

You care enough and do give a damn and therefore take the opportunity to study the political situation so you can express opinion based on fact.

You are wise enough to understand the political situation cannot be avoided as it governs every aspect of competitive dancing.

I admire that in you and we do not even need to agree in our opinions.

 

Please can I throw out a few random comments - not in any order of preference - as to why I think your suggestion is not feasible. I shall give my thoughts to your comments below:

Jealousy is a terrible thing

1. There is so much jealousy in dancing that any coach/judge taking one couple under their wing will probably lose their other couples. The other couiples will believe we are just as good so why should xzy get free coaching and special treatment. I agree that this could be a problem and there would have to be a well thought out selection policy, so that it was quite clear why certain couples might be chosen for the scheme.  I think the jealousy argument could well happen under normal circumstances anyway even when you are paying for the coaching.  If one coach regularly trains say 6 rival youth couples, some are bound to believe that others may receive special favouritism.

This is even more relevant if this is the sole coach for shall we say 3 couples with potential.

2.  Couples go to 2 or 3 or more coaches so are the other coaches going to be happy that another coach is taking all the credit for the couple and possible improvement - My thoughts on this would be that this coach would have to be their one and only, if they were acting as mentor and giving help freely then it would be unfair for the couple to go to other coaches as well.  That way if and when they are very sucessful the Coach who had helped them to get there would be the one to get the credit. If they wanted more lessons than those provided freely on the scheme then they would pay the going rate with their one and only coach.

Conversely Coach A providing the "free lessons" encouragment and guidance is not going to be happy if the couples are dancing what they are told by coach B and coach C rather than what coach A wants.  This is a problem if you have more than one coach anyway!!  How often have dancers found themselves in a position of paying out for very expensive lessons with Coach A and then have Coach B tell them to do it completely differently!!!!

3. If a coach was to adjudicate and mark 1st a couple they were training and guiding "free" then there would be uproar and claims of fix/fiddle - This happens anyway when couples are paying so I don't see why it should be any different.

4.  The information must be in the public domain and this could lead to enormous friction and dis-satisfaction with claim and cunter-claim. As long as this was public knowledge and the selection criteria strictly complied with and everyone being aware of this, I don't think it would be a problem. It is my experience that problems and friction arise when things happen that are seen to be underhand in some way.

There could even be nasty smears of a personal nature as to why the coach is training guiding and providing special treatment for just one couple and innuendo as to what the coach is getting "in return".. My initial thoughts on this idea were that the couples that would most benefit from any such scheme would be the young ones, ie., juveniles, juniors, youth and young amatuer couples, because after all they are the future