USA Dance Suspended from NDCA

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Griffico said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there is also a limit on proximity of competitions to one another that is both time and distance-based that prevents USA Dance events from occurring with much frequency.
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The only criteria we have for USA Dance is for the NQEs, we try to space them out in terms of time and distance so that they are as easy as possible for everyone to attend and so that everyone has a much choice as possible. This year we have 11 NEQs scheduled, (some have already occurred), up from 10 last year, plus a total of 13 competitions currently schedule between now and Nationals in 2012. That averages to about 1.5 comps a month between now and Nationals.

A few of the places that these comps will be held are: CA, CT, Chicago, Florida, Indiana, KY, NC, NY, Pittsburgh, and Seattle, so it’s a pretty wide swath of America. Anyone interested in running a comp in Arizona or Utah please let us know :D.

FYI, NDCA will only give sanctions to competitions that are a certain distance and time from another already sanctioned competition.
 
I hear you Larinda, and I think I am in agreement with you that dancers in the USA would be best served if organizations in the USA supported dancers in USA. Whatever is going on in Europe should take a backseat to that. They need to earn our affections, not the other way around.
 
This just posted on USA Dance's Facebook page:

Official Statement from USA Dance, Inc. Regarding NDCA Suspension

Issued July 12, 2011

To all Members of the Dance Community:

Many of you are undoubtedly concerned about the action which the NDCA took on Saturday, July 9th to suspend the membership of USA Dance. In doing so, the NDCA has acted in haste, which has caused turmoil and confusion among the members of both organizations.

The NDCA leadership has current on-going conflicts with the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF, formerly IDSF). Regrettably, these conflicts, unrelated to USA Dance and most of the dancers in the USA, have prompted this decision by the NDCA to demand that USA Dance cancel the WDSF Adjudicators Congress it was hosting for U.S. judges electing to renew their judging certificates for WDSF judging opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad.

USA Dance is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for DanceSport in the U.S. and is a participating member of the NDCA for purposes of fostering constructive, positive relationships within American DanceSport.

However, USA Dance maintains an autonomous position with regard to the governance of its organization as required by the USOC. We strive to maintain a mutually supportive relationship with all dancers and all dance organizations as a top priority.

We regret that the NDCA has chosen to take this action without careful forethought to preventing the confusion and conflicts that are now occurring.

USA Dance, as an all-volunteer non-profit organization, with 180 chapters throughout the country, has untiringly supported America's love of dance for more than 40 years and has provided meaningful opportunities for everyone, young and old, to enjoy their activity, their sport and their passion for dance.

USA Dance will be convening a meeting of its Governing Council this evening to discuss the actions of the NDCA, and will be issuing a press release to announce any decisions it has reached with regard to this issue.
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the big problem that I see is that if USA Dance is not affiliated with the NDCA in "good standing", NDCA judges won't be allowed to judge USA Dance events, including NQEs and Nationals. Leaving aside the the fact that it is probably not legal for the NDCA to place that restriction on it's registrants, it will still cause a lot of problems for USA Dance organizers and reduce the average quality of USADance competitions. Add that to the relatively small number of comps that USA Dance puts on in comparison to those sanctioned by the NDCA and competitors better not be given an either/or choice between dancing in one or the other's comp. The NDCA will take that decision.

I tried to do that years ago when the NDCA first forced all amateurs to register and it lasted only four months before I realized that my dancing was more important than some idealogy. I started dancing NDCA comps again. And I lived in an area with a lot of amateur comps,

The is an unnecessary fight and I don't think it is being done in the interests of the competitors.

- Turtle Brennen

PS: I've been watching and, for ten years, worked in the NDCA/USA Dance arena and I am a competitor. I've heard all the arguments for years (and made them, too!) about it being for the good of the sport. It doesn't hold water here and I totally disagree with decision that led to this current situation.
 
I agree that if it limits competitors then it is a bad thing. It does seem that USA Dance may have a choice they can make that would reverse the problem. On the other hand, with the NDCA you have a unanimous decision, which is far more difficult to reverse.

If it were up to me, and and I was an officer for USA Dance (I"m not), I would get it reversed first to buy more time. Even if the intent might be to separate if certain criteria is not met at a future date, I don't feel USA Dance has enough momentum to separate successfully now.

As you brought out tbrennan, the quality of the USA Dance events would suffer, and that would be bad for the dancers, and there is clearly a choice that could be made to reverse that now. The stuff with the Congress affects far fewer people.
 
It should also be pointed out that there have been a number of decisions in the NDCA that were lobbied for by USA dance they were voted on and approved, not the least of those being that amateurs can now teach for money.

From what I understand about Europe, there has been increased interest by what was once an amateur organization to start running pro events, including related items like certifying pros and adjudicators for these events. As best I can tell, this "Congress" thing represents USA Dance making a strong move in the direction of pro events and pro adjudicators. I'm not 100% clear on that, but I think that is the case. It's probably close to that.

If I'm right then the NDCA is basically saying that they will not accept a second organization doing pro events with a governing body that is not the NDCA.

I just think that USA Dance is making a mistake by trying to go too fast here. They could do many dancers in the US a favor by slowing down and regrouping. The WDSF is not free from controversy, and there is a lot of unsettled business in Europe. I don't think the WDSF is going to ban USA Dance for not having the Congress, because if they did they would lose all hope of reaching into the USA.
 
I fail to see the point in this ridiculous in-fighting. How much better would all of our time be spent if we focused on important issues like getting health insurance in place for our professional dancers, like Julia Ivleva?
 
Yes. Individuals have the right to make choices. I made the health care choice for the roughly seven years of my professional life that I spent as a contractor. First time around, I chose to go without health insurance and got away with it. Second time around, I figured I was too old to take the risk. Each time I chose and each time I lived with my choice.

But I do agree with the underlying point.

If the in-fighting went away, there'd be time and energy to expend on things of concern to not just the leadership but to the constituency of each group.
 
Larinda McRaven said:
The health insurance is really a non issue. Every person is totally free to secure their health insurance with or without a group. And being in a group does not exactly make it cheaper or easier than being an individual. Working for a studio that pays half of it for you and does all the calling and paperwork makes it cheaper and easier. But for a self employeed individual it really doesn't matter either way. You either jump through hoops to get or or you don't, but that has nothing to do with the NDCA or USADance.
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precisely
 
Yes, health insurance is a red herring. (My work doesn't provide it, either, and they are under no obligation to do so. I pay for it myself. My choice for working there.)

But bickering between the NDCA, USA Dance, and whatever the heck is going on in Europe is not helping dancers progress as competitors, just limiting opportunities for everyone. Not to mention if the alleged goal is to make the sport look "serious" to outsiders, this isn't helping.
 
danceronice said:
Yes, health insurance is a red herring. (My work doesn't provide it, either, and they are under no obligation to do so. I pay for it myself. My choice for working there.)

But bickering between the NDCA, USA Dance, and whatever the heck is going on in Europe is not helping dancers progress as competitors, just limiting opportunities for everyone. Not to mention if the alleged goal is to make the sport look "serious" to outsiders, this isn't helping.
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Exactly. Looked at from another perspective, the whole current debate is a red herring. If the interested parties frame the debate as if it's about legitimacy of the sport, then they distract some people from the underlying power struggle.
 
jofjonesboro said:
The intentions of the leadership of USA Dance are clear from their actions. They have reduced and not expanded their roster of competitions, especially in the Southeast.

jj
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Other than Nationals the overall USA Dance organization doesn't run competitions, so "they" have not reduced the number of competitions. It is up to local chapters and other organizers to run the competitions if they so choose. Being that these comps are not run for a profit and typically run for the benefit and joy of the dancing, it's a tough job on the volunteers who have full time jobs outside of trying to plan and run competitions. So if there has been a reduction in the number of comps in your area it is not because of USA Dance's actions, but because organizers have decided not to do it.
 
Daphna said:
A few of the places that these comps will be held are: CA, CT, Chicago, Florida, Indiana, KY, NC, NY, Pittsburgh, and Seattle, so it’s a pretty wide swath of America. Anyone interested in running a comp in Arizona or Utah please let us know :D
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There was a comp in Arizona this year... the Phoenix DanceSport Challenge back in February... it was an NQE too. I got medals at it, so I know I'm not hallucinating lol. If it's not happening again then I'm selling my medals as mementoes for the most short-lived NQE. And I'll pledge the funds raised towards chapters in Utah and Arizona running a comp :raisebro:
 
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