2007 US National Amateur DanceSport Championships

[cornutt]

samina: The USA Dance comps are in general the larger and better-established comps in amateur competition. NDCA is, by comparison, a Johnny-come-lately in the am-am comp world. I think they only started registering ams about five years ago (seems like it was right before I started dancing).

 

[samina]

samina: The USA Dance comps are in general the larger and better-established comps in amateur competition. NDCA is, by comparison, a Johnny-come-lately in the am-am comp world. I think they only started registering ams about five years ago (seems like it was right before I started dancing).

gotcha. thanks, cornutt. that helps.

 

[cornutt]

it's the usa dance website talking about ndca... if ndca is not a subset of usa dance, then why the reference. if ndca *is* somehow "under" usa dance in some fasion, then how can there be two separate national comps?

It's all politics, and it's best not to get too wrapped up in it. Just go to the comps you like best, and don't worry too much about who sanctions them. If you are going to go to an NDCA comp, you have to register with them first, but it's not a big deal. You can register on their Web site and for an amateur competitor the cost isn't high.

The only exception woudl be if you aspire to high-level international competition. In that case, you need to stick to the USA Dance events, because the NDCA has no standing with the IDSF.

 

[samina]

The only exception woudl be if you aspire to high-level international competition. In that case, you need to stick to the USA Dance events, because the NDCA has no standing with the IDSF.

even for pro-am...? i do eventually aspire to that, but am thinking maybe it would only be a concern for am-am or pro-pro comps...

 

[cornutt]

even for pro-am...? i do eventually aspire to that, but am thinking maybe it would only be a concern for am-am or pro-pro comps...

No, only for am-am. Sorry for the confusion. USA Dance doesn't have anything to do with pro-am.

 

[samina]

USA Dance doesn't have anything to do with pro-am.

they host the comps for pro-am but they don't restrict them you mean, right?

anyway, there aren't any officially recognized titles for pro-am, right? not like for amateurs & pros.

okay, sorry.... i'm in outa-control-hijack mode. must stop...

 

[ChaChaMama]

No, USA Dance doesn't even host comps for pro-am.

A USA Dance comp is ALL AMATEUR. No pro-am events; no pro events.

 

[samina]

ohhhhhhhh.... huh. okay. :shock:

<sound of samina shuffling to far left of learning curve>

i'll tackle a review of dancesport organizational structure another day...

 

[Chris Stratton]

The only exception woudl be if you aspire to high-level international competition. In that case, you need to stick to the USA Dance events, because the NDCA has no standing with the IDSF.

Well, yes and no.

Am/am events can be empty at either sort of competition, or strongly contested. It all depends on the competition and the region of the country.

If you want to dance against foreign IDSF couples in the US, it will probably be during NDCA competition which also has an international event granted to it by the IDSF. USA Dance doesn't seem thrilled about the IDSF going around it like that, but also isn't in a position to run an IDSF-type event itself.

However, if you want to be selected as the US representative to an IDSF world championship, you need to win the USA Dance title.

---

Also, with recent rule changes eliminating teaching/payment restrictions, the USA Dance mixed proficiency events are functionally open to pro/am type arrangements, provided that the non-judged partner is not actually registered or declared as a professional - for example, they cannot also take students to NDCA pro/am comps.

 

[cornutt]

Well, yes and no.

Am/am events can be empty at either sort of competition, or strongly contested. It all depends on the competition and the region of the country.

Good point. I was thinking of it more along the lines of which syllabus is used, and of getting into the IDSF way of doing things in general.

 

[cornutt]

i'll tackle a review of dancesport organizational structure another day...

Here's the Cliff notes version:

USA Dance == all amateur

NDCA == mostly pro and pro-am, some amateur

 

[SDsalsaguy]

Here's the Cliff notes version:

USA Dance == all amateur

NDCA == mostly pro and pro-am, some amateur

Just to add a footnote regarding am/am:

USA Dance = accepted worldwide as governing body for US am/am (i.e. USA Dance = US national member body of IDSF)

NDCA = only accepted as governing body for am/am by NDCA itself

...it is a little more complicated than this as there are other entities that feel otherwise but, as a rough gloss, this sort of covers it.

 

[cornutt]

...it is a little more complicated than this as there are other entities that feel otherwise but, as a rough gloss, this sort of covers it.

Yeah, that's about as far as I follow it too.

 

[samina]

thanks, guys. the cliff notes version helps.

so, as a pro-am dancer, my world will primarily be NDCA. if i start competing with an amateur partner -- and one may already be in the ring -- then i can go the NDCA route (such as via the spring fling & summer sizzler regional comps) or the USA Dance route.

will i be penalized if i do both NDCA *and* USA Dance amateur events?

 

[ChaChaMama]

Yes, as a pro-am dancer, your world will be primarily NDCA comps.

Yes, if you form an am-am partnership, you will have your choice of USA Dance and NDCA comps. You can also compete in college comps.

Yes, you can definitely do a combination of the above, and I think most people do.

The only place where I would differ from your analysis is that Spring Fling and Summer Sizzler are USA Dance comps. I know they are run by pros, but Spring Fling is the Northeast Regional qualifier for USA Dance nationals this year, so it must be a USA Dance comp.