samina
Well-Known Member
saying prayer for more enlightened leadership to emerge from the current & up-coming batch of ballroom champions...
when i receive IDSF World DanceSport E-Zine emails like the one below, i am always shocked that someone actually sent such pettiness out for public reading. always strikes me as the sort of letter you should write in the middle of the night & tear up so you can write something more... mature & effective... in the morning.
or... am i missing something?
(sorry for aborted thread title... was supposed to finish "e-zine email" but i accidentally hit the enter button...)
From IDSF Honorary Life President Rudi Baumann
Dear Friends:
After nearly a year of silence in retirement, I feel the need to speak out and say that the recent complaints and accusations made publicly by Donnie Burns and his allies about the present dispute between IDSF and the leadership of the WDC, really make me shake my head.
He tries to blame IDSF for the tensions in DanceSport, when everyone in the dance world knows that he enthusiastically supported the IDSA and IDU, organizations which were formed for the purpose of undermining and replacing IDSF. I wonder whether this man understood that the consequences of those acts would be to create very serious difficulties between the two bodies?Or was he just blind to those consequences?Either way, his actions and those results do not reflect well on his and WDC’s abilities and judgement.
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 and his friends have created for the world’s dancers.After 32 years on the IDSF Presidium and more years in dancing, I regard this principle, i.e. the acceptance of IDSF as the body of DanceSport, as fundamental to the development of harmony between the IDSF and the WDC.But I am sorry to say that I doubt whether the present leadership of the WDC will ever agree to this simple, obvious, necessary reality.The time when a few European countries could completely dominate the world-wide Dance business and competitions, is history!
In other words, DanceSport must be the responsibility of one International Sports Federation, recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Based on this reality, the IDSF is now proceeding in the right way, giving support to the establishment of a“Professional wing” the IPDSC, initiated by well-known, well-intentioned Dance Teachers from all over the world who have said publicly that they are thoroughly discontented with WDC’s leadership and policies and want to work with IDSF to organize and promote DanceSport according to the recognized, IOC-supported IDSF sporting system.
About one year ago as President of the IDSF, I mentioned in a letter to Len Armstrong (President BDC), that IDSF had lost its confidence into Donnie Burns as President of the WDC.I am sorry to say that this has not changed .I sincerely appeal to Donnie to respond to the huge discontent he has created, by stepping down from WDC Presidency and opening the door for the possibility of constructive talks between a new WDC President and the IDSF.
Rudolf Baumann
IDSF Honorary Life President
when i receive IDSF World DanceSport E-Zine emails like the one below, i am always shocked that someone actually sent such pettiness out for public reading. always strikes me as the sort of letter you should write in the middle of the night & tear up so you can write something more... mature & effective... in the morning.
or... am i missing something?
(sorry for aborted thread title... was supposed to finish "e-zine email" but i accidentally hit the enter button...)
From IDSF Honorary Life President Rudi Baumann
Dear Friends:
After nearly a year of silence in retirement, I feel the need to speak out and say that the recent complaints and accusations made publicly by Donnie Burns and his allies about the present dispute between IDSF and the leadership of the WDC, really make me shake my head.
He tries to blame IDSF for the tensions in DanceSport, when everyone in the dance world knows that he enthusiastically supported the IDSA and IDU, organizations which were formed for the purpose of undermining and replacing IDSF. I wonder whether this man understood that the consequences of those acts would be to create very serious difficulties between the two bodies?Or was he just blind to those consequences?Either way, his actions and those results do not reflect well on his and WDC’s abilities and judgement.
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 and his friends have created for the world’s dancers.After 32 years on the IDSF Presidium and more years in dancing, I regard this principle, i.e. the acceptance of IDSF as the body of DanceSport, as fundamental to the development of harmony between the IDSF and the WDC.But I am sorry to say that I doubt whether the present leadership of the WDC will ever agree to this simple, obvious, necessary reality.The time when a few European countries could completely dominate the world-wide Dance business and competitions, is history!
In other words, DanceSport must be the responsibility of one International Sports Federation, recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Based on this reality, the IDSF is now proceeding in the right way, giving support to the establishment of a“Professional wing” the IPDSC, initiated by well-known, well-intentioned Dance Teachers from all over the world who have said publicly that they are thoroughly discontented with WDC’s leadership and policies and want to work with IDSF to organize and promote DanceSport according to the recognized, IOC-supported IDSF sporting system.
About one year ago as President of the IDSF, I mentioned in a letter to Len Armstrong (President BDC), that IDSF had lost its confidence into Donnie Burns as President of the WDC.I am sorry to say that this has not changed .I sincerely appeal to Donnie to respond to the huge discontent he has created, by stepping down from WDC Presidency and opening the door for the possibility of constructive talks between a new WDC President and the IDSF.
Rudolf Baumann
IDSF Honorary Life President
