Pro/Ams and Teaching Poll. PLEASE READ POST #1 BEFORE POLLING.

[elisedance]

This came up on the 'Possible Rule Change...' thread. Several posters have been lamenting the rule change that Amateur couples can teach whereas pro/am competitors will be banned from teaching. One poster suggested that this change was for the benefit of the pro/ams - I assume to ensure that pros masquerading as Ams could not compete against them (an issue that has come up from time to time).

This thread is poll whether pro/am dancers welcome this rule change.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POLLING!

1. This poll is ONLY for pro/am competitors (present, past or planned)
2. Take it as a given that Amateur competitors ARE allowed to teach (whether that is correct or not is NOT the question addressed in this poll).

 

[Laura]

Personaly, for me and what I compete in, I welcome it. I've long personally been of the feeling that, in sports, if you're taking money for the activity, you are a professional, end of story. That's the old-school pre-1980's Olympic idea of "amateur." (Might even be pre-1970.)

So call me old-fashioned

 

[Cashmere]

I happen to agree with Laura, to me if you take money you are a pro.

I know I'm old fashioned.

But if Ams can teach then Pro/Ams can teach as well. I think it's unfair to say one Am can and one Am can't.

 

[fire_dancer]

I agree with Cashmere... if one Am can teach, the other should be able to as well. Theoretically, the Pro/Am Am should be the one allowed to teach, since you'd think their heightened exposure to professionals on a regular basis would give them a more solid foundation to teach others. (I said theoretically)

 

[wooh]

I agree with Cashmere... if one Am can teach, the other should be able to as well. Theoretically, the Pro/Am Am should be the one allowed to teach, since you'd think their heightened exposure to professionals on a regular basis would give them a more solid foundation to teach others. (I said theoretically)

Or theoretically the am/am should be the one allowed to teach since they know how to dance with a partner that's not a pro. (I'm assuming it's ok to have a pro/am vs am/am war as long as I use the word "theoretically"???)

 

[Laura]

I think I've seen this entire conversation before

 

[wooh]

I think I've seen this entire conversation before

But did we use the word "theoretically" to avoid offending each other that time?:grin:

 

[Laura]

Theoretically!!!!

 

[Laura]

By the way, has anyone here besides me danced against "Amateurs" in Pro/Am who were also making money teaching ballroom dancing?

Has anyone here besides me danced against "Amateurs" in regular Amateur events who were non-elite yet also making money teaching ballroom on the down-low before the rules changed? And, before the rules changed, who were actually competing with one of their students rather than a peer partner? (Yes on that one for me, too.)

 

[wooh]

Posted in the other thread, but Elise, will you be also starting a poll:

Given that amateurs have to compete against teaching professionals in am/am comps:

I as a pro/am competitor want to compete against teaching professionals.
or
I as a pro/am competitor want to only compete against others who do this as a hobby.

 

[Laura]

Posted in the other thread, but Elise, will you be also starting a poll:

Given that amateurs have to compete against teaching professionals in am/am comps:

I as a pro/am competitor want to compete against teaching professionals.
or
I as a pro/am competitor want to only compete against others who do this as a hobby.

How the question is phrased does have an impact on polling results.

 

[Cal]

By the way, has anyone here besides me danced against "Amateurs" in Pro/Am who were also making money teaching ballroom dancing?

Has anyone here besides me danced against "Amateurs" in regular Amateur events who were non-elite yet also making money teaching ballroom on the down-low before the rules changed? And, before the rules changed, who were actually competing with one of their students rather than a peer partner? (Yes on that one for me, too.)

Yes, to the first. It was several years ago. I was just about able to swallow it in regular old single dance events; but when I was one spot out of scholarship money because of a "teaching amateur", I started gagging.

No, to the second.

 

[Laura]

when I was one spot out of scholarship money because of a "teaching amateur", I started gagging.

I think that right there is part of the reason why the NDCA decided to dis-allow the amatuer part of a Pro/Am couple from teaching.

 

[syncopationator]

By the way, has anyone here besides me danced against "Amateurs" in Pro/Am who were also making money teaching ballroom dancing?

Not that I know of. I do know of one am that competes in pro/am who works at a dance studio as a receptionist/secretary, but does not teach.

Just for the record, I voted NO for pro/ams to be allowed to teach.

While I would welcome the idea of being able to make some extra cash on the side by teaching a few lessons, I think it would open up the the door for some full-time instructors to compete as an am in the pro/am partnership which would not be fair at all - although I would crush them anyway =)

 

[elisedance]

Posted in the other thread, but Elise, will you be also starting a poll:

Given that amateurs have to compete against teaching professionals in am/am comps:

I as a pro/am competitor want to compete against teaching professionals.
or
I as a pro/am competitor want to only compete against others who do this as a hobby.

No, I wasn't planning to - its not a question that interests me so much. But if you think it a good idea I think you should and I promise I will vote.

I think the answer is obvious, the real question for me is to what extent this is an issue. Thus, at how many competitions are there pro/am couples where both are professionals?

Besides, couldn't you argue that new rules for AMs guarantees that an old fashioned AM couple (that is one where they do not make money from dancing) will be competing against a Am couples who are bothprofessionals! Why has there been no debate on this?

Perhaps we should have another poll:
As an AM couple would you rather compete against other AMs or against Pros?