USA Dance Pro Division

[dlliba10]

There are some competitors who are doing well in both organizations, but I know of one couple who was recently told to make a choice by their coaches. It's such a shame. I wish we could all just get along ...

 

[DerekWeb]

Its not only politics, the styles are diverging, one "artistic" and one "athletic". Or maybe that is because of the politics. Have you seen the web page with the examples of relatively new elongated poses from one of the organizations? You may not be able to win in both.

 

[Joe]

You'll note that those cases are not even vaguely recent. And I'm not intending to say it never happens.

Also, you can't say what would have happened if there'd been a USAD/WDSF PD in that era.

If the NDCA can hold adjudicators hostage, why can't they do the same to competitors, who also have to register with NDCA?

Not really holding hostage, but I've heard of at least one couple who have been..."financially incentivized" to no longer dance USA Dance events.

 

[FancyFeet]

Its not only politics, the styles are diverging, one "artistic" and one "athletic". Or maybe that is because of the politics. Have you seen the web page with the examples of relatively new elongated poses from one of the organizations? You may not be able to win in both.

I really hope that's not where we end up... especially since my style seems to be emerging as a healthy blend of both

 

[s2k]

I agree, @JudeMorrigan - anything that's a liability to competing globally doesn't serve the "mission."

That being said...

We want top ams to compete globally, so who will make up the "pro" in the "pro division" then? If the potential purpose of this division is to create a judging pipeline - which we need, desperately - especially in the American styles - we'll need judges who were former pro competitors (preferably... and preferably top competitors, IMHO).

So I see "point A..." "point B..." ... "point J..." I just feel like there's a gap in here somewhere that I hope gets addressed. I dunno what that gap is. I "grew up" in NDCA, and am now dancing for USAD in an am-am partnership but I'm still very aware of my own biases and expectations: if you're teaching dance, you're a pro. If you're coaching less-experienced couples, if you're adjudicating in any capacity... how are you not a professional?

But as I said, these are my own semantics to get over. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Requiem]

if you're teaching dance, you're a pro. If you're coaching less-experienced couples, if you're adjudicating in any capacity... how are you not a professional?

I get judging, since I assume you have to be quite good to be asked to do that. But I feel like teaching and coaching can cover a wide range. Especially at a college/university level. A silver level dancer can be teaching a beginner the basics, but that doesn't make the former a pro.