Re: OPEN Competitions vs. OPEN to the association members only

   
Joined on 02 nov. 2006
Total posts: 111

Re: OPEN Competitions vs. OPEN to the association members only

dimanche 15 juin 2008 15:20

Some write about  unlimited freedom,  unrestricted competitions,  inviting all to join and dance,   but in reality when you want to enter you learn you first must become  a member of their association.

Why ?  You are already a member of a recognized national dance organisation,  why would you need a second/ dual  membership ?

When competing in UK Open,   do you need to become member of another organisation ?  No.

Is the advertized event promoted  as OPEN  competition  ?    Why are they making it Closed to just their members ?

 When the sanctioning association anticipates  there would be a low attendance,  because the  dancers refuse to pay for unnecessary memberships,   the association makes a deal with the Organizer,  and has the audacity to suggest that it is the Organizers who will pay  for the mandatory /"extra"  membership from his/her own pocket. 

Why not drop the pretense, game playing ,   and just allow all to come and dance,  and leave the poor old Organizer with the extra cash ,   that is , if the needy association ever expected any such a payment  ? 

If the competition is Open,  leave it unrestricted, collect  your entry fees,  make all dancers feel welcome.  

Joined on 07 avr. 2005
Total posts: 238

Re: OPEN Competitions vs. OPEN to the association members only

samedi 26 juillet 2008 14:28

Would you feel more at ease if

the competitions were called  IDSF Closed (with  an admission just  for anyone belonging to IDSF family ),  or CADA Closed to anyone belonging to CADA,    or,    WDC Closed to all dancers  within WDC , CCDSC Closed for WDC and CCDSC members  ?

In contrast to    IDSF or  CADA Open ,  open to dancers, within and outside the "IDSF family",   or  WDC, or CCDSC Open,  open to dancers  within but also outside the "WDC family" ?

Where the OPEN  competitions would have no other conditions than abiding by the  rules of the organizer ad the sanctioning association ?

Would we not just play with words ?  Would  such an "accuracy" make significant difference ? 

 

You could  go even further and have a special designation for competitions where there is a great variety of adjudicators representing all sides.  Having a "healthy" mix of adjudicators would give dancers the confidence that the dance, rather than politic will determine the outcome of the event .

How about having a distinstive name for OPEN events with " top"  adjudicators,  that is if adjudicators would receive ssome ranking based on their  experience as adjudicators,  and also as dancers ?

Would dancers not prefer to be judged by their professional brothers and sisters, instead by a book-worm type person with a license to judge ?   

 

I feel both WDC and IDSF are ready to back off from their rigid  antagonistic ways, realizing there cannot be a clear winner, and that their actions are hurting everyone.

 

Please do not beat me over the head that it was one side and not the other which started the sorry situations which exists today.   That would lead to just more I am right, you are wrong situation, and further antagonizing.

It is time for both sides to take a step ( or two ) back,  IDSF and WDC  do not have to become the best friends,  they can just co-exist recognizing that both sides can play  an important role, and there is a space for both. 

Dancers themselves need to get together and decide what is better for them,  a divided dance world with bans , prohibitions and penalties,  or a cohesive dance world with a fewer rules, more opportunities and a better and more fair system  to measure dancers achievements and progress.

 

Joined on 31 août 2007
Total posts: 81

Re: OPEN Competitions vs. OPEN to the association members only

lundi 28 juillet 2008 06:34

 To Jive 2004

You make some good points. However you wrote "Some write about unlimited freedom, unrestricted competitions, inviting all to join and dance, but in reality when you want to enter you learn you first must become a member of their association. Why? You are already a member of a recognized national dance organisation, why would you need a second/dual membership?"

 

This seems to be written by someone who is a member of IDSF and does not think they should have to join two associations to dance in a WDC competition. But doesn't this hold equally well for someone who is a member of the Amateur League. Why do they need to join the IDSF to dance in  IDSF competitions. They already belong to a recognized association.

 

First we must recognize two aspects of competitions. One is the rules that the competitions are held under. Two is the registration of competitors.

 

In the past they have (mostly) gone hand in hand. But this doesn't have to be the case. In fact you are making some points that maybe they shouldn't. I agree.

 

You mentioned the UK Open. This championship is definitely held under British Dance Council Rules – as are all championships in Britain. Do amateur competitors have to be members of  EADA or an IDSF national body? This does not seem so clear.

 

I agree that Organizers should hold a competition and only state under whose rules the competition will be held. But they should not be concerned whether the competitor belongs to one, two or no amateur organizations. Make all dancers feel welcome. But isn't this what the WDC is doing in their Amateur League Open competitions?

 

Open competitions at one time meant. "open to the world". Each country had a closed championship open only to individuals of that country. Nowadays, the word open is often used to designate open to members of other organizations. It is confusing.

 

Joined on 02 nov. 2006
Total posts: 111

Re: OPEN Competitions vs. OPEN to the association members only

lundi 28 juillet 2008 14:17

quicktime2 wrote:

"Each country had a closed championship open only to individuals of that country. Nowadays, the word open is often used to designate open to members of other organizations. It is confusing."

.....closed championship open only  to ...?    or  ...closed championship closed only to ?

that is the question !

The way I see it  :    Nowadays, the word open is often used to designate  "open to members of the organization/association  which  sanctioned the event" - in another word an NOT OPEN  event but  CLOSED TO  SANCTIONING ASSOCIATION MEMBERS.

I would be completely content if   the word open was  often used to designate open to (ALSO) members of other organizations ( WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED),  or simply, word open was not at all restrictive and respected  its  meaning ,  OPEN TO ALL (dancers ) WHO FOLLOW THE OPEN COMPETITION RULES ( in order not to have chaos with costumes, make-up,  technique etc,  age limits  )

I agree that WDC and IDSF  family members should be treated same, and what applies to IDSF should apply to WDC dancers  ( and vice verse ) wishing to support and participate in an open event.

 

Lets say, IDSF and their national members  got in the habit and  "used to " disallow their members from attending competitions unsanctioned by them, even "used to mention certain, specific, and non-specific threats,  and had  applied these threats against a few chosen dancers.

Why do you think the  same associations have not prohibited their members from supporting the "not-sanctioned" competitions  by purchasing a ticket to view the program, the show, and attending the venue ?

Is it perhaps that it was non-of their business ?  If this logic rings truth,  if anyone is allowed to visit and view 'the other's' program,  does the actual participation in the competition make such a huge difference to make so much fuss about.

You mentioned memberships.  Using same logic.  If I want to view the event I purchase an entry ticket.  Must I subscribe to an annual membership ?  Just try it,  and you will not have many spectators.

You suggest, I may be IDSF member.

What difference does it make to the cost of bread, milk ?    Are you saying all IDSF supporters are blind and cannot see what is around them, and that they can see the point from only IDSF view point ?  That would be an unfortunate mistake because that attitude could prevail on WDC side. 

No,  I side and feel  for the dancers.  Who was the well respected and wise British dance guru, Bill  Erwin who reminded us,  " Take care of your dancers, dancers  are the most important important thing  " ? 

What he meant was,  without dancers there is no WDC, IDSF, dance associations, directors of the board...