British Dance Council
Encyclopedia
The British Dance Council was formed in 1929 as the Official Board of Ballroom Dancing (OBBD). The name was subsequently changed in 1985 to the British Council of Ballroom Dancing and in 1996, the name was changed to British Dance Council. The BDC is the recognised governing body for Ballroom
, Latin, Sequence dancing & Freestle/Disco dance in the United Kingdom.
The BDC was originally formed to establish uniformity in the teaching of Ballroom Dance nationwide, although its responsibility are now extensive, both in the UK and abroad. The primary function of the BDC is to devise and oversee the rules for competitive dancing. All dance competitions in the UK, both amateur and professional are governed by BDC rules. The BDC is also the national awarding body for championship titles in the UK.
Standardisation is also the other key function of the BDC. There are a number of leading dance organisations in the UK, and each of these organisations have slight differences in technique and vocabulary. The BDC works to ensure that where possible, teachers from any organisation, will be teaching dance the same way. This is particularly important competitively, to make sure that all dancers can understand and perform their dances within the BDC rules, regardless of which dance organisation they trained with.
Professional Dancers Organisations
Amateur Dancers Organisations
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, Latin, Sequence dancing & Freestle/Disco dance in the United Kingdom.
The BDC was originally formed to establish uniformity in the teaching of Ballroom Dance nationwide, although its responsibility are now extensive, both in the UK and abroad. The primary function of the BDC is to devise and oversee the rules for competitive dancing. All dance competitions in the UK, both amateur and professional are governed by BDC rules. The BDC is also the national awarding body for championship titles in the UK.
Standardisation is also the other key function of the BDC. There are a number of leading dance organisations in the UK, and each of these organisations have slight differences in technique and vocabulary. The BDC works to ensure that where possible, teachers from any organisation, will be teaching dance the same way. This is particularly important competitively, to make sure that all dancers can understand and perform their dances within the BDC rules, regardless of which dance organisation they trained with.
Members
Dance Teaching Organisations- Allied Dancing Association (ADA)
- British Association of Teachers of DanceBritish Association of Teachers of DanceThe British Association of Teachers of Dance is a UK based dance examination board, with its Head Office in Glasgow, Scotland. The officially recognised date for the formation of the society is 30 November 1892, making it the first professional dance organisation of its kind in the United...
(BATD) - International Dance Teachers AssociationInternational Dance Teachers AssociationThe International Dance Teachers Association is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in Brighton, England. Operating internationally, the IDTA is one of the largest dance teaching organisations in the world and currently has over 7,000 members in 55 countries...
(IDTA) - Imperial Society of Teachers of DancingImperial Society of Teachers of DancingThe Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...
(ISTD) - National Association of Teachers of DancingNational Association of Teachers of DancingThe National Association of Teachers of Dancing promotes dance, and provides services to its members. Founded in 1906, by 1912 it had 50 members; today the membership numbers around 2000. It was originally devoted to set and sequence dancing based on the five positions of the ballet...
(NATD) - Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association (NCDTA)
- Scottish Dance Teachers Alliance (SDTA)
- United Kingdom Alliance Ltd (UKA)
- Welsh Alliance of Professional Teachers' of Dancing (WAPTD) (non-examining body)
Professional Dancers Organisations
- Ballroom Dancers Federation (BDF)
- British Competitors Dancesport Corporation (BCDC)
- Dance Promoters Association (DPA)
Amateur Dancers Organisations
- English Amateur Dancesport AssociationEnglish Amateur Dancesport AssociationThe English Amateur Dancesport Association Ltd is a volunteer-led organisation which represents the interests of Amateur Dancers within England. EADA provides support and training for Amateur dancers and acts as the voice of English Amateur dancers amongst other dance organisations both in the...
(EADA) - Scottish Dancesport (SD)
- Welsh Amateur Dance Sport Association (WADSA)