MILESTONES
USA Dance Nationals Apportioned
In response to COVID-19 public health restrictions around travel, lodging, dining, and gathering limitations, and recognizing the likelihood that they will not be dramatically altered before April, the USA Dance Board of Directors unanimously agreed to accept the recommendation of the DanceSport Council: The 2021 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships, scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia in April, are postponed and apportioned. Now, the 2021 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships will take place at designated separate events in the fall including:
Oklahoma City Dreamcatcher DanceSport Championships
Junior 2 and Youth PreChampionship and Championship
July 23-24, 2021
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://dreamcatcherdancesport.com
Due to the competition schedule in advance of the OKC Championships, Junior 2 and Youth couples do NOT need to qualify at a National Qualifying Event to compete at the National Championships. This earlier date is to accommodate the expected World Championship events as currently planned by the WDSF (Sept 12, Czech Republic)
Carolina Fall Classic DanceSport Championships
Preteen – Youth, all events other than Jr2 and Youth PreChampionship and Championship
Oct. 1-3, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina
https://carolinafallclassic.com/
America DanceSport Festival
Under 21, Adult, and Professional events, Syllabus through Championship
(including Showdance, Theatrical Ballroom, and Cabaret)
Oct. 8-10, 2021
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Chicago DanceSport Challenge
Senior 1-5 Syllabus through Championship
(including Senior 1 Cabaret)
Nov. 5-7, 2021
Chicago, Illinois
http://chicagodancesportchallenge.org/
Junior2 and Youth PreChampionship and Championship TBA
Qualification for the 2021 National Championships
- Any COUPLE that qualified for Nationals 2020 (which was canceled) is considered qualified for Nationals 2021. Further NQE participation is encouraged but nor required. Couples that have changed age categories (for example, Junior 1 to Junior 2 or Senior 1 to Senior 2) are considered qualified in their new age category.
- Partnerships that did not previously qualify for 2020 Nationals, may qualify for the 2021 Nationals by attending any of the NQEs leading up to the Nationals 2021 in which you will compete.
- EXCEPTION: Junior 2 and Youth couples dancing in the Pre-Champ or Championship National Title Events at OKC Dreamcatcher will not need to pre-qualify.
- Because of the lack of training opportunities available during the past year and the limited number of NQEs available leading to the National Championships, couples do not need to finish in the top 75% at an NQE to qualify for Nationals 2021. Simply competing in a particular style at an NQE will qualify the couple in that style.
We strongly encourage all DanceSport and Social Dance members to take part in these great events as competitors and spectators.
For more information about USA Dance and the National DanceSport Championships, please contact President Ken Richards and Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder.
Breaking Added to 2024 Paris Olympics
On December 7, 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced Breaking will be on the 2024 Olympic Program in Paris, France. This is the first DanceSport discipline included in the Olympics. The Paris organizers had proposed Skateboarding, Surfing, Sport Climbing, and Breaking as host cities now have the option of suggesting new events and sports for inclusion in their edition of the games. These sports and events are not binding on future editions of the games.
WDSF President Shawn Tay stated, “Today is a historic day for the DanceSport community and the discipline of Breaking. We are sure Breaking will be an outstanding success in Paris and will add lots of energy, athletic excellence, innovation, and youth appeal to the Olympic Games. WDSF, together with the Breaking community, is ready to collaborate closely with Paris 2024 and the IOC to make the Olympic dream of the world’s best b-boys and b-girls come true.”
IOC President Thomas Bach added, “With this program, we are making the Olympic Games Paris 2024 fit for the post-corona world. There is also a strong focus on youth”
USA Dance Signs Memorandum of Understanding Recognizing USA Breakin’ as their Recognized National Sport Organization for Breakin’
USA Dance is the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport, and the United States member of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) (the International Olympic Committee recognized federation overseeing all forms of dance across the world). On Friday, December 11, 2020, after working together for the past eighteen (18) months, USA Dance entered into an historic relationship agreement with USA Breakin’. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes a framework for USA Dance and USA Breakin’ to develop the DanceSport discipline of Breakin’ within the United States.
The relationship with USA Breakin’ provides great potential opportunities such as:
- increasing USA Dance’s public exposure
- driving membership growth
- developing alternative revenue streams
- supporting the goals of the WDSF
- becoming recognized as a National Member Body of the United States Olympic Committee
- supporting dance athletes’ participation in the Olympic games
USA Breakin’ is a member-driven organization. However, most of the USA Breakin’ member athletes and the USA Breakin’ competitions are sponsored. Their vision includes providing an avenue for athletes, professionals, dancers, and supporters to grow the creation of a national team destined for the Olympics, creating a lifecycle in breaking beginning as a student, competitor, professional, and organizer, and to support the growth of breaking and hip-hop through educational programs and initiatives for disadvantaged youth.
The MOU recognizes the strengths and experience of each organization, particularly USADance’s experience working with the USOPC and WDSF and USA Breakin’s experience in the Breakin community. The relationship is also based on the premise that all dance disciplines should determine the rules and regulations for their communities. The MOU provides flexibility for establishing and cooperating, on marketing, branding, and financing efforts, and thus, creates an environment in which ballroom manages its unique challenges as Breakin manages its unique path.
During the years leading up to the 2024 Olympics, USA Breakin’ will finance, and will collaborate with USA Dance to establish training opportunities for Breakin’ athletes and adjudicators and development of a competition and proficiency point structure to create a National Breakin’ Team to represent the USA in WDSF World Championships, the 2022 World Games, 2024 Olympics, and other international competitions.
Concurrently, USA Dance and USA Breakin’ will develop and align infrastructure toward the ultimate goal of merging, and USA Dance evolving, into a multi-discipline dance organization. The end result will be USA Dance being recognized by the USOPC as the National Governing Body for DanceSport in the USA, similar to the US Figure Skating and US Gymnastics
USA Dance looks forward to working with USA Breakin, the WDSF and the USOPC to successfully bring dance to the Olympics, and ultimately expand dance disciplines on the Olympic stage.
Go to usabreakin.org for more information on USA Breakin’.
WDSF Ranking Currently Paused
The WDSF has notified athletes that the World Ranking is currently paused. Athletes must be sure their memberships are active once rankings are enabled again to remain in the ranking list.
Current USA WDSF highest Standard and Latin rankings by category
| Category | Rank | Man | Woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Standard | 96 | Alexander Munteanu | Anna Sheedy |
| Adult Latin | 199 | Igor Golovach | Michelle Angela Blank |
| Youth Standard | 90 | Aliaksandr Rybakou | Madeleine Mravkarov |
| Youth Latin | 110 | Lorenzo Pasquali | Elivia Moss |
| Under 21 Standard | 83 | Dennis Matveev | Anna Jonczyk |
| Under 21 Latin | 98 | Matthew Kheyfets | Sima Sadykhov |
| Senior 1 Standard | 30 | Eugene Lobko | Alla Zemlyak |
| Senior 1 Latin | 95 | Michael Murphy | Christine Lys |
| Senior 2 Standard | 33 | Gokturk Yurtypan | Asli Yurtypan |
| Senior 2 Latin | 16 | Michael Murphy | Christine Lys |
| Senior 3 Standard | 55 | Eric Austin | Yanina Kisler |
| Senior 3 Latin | 16 | Khuong Pham | Arlene Yu |
| Senior 4 Standard | 5 | David Getchell | Allison Gonzalez |
