Overview Of Latin Dance

Game Rules

CHANGES TO FREESTYLE/SOCIAL:

STATES: No Social/Freestyle for Couples during State Championships

Couples will be judged ONLY on their Choreography (100% of final score) and there will be no Freestyle or Social during the State Championships. This applies for all competitors in all couples divisions and styles (Amateur, Pro-Am, Semi-Pro, Professional). The Top 4 ranking Competitors will progress to the Semi-Finals.

FINALS: Social/Freestyle ONLY for Pro-Am and Professional Competitors during Finals

This year, Amateur Couples, Semi-Pro Couples and Open Couples will not be required to compete with Freestyle or Social in either States or Finals. They will be judged ONLY on their Choreography ( 100% of final score).

Professional and Pro-Am Couples will be required to compete in the Semi-Finals/Round 1 with a Social (No lifts or tricks permitted). There will be 4-6 Couples sharing the stage during the Social component. The winning Couple from the Social will receive the title Australian Social Champion for that style. The Top 4 will progress to the Finals/Round 2, where their Choreography will make up 100% of their final score. 

NEW OPEN COUPLES DIVISION:

In 2015 we have introduced a new Open Couples Division for Salsa and Bachata Couples

This means that an Amateur can compete with a Semi-Pro and a Semi-Pro can compete with a Professional. 

PRO-AM COMPETITORS:

For the 2015 National Finals, Pro-Am divisions will be split based on whether the Amateur competitor is Male, Female or Masters (35+)

Pro-Am Divisions will be split into three separate divisions, Pro-Am Male, Pro-Am Female or Pro-Am Masters.

Please note that Pro-Am Male and Female divisions may be combined if they do hold the minimum required number of entries. This is at the discretion of the Competition Organisers and Competitors will be informed of the decision.

PROFESSIONALS COMPETING IN PRO-AM:

How many times you can compete?

Entrants can compete in as many divisions as they are eligible to compete in, but can only compete once in each division, with the exception of Professional Competitors in Pro/Am divisions in the Latin category, who can each compete up to 2 times in a single dance style/division.

LAST MINUTE QUALIFIERS:

Competitors will need to request approval in advance to compete at the Last Minute Qualifiers in place of their local State Championship round. We have strict requirements for eligibility into the Last Minute Qualifiers (e.g. competitor is overseas and can provide documentation to evidence this). Contact us as early as possible to make sure you are eligible for the Last Minute Qualifiers.

SA, WA, TAS, NT & NZ COMPETITORS

For any competitors who reside in a State without a qualifier, they will immediately progress to the Semi-Final round, without the need to qualify in the Last Minute Qualifiers.

COMPETITORS CHECKLIST:

Please make sure you take a look at the competitors checklist before the competition.

Equipments Need For Latin Dance

Latin Dance WoMen's Dresses:

• Latin competition top&dress 
  
• Latin competition  Pants
  
• Latin  Dance Shoe
  
• Latin Dance  hair/makeup for ladies
  

Latin Dance Men's Dresses:

• Men's Dance Shoe
  
• Men's Pants
  
• Men's Shirts
  

History Of Latin Dance

Latin dances have enamored many across the world. These dances, marked with sensual moves and electric energy, have great history to them. Most of these dances have their origins linked to the African drum beats. Let's take a look at their history and their impact on the world today.

popularity:

Many popular dances originated in Latin America, and so are referred to as Latin dances. International Latin is the name of a category of International style ballroom dances. International Latin consists of the following five dances: Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive. These dances are now performed all over the world as Latin-American dances in international DanceSport competitions, as well as being danced socially.

Latin dance is gaining popularity on dance floors everywhere. Movies about Latin dancing, ones that portray the beauty of the art of Latin dancing, seem to be favorites among dancers and non-dancers alike. Besides being a staple in the ballroom, many Latin dances are also being taken to country-western dance floors. Learning Latin dances is fairly easy, as most of the dances are made up of the same basic foot steps.

Latin Dance Basics:

The term "Latin dance" may be used in two different ways: to denote dances that originated in Latin America and to name a category of International style ballroom dances.

Development of Latin Dance:

• Different dances developed in separate countries, with some dances spreading over several regions and others being limited to one city.
  
• Many popular dances of today that are associated with Latin America were largely developed in social spheres, in an organized fashion, and with professional musicians providing the beat. 
  
• Various Latin American regions had independent musical styles, and from each musical genre, or combination of styles, a dance genre was born. For example the Mambo, which originated in the 1940s, was born of a marriage between American swing music and Cuban son music, which dated from the same period.
  
• Following the music, the movement history, and the rhythms of the soul, Latin dances developed over time and individual steps slowly fleshed out the repertoire of each dance. Many Latin dances still have a significant improvisational component to complement the steps, and the regional influences rooted in each genre date back significantly in time.
  

Origin Of Latin Dance

Latin dance has a long and complicated history, but the elements that come back again and again are self-expression and rhythm. While some Latin dances are almost wholly descended from one cultural sphere, the vast majority of Latin dances have three distinct influences: the native influence, the upper-class European influence, and the African influence. Dating back at least to the 15th century, which is when indigenous dances were first documented by European explorers, the roots of Latin dance are both deep and geographically far-reaching.

Origins of Latin American Dancing:

Long before men and women were dancing the Rumba or the Salsa, indigenous peoples of South and Central America were developing what we have come to recognize today as Latin dances. On the path to becoming the dances spectators enjoy in competitions and ballrooms today, these earliest ritualistic dances would be influenced by many different European and African styles, both in movement and in music.

A Rich Cultural Heritage of Dance:

The different types of Latin dances offer a rich cultural history when you examine each dance individually and look at the various influences that contributed to it. Many Latin dances have several different forms by now, and what spectators see at ballroom competitions is only the tip of the iceberg. To discover even more styles and genres, check out cultural events such as the Brazilian Carnival in order to experience the many genres of Latin style dancing as well as the cultural and musical histories that are deeply embedded in the dances.

Governing Bodies

World DanceSport Federation (WDSF):

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), formerly the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), is the international governing body of dancesport and Wheelchair DanceSport, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Originally founded in 1957 as the International Council of Amateur Dancers (ICAD), it took up the name IDSF in 1990. In 2011, it was renamed to WDSF to emphasise the global character of the organization.

History of WDSF:

1909 First unofficial ballroom championships in Paris

1957 ICAD founded in Wiesbaden on 12 May 1957

1960 First television broadcast of Dancesport

1990 Name changed to IDSF

1992 Becomes a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GASIF) (now SportAccord)

1995 World Rock & Roll Confederation (WRRC) joins IDSF as an Associate Member

1997 Recognised by the IOC

2001 Subscribes to World Anti-Doping Code

2004 International Dance Organisation (IDO) joins IDSF as an Associate Member

2007 Presentation of the VISION 2012 project to the IDSF General Meeting

2008 IDSF and the International Paralympic Committee "enter into a collaboration agreement to promote Wheelchair DanceSport jointly"

2008 United Country and Western Dance Council (UCWDC) joins IDSF as an Associate Member

2008 IDSF General Meeting delegates the Praesidium to pursue a restructure of the federation under VISION 2012

2010 Launches the IDSF Professional Division

2011 Changes name to WDSF on 19 June

Statutory Objects:

As per its Statutes, WDSF pursues the following objectives.

To advance, promote, and protect the character, status and interests of DanceSport worldwide.

To develop standardised rules governing international competitions.

To author and enforce Codes of Conduct and Standards of Ethics for both athletes and officials.

To advise and assist the WDSF National Member Bodies and the Associate Members in the administration of DanceSport in their countries and organisations.

To represent DanceSport in the Olympic Movement.

WDSF Structure:

Democratic and efficient describe the style of governance and the structure of WDSF. The WDSF General Meeting elects the 12-member Presidium and delegates the management to the latter. On the operational level, the Managing Committee – made up of the President, First Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary General and Sports Director –  tends to the day-to-day running of the federation. The committee is supported in its task by the standing commissions, by advisers and consultants, and by the administration.

To  Visit WDSF Click Here.