Encyclopedia > Dancesport World Champions (standard)
World Championships have been held in ballroom dancing since 1909 when Camille de Rhynal held annual championships in Paris. Records of the years prior to the First World War are sketchy, and it is only since 1922 when the sport split into professional and amateur levels that complete records have been kept. The 1922 championships were also the first to award a single 'world championship' as opposed to titles in the individual dances.
These annual competitions only became official in 1936, and since then the title has only once left the United Kingdom. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the championships were put on hold for six years. Following its revival, the professional ballroom dancing world was becoming more and more fragmented as competing organizations vied for domination. Finally, in September 1950 the ICBD (International Council of Ballroom Dancing) was founded, becoming the world's first international professional dance organisation, and all competitions claiming to be the 'World Championships' were boycotted by all member nations.
The Championships returned once again in 1959 under the control of the ICBD, and have continued since then. The ICBD has since been renamed as the World_Dance_&_DanceSport_Council (WD&DSC).
The most recent World Professional Standard Championships were held in Tokyo in February 2004, and were won by the British couple Christopher Hawkins and Hazel Newberry.
Ballroom dance, refers collectively to a set of partner dances, which originated in the Western world and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the globe.
Some instructors specialize in the dances of one place or time, or in fad dances: short-lived, time-specific dances that may be associated with the music or style of an era (such as the twist) or a particular song (such as YMCA or La Macarena).
Medal examinations enable dancers' abilities to be recognized according to conventional standards.
The International DanceSport Federation, or IDSF, is an international governing body for amateurs, while the World Dance and DanceSport Council (WDandDSC) is an international governing body for dance professionals.
Amateur Dancesport is of a high standard around the world.
Student dancesport in particular enjoys some great popularity around the world, particularly in the UK where some 20,000 students are members of the Inter Varsity Dance Association, or IVDA.
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