"This statement is utter nonsense on its face. The DRS is a standard part of the bronze repertoire and no one competes in bronze without it."

Well, you are simply wrong. Many people compete bronze without the DRS.

One of the first things the dancer has to learn is that there's a big difference between what is allowed and what is ADVISABLE. The new dancer rushes out to do all the "hard" figures - but it's not until they learn to concentrate on doing a few things well that they actually begin to advance.

"Also, a couple's competition level is pretty much always going to be lower than their current level of study."

Yes.

One should be working on the DRS as well as heel turns in general and the drive from the standing heel that makes the prerequiste stable backwards walk possible. But by the time someone can execute the DRS at competition quality, chances are they do not fit into the community of bronze dancers any more. They might still be elgible to enter, but realistically they will be out of place competing against the others there.


"Really? Every competition which I've attended"

Well then you have not been attending the more rigorous amateur syllabus events, because most of those do not traditionally offer it. Perhaps you could list where you have seen bronze international foxtrot offered?

The same syllabus is danced at Nationals.

I see that we're in the midst of witnessing another fulsome display of your arrogance.


Where on earth do you get this garbage? From the voices in your head?

Most bronze students who work on it consistently will be able to perform a DRS in the Waltz competently within sixth months, and basic competence is the essential expectation of bronze-level dancing.

Most amateur competitions asked students who have danced for more than two years to enter Silver or above. It does not take anywhere near even one year to develop a presentable DRS.

It's probably a year for a good telemark.



jj

"The same syllabus is danced at Nationals."

Bronze international foxtrot is on the official syllabus, yes, but the dance is not offered at USA dance nationals or most of the more serious competitions in that system. See the results page at:

http://www.o2cm.com/results/event3.asp?event=usa08

Where you will see that the bronze standard offering is a two dance Waltz-Quickstep event only. If you pull the relevant rulebook as I previously suggested you will see that it is not recommended to offer the the international foxtrot at bronze, though it is not prohibited for a competition to do so.

"Most amateur competitions asked students who have danced for more than two years to enter Silver or above. It does not take anywhere near even one year to develop a presentable DRS."

You said "presentable" while I said "advantageous". You may feel the execution is less than embarrassing; I would probably disagree, but more important would point out that winning is based on doing what you can do best. There is no checklist of compulsory material to be completed.

I was not infering that F/T was included at Novice level.. but to say its not included in Bronze, period, is patently not true. There have been many 3 dance comps that have included it instead of tango at a Bronze level .

I doubt you are old enough ( maybe ?)
but Tango was considered a silver level dance and the Novice Div, was 3 dances at some stage .

My other point was towards DR spin, that its inclusion in that level is commonplace, but again, not necessarily at a One dance level and of course, at the discression of the coach. I personally have introduced it early on in the basic sequences where appropriate .

And, to whomever stated that the DR spin had been placed in Silver level .. by which Soc. ?.. you said Major... I belong 2 of them and its not been changed in them ( unless I wasnt notified )

"And, to whomever stated that the DR spin had been placed in Silver level .. by which Soc. ?"

IDTA

I think that counts as a major society, and AFAIK the DRS has always been in their Member/Licentiate syllabus.

Of course the IDTA is a major society, but no individual dance figures have been specified in its amateur syllabus since 2006.

DRS is the first figure listed for study in the professional Licentiate syllabus (ie it is not studied at Associate level), but that is not quite the same thing, is it?

To which i am a member.. however, the "yardstick " for majority of comps in the States, and several other Soc. for e.g has always been the ISTD ( of late, there are newcomers which may differ ) and in rev. techn. it is included in what is essentially a "Bronze " syllabus in its step list, under the psuedonym of Assoc.
The dividing line for " novice " is clearly defined to my mind, by the wording " Student teacher " .

If we are to define the 2nd level as Silver, it then increases the step count in Standard figures ( normally accepted as a dividing line ) and places it into a new sphere .

The DR is also suggested as a " Follow " from a basic Rev. turn at Assoc. level for e.g. making no distinction in " levels " .



You may argue about degree of difficulty, and that is not in contention ; its more about its "purpose ", and ,it is also being included in Q/ Step at the same level.

The bottom line, as in all variations, we , as teachers, should, and do, by and large, take into account the capabilties of the student before introduction of ANY new variation, and having included this figure on more occasions than I care to remember at a lower level, it makes a "pathway " for all the heel turns that are inevitably going to appear.

"DRS is the first figure listed for study in the professional Licentiate syllabus (ie it is not studied at Associate level), but that is not quite the same thing, is it?"

It used to be. There was originally a correlation between associate/member/fellow and bronze/silver/gold.
As you say the 2006 syllabus appears to have replaced all that with "Every care should be taken to employ only those figures which suit the candidate and can be performed with ease".

On a similar tack, what is a telemark doing in a bronze routine? Even the ISTD lists that at Licentiate level.

USA Dance changes it competitive schedule every few years. A year or so ago, Tango was not part of the Silver syllabus and now some competitions are putting it back there.

If you read further in the USA Dance rulebook, you'll see the following stipulation.





jj

"USA Dance changes it competitive schedule every few years. A year or so ago, Tango was not part of the Silver syllabus and now some competitions are putting it back there."

Tango has often been part of silver for years.

"If you read further in the USA Dance rulebook, you'll see the following stipulation.

Closed or Open Championships

Gold, Silver and/or Bronze events must be offered in at least four of the following pairs of
dances. The dances in each pair may be offered either separately or combined into a two-dance
event. The dance pairs are: International Waltz and Quickstep, International Tango and
Foxtrot, International Cha-Cha and Rumba, International Samba and Jive, American Smooth
Waltz and Foxtrot, American Smooth Tango and Viennese Waltz, American Rhythm Cha-Cha
and Rumba, and American Rhythm Swing and Mambo."

Note that the "four" refers "pairs", not to four dances. In other words, this is satisfied by offering a two dance event for each of standard, latin, smooth, and rhythm for each level.

The omission of bronze foxtrot is a reflection of the expected path of progress in the sanctioning body's impression of how dancing works. Their impressions are usually not perfectly accurate (they are volunteers, not dance experts) but are not inaccurate in this case. I would guess it will continue to be left out of their national championship - and that you'll continue to see a lot of faked heel turns and too-early weight changes in the silver version.