Parents Guide to DanceSport

Taking part in DanceSport competitions can be one of the most rewarding activities that you can encourage your child to do. However it is important that you are given the right guidance and The DanceSport Academy works hard to ensure that everyone understands how it works.

You may have heard that competition dancing is expensive. Yes it can be BUT it doesn�t have to be. It is possible for dancers to compete with the minimum of items. One set of clothing and one set of shoes for each competitive style they dance in. In the case of Juveniles one set of clothing and shoes is all that is needed. Very often there are opportunities to buy items second hand.

Once your child has a partner it is important to understand the following:

1. Everything in the partnership is equal.
2. The cost of lessons and practice are shared.
3. The cost of travelling and entry into competitions is shared.
4. Each member of the partnership must commit to working hard in the partnership to achieve the best possible performance.

Clearly the ability for parents to get on well is also very important. I would draw your attention to our code of practice for parents on this website.

The DanceSport Academy�s Role in Partnering
The DanceSport Academy will assist in the formation of partnerships and will work hard to guide the partnership along a sensible path. However it is not our responsibility to be the go between all communications must be handled in the case of Juveniles and Juniors by the parents. Could we ask everyone to recognise the importance of giving full consideration to the dancers where partnerships are splitting.

DanceSport Rules
The DanceSport Academy has a full set of rules which can be viewed on this website. In the case of Competition rules we will build this into training programmes and will keep all competing partnership fully informed of what is required. In the case of choreography restrictions, Juveniles, Beginner and Novice level competitions, the DanceSport Academy will include those restrictions in its training.

Dress Code
The official dress code for competitions is regulated by the B.D.C (British Dance Council) for competitors taking part in open competitions. To view the current guidelines please click here.

Latest DanceSport News

New Competition Dates

Details are available of upcoming competitions taking us up to December...  »more

New Beginners Classes

Three new Beginner classes in Strictly Ballroom to be launched shortly, enrolling now...  »more

IDTA Medal Exams

100% success for DanceSport Academy students in recent IDTA examinations...  »more

Warren & Kristi Boyce

British National Professional Ballroom Champs to work with DanceSport Academy...  »more

Karen Hardy Gala Night

12 adults took the trip for an evening at the Karen Hardy Studios in Chelsea...  »more

Medal Examinations

Medal examinations are important to the development of the dancer. They set goals for a dancer to achieve and define their standard.

Examinations are conducted with an independent IDTA examiner. Successful candidates receive an award and in some grades are presented with a certificate.

Competitions

The DanceSport Academy promotes competitions in Bedford including the Bedfordshire DanceSport Masters.

We support 3 major competitions: Champions of Tomorrow, Stars of the Future and Britains Best. In all these competitons dancers must compete in qualifying heats.

Dance Events

The DanceSport Academy is pleased to be able to promote major events in the English DanceSport Calendar.

This year we are supporting the Karen Hardy Studios 'Gala Dance', the All England Latin American Championships, the International Championships amongst others.

Gift Experiences

The DanceSport Academy offers a variety of gift experiences. May be it is a voucher for lessons as a birthday/christmas present.

We also do Wedding Dances for those who wish to dance with confidence on the big day. Why not contact us with your idea and we will see how we can help.