The World Dance Council Ltd (WDC), is a registered limited company, the legal successor to the International Council of Ballroom Dancing, and was established at a meeting organized by Phillip J. S. Richardson on 22 September 1950 in Edinburgh, Scotland. From 1996 to 2006 the WDC was known as the World Dance & Dance Sport Council Ltd (WD&DSC). [1] The stated mission of the World Dance Council is to inspire, stimulate and promote excellence in education for the World Dance Council and Amateur League (WDC and AL) community. [2]
The primary objective, at the time of its formation, was to provide an agreed basis for holding world championships in competitive ballroom dance. That objective has been achieved. [1] Initially consisting of nine European countries and three others, today the WDC has become the leading authority on professional dance competitions, with members in numerous countries throughout the world. Each country is allowed one vote. As of 2006, there are 59 members. Its governing body, the Presidium, consists of a President and a number of Vice-Presidents. In 2014 seven Vice Presidents were elected.
WDC includes the Competitive Dance Committee, the Dancesation Committee and the a private public partnership agreement with the WDC Amateur League (WDCAL)
The WDC is democratic in its operation. All major decisions are taken on the basis of one full member, one vote. The full members are (with a few exceptions) individual countries. There are some Affiliate members, such as the Ballroom Dancers Federation International. The WDC operates through a general council and two committees:
Each member country in the WDC has its own national organisation, such as the British Dance Council, which acts as a forum for the interested parties in that country. The national bodies decide on their delegates to the WDC. The WDC also operates a WDC National Dance Council system in certain countries, which allows a multi-member system within that NDC, fostering the co-operation of major dance organisations in these countries.
These events are under WDC regulation, but organised in various countries each year. [4]
There are also other events, which are licensed to organising countries, and are open entry.
In the regulations, the facility is also available for professional competitions in:
Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television.
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), formerly the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), is the international governing body of dancesport and Para dancesport, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Dancesport is competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. In the case of Para dancesport, at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
This page lists the official World Champions – Professional Ballroom of the World Dance Council (WDC), and its historical predecessors. The championships are authorized and organized under the auspices of the WDC. The designation Ballroom replaces the previously used Modern or Standard in WDC terminology; it does not include the latin dances.
This page lists the official World Champions – Professional Latin of the World Dance Council (WDC). The championships are authorized and organized under the auspices of the WDC, and held annually in the last quarter of each year. The competition comprises five dances: rumba, samba, paso doble, cha-cha-cha and jive, as defined in ballroom dancing terms.
This page lists the official World Champions and the countries they represented in the Professional 10-Dance of the World Dance Council (WDC). The championships are authorized and organized under the auspices of the WDC.
Donnie Burns MBE is a Scottish professional ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin dance.
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships, as recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC).
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships, as recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC).
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships, as recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC).
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships, as recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC).
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships, as recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC).
Hazel Catherine Newberry MBE is one of the United Kingdom's leading ballroom dancers and dance teachers. She was three times undefeated World Professional Ballroom champion, dancing with Christopher Hawkins (2002–2004).
The annual United States Dance Championships (USDC), previously called the United States Ballroom Championships (USBC) and the United States DanceSport Championships (USDSC), is recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA) and the World Dance & DanceSport Council (WD&DSC) as determining the majority of the United States national professional ballroom dance champions.
The International Latin American Dance Championships were created after the Second World War in England by Elsa Wells, and are now organised by Dance News special events. The current full title is the Elsa Wells International Dance Championships, and includes all categories in Standard and Latin American ballroom dance.
Joanna Leunis, is a professional Latin ballroom dancer. With Michael Malitowski, she is a former professional World Latin Dance Champion and the current International Latin American Dance Champion. The couple represented Poland until 2011, and then choosing to represent England until their retirement in 2015.
Oleksii Zhylenko, was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. He is a professional Ballroom and Latin dance coach, a World class adjudicator, a professional ballroom dancer and a DanceSport competitor and choreographer.
Sergei Chislov, born November 4, 1960, in Moscow, USSR, is a 3-time USSR Professional 10-Dance champion, certified International Dance Adjudicator of World Dance Council (WDC), ballroom dance coach, USSR Master of Sport in ballroom dancing, choreographer, and a film actor. As of 2013, he lives and works in Miami, FL, United States.
Barbara Joanne McColl Stopford is a Scottish professional ballroom dancer, teacher, and adjudicator. She specializes in International Latin. With Sammy Stopford, she won in the professional Latin category four times at the Blackpool Dance Festival and three times at the UK Open. She is the Organizer of The World Championship WDC AL.