FAQs by John DePalma

Why is the material I can dance in closed Bronze and Silver Syllabus divisions limited to the NDCA Steplist?

After many years of professional teachers dancing out of category, and with so many recognized syllabi, the member organizations, at the request of the NDCA, submitted their syllabus so the Council could come up with one approved step list that was representative of all the curriculmn. These elements are the only elements allowed at registered NDCA events. Limiting the elements in the Bronze and Silver Closed levels allows for fairer competition and judging. The step list is available at the back of the NDCA Rule Book as well as the website, NDCA.org

What if I am unfamiliar with the Approved Step List

If you are a Professional Dance Teacher and Pro/Am Competitor, you owe it to yourself and your profession to be certified. All the independent member organizations offer certification in both American and International Styles. Exams are important to expand your knowledge and keep you up to date. So Just Do It!

What is so important about meeting the organizers deadline? They always take my entries because they want the money.

Yes it is true that the organizers want your business. That being said, however, the lack of concern for deadlines causes you the risk of not being able to get your students into the proper categories, a room in the hotel, or a reasonable schedule of events with the proper number of judges, just to name a few.

Organizers pretty much estimate how many officials to hire, how many awards, trophies, programs to order, how large a room block to carry, and how much staff to hire based on the previous year. Professionals need to be aware that:

Hotels are becoming more demanding about rooming lists, wanting to maximize their opportunity to sell as many rooms as possible. They now ask for the final list three weeks before the event. If the block isn?t filled it?s released. Can?t blame them, that?s their business.

Printers want the programs ready for printing two weeks or so before the event. Holding out until the last minute means paying a premium price for an average quality program from an overnight printer. The cost of which is passed on to you and your students

Most organizers keep their deadlines about a month before their event, which still leaves them a reasonable time window to make changes, should the number of things listed previously needs to be adjusted. The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes. So the next time you are at an event that doesn?t have enough officials, has an uneven time schedule, conflicts on heat sheets, runs out of awards and programs and has no rooms available, rest assured it is not bad organizing, but an overwhelming amount of last minute entries.

Why is it so important to pay the organizer when I send in my entries? What if I have a student who cancels, and all I can get is a credit for the following year? Why can?t I pay at the competition when I get there?

As a professional, you need to make it your business to know the cancellation policy of the event, and to make sure your student understands it before you enter. Your entries create a need for awards, programs, number of personnel hired, food, beverage and room guarantees ,data entry personnel, and the potential for another competitor being denied entry if your heats are full. All of this means a financial commitment for the organizer. Sending your fees in with your entries means you are committed to the event. Credits for students who cancel at the last minute is to cover the cost of the work already done and the materials ordered. Think for a minute?..how many lessons do you teach your students before they pay you?

Why is it a problem to enter at the last minute. It?s just a few entries?

Again it is important for you to know your rules. NDCA competitions and championships follow a strict set of guidelines that must be adhered to.

• There is only a limited amount of people that can be in one heat.
• There is a limit to the number of people that can dance in a heat before it makes another round
• Professionals are required to have a 20 minute rest in between each round of a pro division

About the Author:
John DePalma has been in the dance studio industry since 1975, having successfully worked in all phases of the business. John also developed an alternate career as Master of Ceremonies and currently officiates at every major Dancesport competition in the United States.He has been featured on the televised PBS Program "Championship Ballroom Dancing" and the Good Life Television Series "Championship Dancesport". Known throughout the industry as the "Voice of Ballroom Dancing in America", John is now co-organizer of Capital Dancesport Championships in Washington, D.C., with his wife and well-known coach and adjudicator, Marianne Nicole.

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