The home of the Championship was at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre then, the competition since then was renamed Crystal Cup Championships after the venue. In the year 2003, IDSF events were introduced into the Championship. The Crystal Cup Championship was one of the top events in England. Top British adjudicators like Anne Gleaves, Michael Barr, John Wood, Marcus and Karen Hiltons and many more supported the event.
Bryan Allen was the Chairman for most years and BDC at that time had absolutely no problems running the amateur IDSF events. That was the scenario those days.
From 2009 onwards relationship between IDSF and WDC /BDC deteriorated.
In 2010 in trying to keep peace with both the warring factions Nick qualified as Chairman of adjudicators in both IDSF and WDC.
To mend fences or at least Olga and Nick thought that, it was the best thing to do. Olga asked Bryan Allen if he could be the overall Chairman for the Crystal Cup Championship and Nick step in as Chairman for IDSF International events only.
At that point, all hell broke loose; Bryan Allen went bonkers. He told Olga that it was a personal insult if Nick were to become his co Chairman.
English Amateur Dancesport Association (EADA) President David Corefield then a member of BDC was ordered by Bryan Allen not to apply for any IDSF title at all.
By that time it became clear that Olga could not run the Professional event under WDC and Amateur event under IDSF.
The situation was so bad that it was a situation of either you are with me or you are with them. Couples, Dance Teachers, people in the business are being threatened. They would lose their results at Blackpool, their Judging Jobs, Compering, and Music if they were to associate themselves with the Crystal Cups Championship. It was indeed a sad state of affair. Tomorrow is the Championship and I truly wish them all the best.
Biography:
Couple: Olga Komarova & Nick Kreminchenski
Occupation: Dance Instructors
Discipline: Ballroom (Standard) & Latin American
Event: Crystal Cup Championship
Country of Origin: Russia
Citizenship: English
Lived in England: 21 years
Studios: Wimbledon Dance Academy and Southside Ballroom.
The above is what I managed to get from Olga, the language is mine. Is the BDC right in bullying them in the manner that they did. Apart from the economic losses they will suffer, are they wrong in supporting an International Dance body that is recognised by the IOC?
I am asking you to look at the big picture, next year is the 2012 Olympics. In the event Dancesport is a demonstration sport who is going to represent England? From the look of it, IDSF will probably gather their best athletes in the world without English representation. In the event WDC or BDC think that they can influence the IOC, to muscle into the Games, let them try!
5 comments:
Olga and Nick congratulations and I wish you all the success in the Championship.
This Dance Mate is a lady from Lithuania , must be the women who has gone barmy , the one who wrote in her blog that IDSF competition are a bunch of crazy people running around. Definitely it is her. Now residing in England with an English husband
There are no English participants in the Crystal Cup Championships, this show that English does not support IDSF. This is not personal but IDSF must learn to respect BDC, WDC and WDC - AL. You talk of bringing peace to the warring factions, but to bring peace IDSF must respect WDC and the way we do things. PLease take note that we have been around longer than IDSF. When you learn to respect , people will begin to take note and listen to you.
This message is to the IDSF Presidium .
WDC -AL, look out for my next posting this Sunday. It may give you an insight why the twain will never meet, if WDC refuses to change its mindset.
@WDC-AL: The fact that there are no English dancers in the Crystal Palace Cup could mean either one or both reasons : (a) the English dancers were threatened not to dance, else they would not be marked well in Blackpool the following week; or (b) the English have no more dancers in their stables to provide a valid force in dancesport.
Myself being born in England, I once believe in our British superiority, just like Bryan Allan. But fortunately for me, I got the opportunity to travel the world (unlike Bryan Allan) and see for myself where we were heading.
Much as I remain loyal to EADA, many of my peers feel that the BDC is an organisation to cause trouble for us. Pity. We once had so much respect for the playboy Donnie Burns, the charming Hiltons, the enigmatic Woods. Now we all refer to them as has-beens who are no more relevant to dancesport. People like them should channel their energy into upgrading themselves to retain their relevance. But unfortunately, this is not so.
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