MOVING FORWARD FAQ (frequently asked questions)

Misinformation One:
DanceSport Australia or its President is controlling or influencing DanceSport New Zealand

Although we enjoy a positive relationship with DanceSport Australia and its President Craig Wilson, New Zealand thinks for itself and has never referred any matters to DanceSport Australia or its President for advice or a decision. We will always act independently and in the best interests of New Zealand.

Misinformation Two:
Press Releases issued by the Delegates are issued by a single person.

All Press Releases stated as issued by the delegates are approved by the delegates. It is ludicrous to assume that we would issue press releases in our names that were not authorised correctly.

Misinformation Three:
DanceSport New Zealand is not transparent.

We are the only national dancesport society in New Zealand that posts all of its agendas, minutes, reports, rules, regulations and finances on its public website. We have recently implemented a communication policy and appointed a communications officer to ensure we actively inform our members. We know we can always improve and always welcome suggestions to improve our communication.

Misinformation Four:
DanceSport Canterbury and DanceSport Nelson have forced DanceSport New Zealand to split from the New Zealand Dance & DanceSport Council.

Our delegates think for themselves and serve their regions. Although they value the input of our executive and the views of other regional delegates, their voting rights are exercised freely, independently and without interference. The remit to resign from the NZD&DC was part of the 2011 AGM notice that was circulated to all members and posted on our website almost three months in advance. This remit was considered in one way or another by all regional members of DanceSport New Zealand. The decision to resign from the NZD&DC was almost unanimous: 9 for and 1 against (2 abstained). This is a very strong mandate showing strong support throughout the country for this difficult decision.

Misinformation Five:
Dancers will have to choose one system or the other.

This is not our intention. We will not be engaging in restrictive trade practices and consider dancers should be free to enter both our system and the NZD&DC system.

Misinformation Six:
DanceSport New Zealand is trying to take the July or October adult nationals.

The July and October nationals remain national events in the NZD&DC system. We accept this is the jurisdiction of the NZD&DC and recognise it's right to confer national titles within its system. Nevertheless, as we pursue development of an alternative system based on sporting principles and ethics inevitably we need to develop a national event for New Zealand under our system that adheres to our principles and rules.

Misinformation Seven:
DanceSport New Zealand are trouble makers.

We invite everyone to visit our website and read the various minutes, reports and press releases over the past year or more documenting an appalling record of rule breaking, procedural irregularities, with-holding of amateur disbursements, breaches of agreements & resolutions and other actions taken by officers and some delegates of the NZD&DC.

This year we have found ourselves in a position once again where our main source of funding was being used as a weapon against us and key clauses granting us rights as the Amateur Council were being invalidly deleted from the NZD&DC constitutional document. We were fast finding ourselves in a position (again) where we had one of two options: to litigate or to resign from the NZD&DC. We saw no future in returning to litigation and have opted to pursue our own path based on sporting principles and ethics.

Misinformation Eight
Our President is attempting to set up his own governing body for dancesport in New Zealand.

The DanceSport New Zealand Delegates after consulting with their regional bodies took
the decision to resign from Council and pursue a separate path based in sporting
principles and ethics. Our President is subject to the authority of the delegates collectively
and is leading the association through these difficult times with the support, guidance and
authority of the delegates and their regions.

Misinformation Nine
There is only one governing body in New Zealand.

Since our resignation from the NZD&DC there are loosely speaking now two governing
bodies in New Zealand. There is no reason why these two bodies cannot work along side
each other. DanceSport New Zealand is the governing body for the sport side of dance
recognised by the Olympic movement and is the associate member of the New Zealand
Olympic Committee for dancesport.

Misinformation Ten
There are [only] three events that can call themselves the "New Zealand Championships".

This is not true, even for dancesport. It is true that the NZD&DC recognises three such
events. Now that DanceSport New Zealand has begun the process of putting in place a
competition system recognised by the Olympic movement and SportAccord, the governing
body for international sport federations, it is entitled under its separate competition system
to conduct its own "New Zealand Championships".

Misinformation Eleven
The intention of a small group within DanceSport New Zealand is to divide New Zealand
dancing and bring political actions that have been seen in Europe in recent years.

DanceSport New Zealand is a fully democratic body made up of six regional bodies
representing dancers the length of New Zealand. The actions of the NZD&DC officers and
some NZD&DC delegates has left DanceSport New Zealand with no choice. We invite
interested readers to read the shocking record of rule and resolution breaking, violations of
the constitution and mediation agreement and withholding of our operating funds. This has
destroyed any trust which would be vital if we were to work together within the NZD&DC.

DanceSport New Zealand is focused on developing New Zealand and has no interest in
transporting to New Zealand a "European solution". We intend to deliver to the needs and
aspirations of our dancers, athletes, adjudicators and coaches.

Misinformation Twelve
DanceSport New Zealand is a private sports orgnaisation.
This is not true. DanceSport New Zealand is an incorporated society whose full members
are the regional dancesport bodies of New Zealand. The membership of the regions are
open to the public with passive or active interest or involvement in dance. Because of its
Olympic recognition, DanceSport New Zealand is the legitimate body for dancesport in
New Zealand available for all New Zealanders with an interest in dancesport to join.

Misinformation Thirteen
Our President and Vice-President have spent thousands of DanceSport New Zealand funds.
This claim is defamatory, actionable and false. The DanceSport New Zealand Delegates
authorise funds, not the executive officers. None of our executive officers have any
expense accounts and therefore no means to spend the association's money.

DanceSport New Zealand would like to acknowledge the huge commitment they have
made and the many thousands of their own money and hundreds of voluntary hours they
have contributed to the association as we move through this unavoidable process of change.

DanceSport New Zealand covers travel expenses for all delegates to attend all
DanceSport New Zealand general meetings. A contribution towards the cost of attending
IDSF meetings has been granted in the past but significant expense is carried personally
by the delegates sent. This year no contribution has been made because of the
financial crisis caused by the NZD&DC again withholding our operating funds against the
rules and the mediation agreement.

Misinformation Fourteen
Our President has brought relationships between associations to an all time low.
Relationships between the four member associations of NZD&DC have been divisive for a
very long time. What has changed is the stand we have taken (with the NZFATD) against
the appalling governance by the NZD&DC officers that has been supported and condoned
by some NZD&DC delegates. This has inevitably brought the matter to the attention of the
New Zealand dancesport community rather than remain behind closed doors. What has
changed is greater awareness that serious problems exist.

Misinformation Fifteen
DanceSport New Zealand does not represent all amateur dancers registered with the
Registration Authority.

This is absurd given that there was only one non-Professional member of Council until our
resignation which then left none. The rules of Council refer to "the Amateur Council" and
list it as DanceSport New Zealand. This implies that there is only one body that represents
amateurs. Historically, when the Council was constituted in the mid 1960s the respective
amateur and professional international governing bodies of the day signed the Bremen
Agreement where each agreed that the amateur body looked after the amateur side of
dancing and the professional body after the professional side. The constitution of Council
has not changed significantly since 1971.

On occasions over the years DanceSport New Zealand has sought from Council a
relationship with all amateur registrants so that it could serve their needs, ensure they
were informed of their rights and represent their concerns. This has never been given
serious consideration and has been denied to us.

Misinformation Sixteen
DanceSport New Zealand is in debt.
This is not true. It is true that DanceSport New Zealand has limited funds and has been
kept this way for decades. Its existence is a tribute to the personal and financial sacrifices
of past and present delegates and officers.

Every NZD&DC registered dancer pays a fee whose disbursement is set and controlled by
the NZD&DC formerly 75% controlled by Professional Associations and now controlled
100% by Professional Associations. Because of this, DanceSport New Zealand has never
had any effective control over the funding of its operating expenses which largely comes
from the amateur registrant fee and has been on the bread line for many years.

The allocation for 2010 of the amateur fee was as follows:
18% allocated to operate the dancer's body, the Amateur Council (DanceSport New Zealand) ($4,500)
14% allocated to Amateur Council Reserve Fund to support dancers representing New Zealand ($3,550)
21% allocated to operate the Registration Authority (approx $5,330).
47% allocated to operate Council ($11,296).
An additional 68% is also contributed from the Professional fee (approx $6,100) towards
the operation of Council. The remainder of the fee is allocated 13% to the Professional
Reserve Fund for professional dancers (approx $1,150) and 19% to operate the
Registration Authority (approx. $1,690).

It is difficult to comprehend why the Amateur Council has only received 32% of the
amateur fee with an allocated operating account of $4,500 when compared with the
Council which has never exceeded 25% representation by amateurs and received 47% of
the amateur fee with an operating account of approx $17,000 excluding the operating
account of the Registration Authority of approx $6,500.

The operating expenses of Council (excluding the Registration Authority) are
approximately as follows:
$2,500 President Honourarium
$5,200 Secretary Honourarium
$400 separate Minute Secretary
$2000 Stationery & Printing
$1500 Postage, Tolls & Fax
$6000 Meeting expenses
$3100 WDC Membership
$1800 Accounting & Insurance

Misinformation Seventeen
The New Zealand DanceSport Association (Inc.) is not entitled to call itself DanceSport New Zealand.

The term "DanceSport" was popularised by the IDSF as part of its successful drive to
achieve admission into the Olympic family. We followed this initiative and changed our
name in 1982 from the New Zealand Amateur Dancing Council to the New Zealand
Amateur DanceSport Association and finally in 2000 to the New Zealand DanceSport
Association (Inc). This was followed by rebranding ourselves as DanceSport New Zealand
in 2002 when logos were commissioned and widely used for this purpose without
opposition. This is no different to the New Zealand Rowing Association Incorporated being
widely known as Rowing New Zealand.

Our brand name has only been challenged since early 2010 after we discovered an
undisclosed attempt to register a trademark of our name by an officer of the NZD&DC and
the secret incorporation of a commercial company under our name by some officers, the
Registrar and delegates of the NZD&DC and some of their spouses. The company still
remains and its details can be viewed by visiting the website.
Ever since we have been faced with an attempt to deny and
rewrite the past by some NZD&DC officers, the Registrar and delegates.





Q: How is Dancesport New Zealand able to issue adjudicators licences, when they have no examination system in place,
in order to actually qualify as an adjudicator?
A: This is a problem for New Zealand in general and needs to be rectified as the sport moves forward.
As it stands with the NZD&DC all that is required is a teaching qualification with a professional society.
That is, there currently exists no adjudication training or qualification in NZ.
Practically speaking we have no choice but to follow this at the minute.
Obviously moving forward this needs to be rectified but I would suggest it would need to be phased in over a period of time
to allow a qualification system to be developed and to give adjudicators time to qualify.

Q: Will DanceSport New Zealand put in place its own registration system for competitions, athletes and adjudicators?
A: Yes. Everyone will be advised in due course.

Q: What will happen to a dance athletes NZD&DC grade under the new system?
A: It will be credited to the new system in an appropriate way.

Q: Do DanceSport New Zealand rules affect competitions run under the NZD&DC rules.
A: No, it is a separate jurisdiction. Every organiser will have the opportunity to register
with DanceSport New Zealand when the new system is in place.

Q: What does DanceSport New Zealand leaving Council mean for national events run under NZD&DC rules?
A: It means they lose the recognition of DanceSport New Zealand as the New Zealand national championship for the sport.
Consequently, they are no longer recognised by the IDSF and its member bodies such as
DanceSport Australia and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Q: If there are two separate registration systems in New Zealand, how do I know which one represents the sport?
A: In the world of sport the world governing body for international sports federation is Sportaccord
which works alongside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Only one body is recognised for dancesport by these bodies, that being the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF).
DanceSport New Zealand is the IDSF member for New Zealand and because of this lineage is recognised by
other national IDSF member bodies such as DanceSport Australia as the governing body for New Zealand dancesport.
DanceSport New Zealand is an associate member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Q: What is the status of the NZD&DC?
A: It is a trade organisation. It is free to recognise a range of competitions and national competitions as it sees fit.

Q: Can I belong to both Dancesport New Zealand and NZD&DC?
A: Yes, we have no plans to ban athletes and adjudicators provide they comply with our rules.

Q: Is it plausible for DanceSport New Zealand to be a member of the WDC?
A: Like the IDSF, there can only be one WDC member body for New Zealand which is the NZD&DC.
If the NZD&DC relinquished its membership then there would be nothing to prevent the WDC making
DanceSport New Zealand the WDC member body for New Zealand.

Membership

Membership to Dancesport New Zealand is through the Regional Member bodies. For more information on the specific membership details please contact your local Regional Dancesport Association. You can find links to each of the associations on the Links page.