| Monthly Newsletter |
May 2019 |
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Spotlight
Featuring the dancers
Zoe Balfour
Q: Zoe, when did you start dancing?
A: I don't remember ever not dancing, whether waltzing on my father's feet or leaping around the living room to classical music. My parents met dancing. We danced reels in school when it rained, I did Scottish country dancing and sword dancing and also went out dancing in clubs.
I started competing in ballroom when I heard that you could do that at the Gay Games. So 7 months before the Sydney Gay Games 2002 is when I started. I competed there in International Ballroom and Latin, with 2 great dance partners, none of us had done anything like that before. It was a great experience and we surprised ourselves with how well we did, came home with medals and I was hooked.
Q: What is your view on social dancing?
A: There is an
, African, Zulu tribe
greeting
, where "Sawubona" means "I
see
you
" and the response "Ngikhona" means "I
am
here
". Then the greeting is returned with the same response.
This feels profound to me, to really see someone and for them to tell you that they are truly present. This is what I aim for in social dancing. Can I see, feel, and sense the follow, are they fully in their body, what is their frame telling me, can I feel any anxiety in their nervous system, are they present and listening.
Partner dancing involves trust, letting someone lead your body into unknown places. Trusting that you will not be asked to do physically impossible things, trusting they will remember that they are dancing you.
I think it is important for leaders to remember that the follow's trust is a gift. It is the gift of connection, of intimacy, of listening, of presence. It requires the same from the leader. To remember that you are dancing your partner and not just dancing yourself. Increasing your awareness so that, even when planning steps, thinking of floor craft, you never leave the presence of connection where your frame and bodies meet.
To find the shared language where you both can talk. Where can you find each other, this may mean that your most satisfying dance with someone might be basic steps.
I believe that a good leader evaluates the starting place and quality of possible connection and in the first 30 seconds or so and stays there until they feel the other person start to trust them and that wonderful place where you feel their nervous system relaxing. The place where trust, fun and magic happen. Where adventures and greater creativity happens.
It is an easier journey to build trust than it is to try to regain it once it has been lost.
I would advise leaders not to try to impress a new follow with their most complicated moves, that maybe they are not ready for, but to dance the place where you are together, where you can stay connected. Lastly make your frame safe, and clear, a haven.
Q: How about the Same-Sex dancing and its importance?
A: Dance is about connection and intimacy, 2 people moving together as one conversation. Seeing same sex/ queer couples dancing is an important part of our visibility, our acceptance. Helping along the journey for some heterosexual people from knowing we exist to seeing us enjoying each other and being dancing the roles we choose to. When we dance as same sex and queer couples we are showing than there is more that the traditional role of male lead and female follow, that there are many options. We are showing this to educate, to support others in their choices and to celebrate who we are. That we are not fully represented on dance programs like Dancing with the Stars, or So You Think You Can Dance, that we cannot enter primarily heterosexual main stream dance competitions means we are not visible and therefore marginalized and facing discrimination
.
Being visible and being yourself is why I think this is important. We live in a time when many things have improved for the LGBTQ community. That does not mean that homophobia has been eradicated by any means. Dancing involves physical contact and intimacy. Most traditional dance venues are overwhelmingly heterosexual, the classes and the social dances.
There are societal assumptions about gender and the role you will dance and if you go outside of that you often challenge peoples comfort zones. The responses range from subtle to not so subtle to dangerous. It doesn't always feel safe to be yourself and be that visible.
In a queer dance community, there is a level of ease and community feeling. The freedom of choice whether to lead or follow and an understanding of how important it is to have that choice, to be able to explore dance from that part of you. It's a reclaiming of your body and the ability to be present in it, in a world that has not necessarily mirrored acceptance back at you for your choices of how you inhabit your body.
Dancing can be a way for shyer people to find an avenue to be more social. Conversation isn't needed and attunement is.
It is also important to have venues to be in safe physical contact with other people that don't involve sexual pressure or alcohol.
Being ourselves and being visible in this political climate will always be an act of social activism. This happens to be a very enjoyable one.
Zoe
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Announcements
NASSPDA Scholarship Program
NASSPDA's scholarship program has been expanded since 2018 to include all its sanctioned competitions.
Anyone planning to compete at a 2019 NASSPDA sanctioned competition may now apply for financial aid.
Out of the 5 (five!) Scholarships available to be awarded for the year of 2019 (in the amount of $400 each plus dues for one year of membership) there are still two scholarships left for NASSPDA's upcoming 2019 USA Championships participants at New England Open in Boston area.
Please
apply
by August 2
1st, 2019
if you are planning to participate in this particular event at NASSPDA's website
here
NASSPDA Survey
The NASSPDA Board has heard from some community members that a name change is necessary to expand its mission and become more inclusive. In particular, the "same sex" in the name may not be welcoming to the non-binary community. The Board would like to engage the community (NASSPDA members and non-members) for feedback and direction on the potential name change and expansion of mission.
Thank you in advance as we value and appreciate your opinions that will help steer our organization.
Please click on this link.
NASSPDA Membership Directory
Have you checked out the NASSPDA Membership Directory? This is a resource to allow NASSPDA members to connect with others in the community. Please contact Horace Luong (hluong@nasspda.org) if you'd like to be added to the directory (this is available to NASSPDA members only).
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Board of Directors Election
Election Committee
Board Member Elections
NASSPDA's Board Elections voting is extended to May 31st!
Two members of the Board are up for re-election this year: Benjamin Soencksen and Erik Jaeger. Barbara Zoloth's term is also up, and she is not running for re-election!
Elections take place now, and to every NASSPDA member will be sent an electronic link to the ballot. (People who have registered to vote via snail- mail will be sent a paper ballot).
Results will be posted on NASSPDA's website.
The Election Committee is in charge of reviewing candidates, supervising and running the election. No one on the Election Committee will be a candidate for election on the Board.
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Competition recap
Reflections on April Follies 2019
As a complete novice to the same-sex Dancesport scene, April Follies 2019 was my third competition. So far, my experience in our Dancesport community has been fantastic with the positive support from its members. I'm based in the middle of Canada and am unable to find a partner to dance with, so luckily Rafael Dominguez, a local to April Follies, was willing to partner with me just so we could participate. We met the night before the competition at Just Dance Ballroom for a couple of hours to work out the routines and then stepped onto the competitive floor the next day.
For those who have never been to the venue, Just Dance Ballroom is a beautiful studio with its large dance floor, side rooms for practice and lighting effect options during the showcases to create a vibrant ambiance. The masters of ceremony for the morning session was Mat Rosswood while the evening session was Zoe Balfour. Mat fueled the competitors' and audiences' energy in the long morning/afternoon session with his quick, witty remarks while Zoe's style was much more relaxed and provided competitors ample time to catch their breath between dances. There was a range of styles to compete in at the competition - International Standard, American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Latin, Argentine Tango, Country Western, Salsa, Bachata, and the always-fun-to-participate luck-of-the-draw dances and one-dance social events.
I felt that the April Follies organizing committee did a great job at keeping the competition organized. Emily Coles coordinated a roster of spectacular showcase performers ranging from Serge Aliev and Vitalii Tozik's comedic number to Alex Tecza and Kato Lindholm's
emotionally charged and beautiful performance.
It was exciting to see all the new, younger competitors from the surrounding Bay area. I remember some of them from last year's competition although there were also quite a few new faces as well. I hope they continue!
There were also a number of high-calibre reverse-role couples, which to me was refreshing to see.
For those who didn't make it out to April Follies this year, please consider next year. See you there!
Horace Luong
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Competition Calendar
Competition Committee
NASSPDA Sanctioned:
September 21st, 2019, Boston MA
* Partly sanctioned event.
Independent
competition, hosting the NASSPDA's sanctioned 2019 USA Same-Sex Championships.
Not NASSPDA Sanctioned:
Gateway DanceSport Festival
May 25-26, 2019 / Newark, NJ
DanceSport Montreal
Montreal, Canada
June 20-22, 2019
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Membership Information
Membership Committee
If you have problems or want to help us improve the website, please write to Horace Luong, our website administrator, at
hluong@nasspda.org.
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Outreach and Media
Promotions Committee
ACTIVITY GRANT FUNDING PROGRAM
NASSPDA would like to encourage its members and our community at large to engage in various fun activities that promote same-sex dancing. We recognize that many of our members may have a creative idea and NASSPDA would like to contribute in a small financial way.
Up to 4 grants of $250 each will be awarded per calendar year on a first-come first-served basis to applicants who can demonstrate that the proposed activity will advance NASSPDA's mission of promoting and expanding social and competitive same-sex partner dancing.
The proposed event should also be in alignment with NASSPDA's following goals:
* Support functions and venues for social same-sex partner dancing.
* Provide a resource for same-sex partner dancers.
* Aim to raise the level of same-sex partner dancing
* Encourage the inclusion of dancers from diverse backgrounds with regard to race, ethnicity, gender, age, [dis]ability, gender identity and/or expression.
Some ideas for events and organizers to receive grant support:
- Same-sex dance classes
- A social dance mixer with actively inviting and encouraging same-sex dancing or "alternative lead and follow"
- An excursion to a local competition, introducing dancers to the concept
- A welcome party before one of NASSPDA's sanctioned competition
- Setting up a booth at a local street fair promoting same-sex dancing
- A neighborhood or community event promoting partner dancing and the inclusion of same-sex dancing
- Involving studios to promote same-sex dancing
- An event in conjunction with a city's Pride activities
These are just a few suggestions. To apply for financial support from NASSPDA's $250 Grant Program, please visit our website.
You can also email us at
promotions@NASSPDA.org
with any questions.
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