DanceSport Flanders

Everybody within the World DanceSport Federation knows the most traditional competitions that are staged year after year in the Belgian region of Flanders. The Diamond's Cup in Antwerp should come to mind first.

Among the patrons of this event, that very often includes WDSF World Championships, is Danssport Vlaanderen (DV), the body that governs DanceSport at the regional level. Not much more than a discrete logo appearing together with others on posters and website, one tends to assume. Another institutional sponsor, not more!

Well, looks can be deceiving: DanceSport Flanders is an organisation that can inspire, that has embraced the spirit of VISION 2012 and of 2020 VISION more than just about any federationn in direct membership to WDSF. Virtually every dance style seems to fall under the generic "Danssport" in Flemish and for Guido Goderis, the DV President. When we met him briefly at UNBREAKABLE in Antwerp, on 22 April, he outlined the strategy behind the success: simply put, it is inclusiveness.

With inclusiveness, DS arrived at 50,000 members - and total population of Flanders is just over six million. No need for a fancy website or social media hype, just a packed calendar and much variety in it: over the upcoming weekend the Flemish Street Dance Championship takes place and the seniors in Latin/Standard leave for a dancing holiday in Ostend.

In an upcoming article we will take an even closer look at DanceSport Flanders.
 

Published on 4 May 2017