From Amateur To American

USA Dance was founded in 1965. Under the name of United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USABDA) it saw its humble beginnings during "a tumultuous time," with it being the Sixties and everything that this implied.

The promotion of DanceSport to the Olympic Movement was an important part of the organisation's vision even in those early days. Normand Martin, the Founding USABDA President, was a strong champion of the cause and first to petition the Olympic Committee for "inclusion of Ballroom Dancing into the Olympics."

Now, fifty years later, USA Dance celebrates its founding fathers and all who have worked on turning early vision into reality. Even if the ultimate goal has eluded them so far, they have created an organisation that is set up perfectly to face the next fifty years. Happy birthday, USA Dance!

Read up on USA Dance's history in the special issue of American Dancer (the publication formerly known as "Amateur Dancer"), click here!

Published on 25 February 2015