The WDSF President's Award
This year, the WDSF President’s Award Went to Mr Shigemitsu Tanabe.
Mr Tanabe started his presidential role in 2010 for the newly established Ballroom Dancers Japan, an affiliate organisation of the IPDSC. In 2016, this organisation became the JDSF PD. Mr Tanabe has been a pillar of support in the running of major competitions. For instance, the JDSF, under the leadership of Mr Tanabe, successfully organised the WDSF PD Super GrandPrix Standard in Japan in March last year. In addition, the JDSF PD also succesfully ran the WDSF PD Super GrandPrix in Tokyo in March 2017 under Mr Tanabe’s leadership.
The road to success of the JDSF PD was not an easy path. Years ago, Mr Tanabe was an executive member of Japan Ballroom Dancers Federation(JBDF), Japan's largest professional organisation. However, while JDSF follows the WDSF, the JBDF is strongly influenced by a rival faction. When Mr Tanabe became the chairperson of JBDF, he attempted to merge JBDFwith the JDSF PD, but this could not be realised due to strong opposition by the rival faction. As a solution to the problem, Mr Tanabe transferred numerous members from JBDF, to form a major PD within the JDSF.
Mr Tanabe is fully confident that JDSF PD will stand poised to bridge the gap in linking the WDSF to the growing market of PD in Asia.
Overall, Mr Tanabe is an indispensable figure in the Japanese DanceSport industry as an active chairperson. His experience and knowledge in the corporate industry and critical governmental connections have contributed to the expansion and development of JDSF PD. Mr Tanabe hopes to continue expanding the JDSF PD to become one of the largest member bodies in Asia, uniting the growing Japanese DanceSport industry and the WDSF.
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