21/12/2023
BDFI Press Release: Information for all WDC-Licensed adjudicators
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London, 20/12/2023 – Be aware that the World Dance Council (WDC) is not allowing anyone who has adjudicated a World Dance Organisation (WDO) Amateur or Professional Championship to adjudicate a WDC Championship.
The WDC has Freedom to Dance but DOES NOT have a policy for Freedom to Adjudicate!
The WDC allows all REGISTERED professional couples to dance WDO Championships but DOES NOT allow its Licensed adjudicators to do the same…. how is this fair?
The WDC Competitive Dance Executive Board (CDEB) is not banning judges nor suspending or revoking a judge’s licence, but nominated adjudicators are simply not being approved by the CDEB.
They will give preference to a licensed adjudicator that has not adjudicated any WDO events!
Our conclusion: we believe the WDC is excluding a large number of prominent names in our dance industry with these actions, or rather, inactions. By not making inclusivity a priority, it makes itself weaker.
The WDC state that they “have the very best adjudicators.” By appearing not to be inclusive, how does this statement hold credibility?
The BDFI understands that couples want to be assessed by people they respect, who have experienced the process of having been there and are highly qualified.
The BDFI believes that judges should not be selected or approved because of what competitions they choose to judge, but are chosen through quality, experience and freedom to adjudicate!