| History
The elegance and style of the early 1900s were major factors
in the development of ballroom dancing by the habituees of
the smarter West End establishments. A chance meeting between
one of the leading ladies of the time, Josephine Bradley,
and a talented young American, GK Anderson, produced a partnership
which provided the foundation for the English Style for which
the ISTD is still world-renowned. Further developed by Phyllis
Haylor and other famous names of the time, it is indeed fortunate
that, under the leadership of Lady Humphries, they joined
together to preserve the Style with examinations of standard
to a set technique, and so the Modern Ballroom Dance Faculty
of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing was born. When,
under the guidance of a committee headed by Alex Moore, it
was decided to write the Technique of Ballroom Dancing, the
ISTD established itself as one of the leaders of a now virile
profession, a position it has maintained since.
Activities
The Imperial Dance and Dance Sport Faculties' Board guides
the multi-faceted activities of this Faculty. An annual summer
Congress presents new work and ideas coupled with refinements
in the presentation of technique to the hundreds of professional
teachers who regularly attend. Refresher courses are held
throughout the country which ensure that first class tuition
is available for those who not only wish to take advantage
of the examination system but also for those seeking to improve
their technique for social activities. Everyone, from the
social dancer, keen amateur or aspiring professional, can
measure their progress, assured in the knowledge that their
assessment is in capable hands. As a further inducement to
progress, the ISTD runs regular competitive events for the
keen medallist. These enable students from various schools
to compete against each other in a friendly fashion, and are
extremely popular events with tremendous atmosphere. Competition
ballroom dancing, both professional and amateur, has grown
tremendously over the past two decades, and has become a worldwide
activity. Top class teaching and coaching are necessary to
attain the standards required in this field, and it is no
surprise to find that many of our examiners and committee
members travel the world to work with aspiring and existing
champions.
Development
The ISTD is keenly aware of the importance of dance in the
social structure of tomorrow. Continually increasing interest
from young children has prompted us in the past to offer attainment
awards for youngsters from an age as low as five years and
this facility will be developed accordingly. With the present
accent on fitness and the increase in longevity, more and
more people of all age groups are finding a need to fill their
leisure time in a healthy and enjoyable manner. In this respect,
the benefits of dance for increasing friendship and well being
are second to none, and all our services for the future will
be geared to filling this need. A new dance, a new style,
new music, all of our members will be kept abreast of developments
through one of the leading dance organisations in the world,
the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. |
