Dear ECTA and EAASDC members

Last month EAASDC & ECTA were confronted with a registration request for a SD workshop series whose dates coincided both with the Spring Jamboree and the Student Jamboree. As you certainly know, those dates are blocked in the calendar of events and nobody should offer another event with the dance programs concerned. After EAASDC refused registration and GEMA coverage we received the information that the workshop will be organized „outside of the EAASDC”. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a host failed to check the dates in the EAASDC calendar of events. Although we don’t assume that this was done intentionally it’s quite simply bad planning and causes an ill-feeling and bewilderment in our community.

We would like to clarify again why EAASDC & ECTA decided back then to block certain dates for other Special Dances. At first sight it looks like this additionally reduces the 54 available weekends of a year. However, the idea behind exclusive dates for Jamborees and the European Convention is simply that each dancer should feel invited to come. These events are some of the biggest meetings in the central-European scene serving not only to establish ties but also to meet face-to-face combined with an appealing dance program. Offering alternative dance events would clearly harm these special characteristics of such meetings for the scene. By the way, the same applies to the ECTA Student Jamboree and the ECTA Round Dance Festival.

Of course, travel time, for example, or the necessity to organize accommodation will prevent the one or the other dancer from going. However, it is nevertheless not correct to offer an alternative dance event, even though this might possibly seem to be even more appealing from the individual dancer’s view. But a community can only survive when all members stick together and those dancers not participating should at least respect and support the gettogether of the community by not doing „their own thing” at the same time.

We are well aware that the community’s interest now and then conflicts with the own benefit. In this case, however, a positive development of the scene can only be achieved, if the personal interest recedes in favor of the community. In this connection we take the liberty to point out that, in case of noncompliance, the members of both associations infringe existing regulations. So we strongly advise not to organize any dance events at the following dates:

- Spring Jamboree
- Fall Round Up
- ECTA Student Jamboree
- ECTA Round Dance Festival
- European Convention

The dates agreed upon and assigned by ECTA and EAASDC are listed in the EAASDC calendar of events. This is the basis you should always refer to when planning an event.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We count on your support and wish all of us lots of fun dancing, calling, cueing, and instructing.