User:Thoades/Cwdc

CWDC - Country Western Dance Council

Purpose of the C.W.D.C.
The C.W.D.C. are a UK Based non profit organisation originally established in 1995 by the Council of Ballroom Dancing to promote Country and Western Line Dance in the U.K. and Europe. Today while actively promoting all styles of Country and Western dance the C.W.D.C. remains an affiliate of the British Dance Council.

C.W.D.C. Activities
The C.W.D.C. help amateur dance clubs organise competitions and events hosted under the C.W.D.C. Rules. The CWDC provide judging and scrutineering staff for these events which are open to the public and usually involve some aspect of social dancing as well as a competition.

Many C.W.D.C. competitors help run and organise social classes and line dance clubs, membership of the C.W.D.C. helps provide organisers with liability insurance, PPL coverage and training. A list of all registered clubs is maintained by the C.W.D.C. and published on their web site so members of the public can determine that classes are correctly insured and that instructors are correctly trained and qualified.

The height of the C.W.D.C. events calendar cumulates in late February or early March with the European Championships. This is an annual event which included amateur Line Dancers competing in a range of divisions and classifications for the title of European Champion.

In recent years competitors have started to visit the event from outside of Europe including countries such as South Africa and America, making the C.W.D.C European Championships a world wide event.

The annual European Championships has always been held at Brean Sands in Somerset in late February / early MArch, and includes not only competitions but social dancing, workshops, demonstrations and floor shows. This popular event is not only attended by competitors, but also attracts many fans of country and western line dancing from around the UK.

Styles of Dance
At a typical C.W.D.C. event you will expect to see competitors dancing a wide range of styles, including East Coast Swing, Rumba, Waltz, Twostep, Cha Cha Cha and West Coast Swing. Over recent years some categories of competition have also included Street dance, and as such the C.W.D.C. is rapidly attracting a large number of new young street dancers looking to gain competitive experience and titles.