Originally published in Topline Magazine (American International Dance Association, USISTD.org)

Posted: October 24, 2021

By: Lee Fox

 

 

In 1998, the Gay Games were held in Amsterdam (the first time it was held outside of the North American continent) and the first time that Dancesport was included as an official event (it had been a medaled side event at the previous Gay Games in 1994 in New York City). Over 200 couples from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia were in attendance competing in the International Standard and Latin styles of dancing as well as Wheelchair Dancing. I’m proud to say that my ballroom partner and I competed in the Standard and made it to the top 6. Four years later, the Games were held in Sydney and again we made the top 6. It was a year after the games in 2008, a quadrennial event, that a group of competitors participating at the annually held same-sex event called the April Follies in California met and decided that it was time to form an organization for the sole purpose of creating a standard by setting up rules and regulations to help with the organization of same-sex competitions in North America, pretty much at the same time that the European Same-Sex Dance Association (ESSDA) was formed. Thus NASSPDA was founded.

 

 

The North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association is a membership organization committed to the promotion and expansion of social and competitive same-sex partner dancing, which includes Ballroom, Latin, Argentine Tango, Country Western, and other partner dances, as well as different styles within those terms, such as International and American styles. Even though NASSPDA acknowledges and celebrates its origins in the LGBTQ+ community, it is open to all and we have a wonderful mixture of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people as well as straight allies and non-binary people participating in our events.

 

 

NASSPDA’s goals are to establish and continue to improve consistent definitions, guidelines and standards for same-sex partner dance competitions in North America. We support functions and venues for social as well as competitive same-sex dancing and encourage making them accessible and affordable. Our board of directors and officers meet on a monthly basis to conduct businesses such as rule changes, sanctioning of dance competitions and adjudicators, funding opportunities for the promotion of dancing to the LGBTQ+ community, and communicating with same-sex dance organizations world-wide.

 

 

To date we have sanctioned up to five different North American competitions a year in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Quebec, and British Columbia. We have established rules and regulations for these competitions and created categories in all styles of dancing for all male couples and female couples as well as opposite sex couples (including reverse role where the female leads and the male follows) divided into adult and senior categories as well as Student/Teacher categories, where only the student gets judged, and non-Student/Teacher categories, where any two people can get together to compete without declaring themselves pros or amateurs), and additionally, Showdance and Formation Teams divisions.

 

 

You can learn more about the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association by visiting the web site at http://www.NASSPDA.org. Membership is open to all. Join us if you like to learn more about our events, want to support our goals and have a voice.