The UDSF DanceSport quarterly activity report provides a descriptive analysis of DanceSport activities implemented during the 3-month period from January to March 2020. The highlights of this quarter ranged from organizing Dance athletes engagement workshops, coaches and judges technical development programs, initiation of DanceSport in both secondary and primary schools, programs directed towards increasing DanceSport online visibility, local DanceSport championships especially in the Breaking DanceSport, qualification for The World Games 2022 in USA and lastly recognition from both National Council of Sports and Uganda Olympic Committee.
Dance Athletes Engagement Workshops. The underlining factors were to share the UDSF competition calendar for the year 2022 which included regional, national and international DanceSport championships, professionalizing DanceSport through introducing Athletes licenses, registration process of DanceSport crews at the different Regional DanceSport Associations, DanceSport January transfer window process, Doping tendencies among athletes were questioned, DanceSport dress code and athletes appearance were all addressed during the athletes Engagement workshops. It’s in such sessions that fixed mindsets of dance athletes formally entertainment dancers are tuned to understand and appreciate the sustainable changes that DanceSport comes with.
DanceSport Technical Development Programs. UDSF has 9 different DanceSport disciplines that include Breaking, Hip Hop, Popping, Contemporary, Para DanceSport, Ballet, Disco, Acrobatic rock `n` roll, Latin & Standard and cultural DanceSport. UDSF has so far fronted its Breaking DanceSport discipline in terms of structuring and promotion because of both its technical uniqueness and attachment to Olympics.
It’s not been until this year 2022 that the UDSF has seriously embarked on the systematic activating of its other three DanceSport disciplines which include Popping, Ballet and Hip Hop dance. Furthermore, UDSF has continued with its dedicated efforts to develop and promote its Para DanceSport discipline. Stakeholders working with people with disabilities are constantly engaged on how to structure and initiate Para DanceSport /Wheelchair DanceSport Championships in Uganda.
Initiation of DanceSport in Schools. Following the January 2022 schools resumption in Uganda, UDSF kicked off the “DanceSport in Schools campaign” which is aimed at initiating DanceSport to Primary, Secondary, University, Tertiary and International Schools throughout Uganda. Since the year 2022 began, UDSF through its Membership Commission activated a group of specialized individuals ranging from those who can, identify pioneer DanceSport schools, explain the fundamental concepts of DanceSport, showcase the different DanceSport disciplines and offer training sessions to students as means to ensure sustainability, growth and development of DanceSport in schools.
UDSF has launched DanceSport clubs to a number of schools which include Gombe Junior School, Elite High School, Emanuel College, Kazo Secondary School, Mulsa Academy, St Marks College Namagoma, Kisubi Mapera Senior Secondary School among many others.
DanceSport Media & Online Visibility. UDSF Communications Commission has greatly involved media in all DanceSport programs. Given the fact that DanceSport is not only a new sport but also a new word to many Ugandans including the available sports media personalities hence making it a lot more difficulty to report about it on their various media outlets. In response to the ignorance question, the UDSF Communications Commission organized a DanceSport Media Clinic in January 2022 where all sports media personalities were invited at UDSF Office premises for to be educated about the origin, history, disciplines, technicalities, competition rules & format, governance structure, athletes, adjudicating system, national & international competitions, strategic plan, activity calendar, terms to use when reporting about DanceSport among others.
In addition, the UDSF Communications Commission has continued to make excellent use of UDSF social media platforms by ensuring constant posting of UDSF DanceSport activities as of when they happen in an effort to increase visibility and information flow of DanceSport communications. The UDSF website is another dream that is soon coming to reality following an investment directed to developing it to create more avenues for the public to get DanceSport information and news.
DanceSport Championships. In the same quarter, UDSF approved an open format Breaking DanceSport Championship. This was organized in Kampala, Kawempe, Koona zone under guidance of Kawempe DanceSport Association. The Breaking Championship was named “Bgirl Rain Memorial Championship” as it was organized in rememberance of the late Nambalilwa Rain who was a talented Breaking girl athlete but unfortunately died at a young age.
The championship attracted over 50 breaking athletes some from as far as Gulu and Jinja. Both boys and girls competed in the breaking DanceSport discipline, under age competitions were held too. Other urban DanceSport disciplines like Popping and Hip Hop were showcased before the championship began. Champions from the Breaking Boys was Apolo from Entebbe DanceSport Association, followed by Kakooza Lincoln from Kawempe DanceSport Association. On the Breaking Girls side, Sophie won from Kawempe DanceSport Association followed by Nabukenya Slyivia from Rubaga DanceSport Association.
Qualification for “The World Games 2022”. DanceSport being one of the New Generational Urban Global medal Sports set to be competed for at an 11-day international multi-sport event organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee, named “The World Games 2022”. The World Games are held a year following the Summer Olympic Games, The World Games 2022 will showcase a New Generation of Global Sports in Birmingham from July 7-17, 2022. An anticipated 3,600 elite athletes from over 100 countries will compete for gold in more than 30 of the fastest growing sports in the world.
Following a successful Uganda DanceSport Federation membership to its International Body the World DanceSport Federation, Uganda Breaking DanceSport Athletes sportingly qualified for their maiden appearance at The World Games 2022 in USA. The 2 breaking boys and 2 breaking girls are in line to represent Uganda from July 7-17, 2022. On addition to Breaking, other DanceSport disciplines at The World Games include Latin, Salsa, Acrobatic Rock `n` Roll and Standard.
National Recognition of Uganda DanceSport Federation. Little did the UDSF family know that the long awaited recognition by National Council of Sports to Uganda DanceSport Federation as the National Sport Association for DanceSport and Uganda Olympic Committee recognition would actually arrive at a surprisingly same period when UDSF needed them most! Both recognitions from NCS and UOC were received with utmost pleasure as history was made after becoming the 52nd National Sports Association. Being a new sport in the country trying to build structures from grass root levels, there could be no better motivational signal than being ultimately recognized by the National regulators of sports from both the Ugandan Government (NCS) and Olympic Movement (UOC).
DanceSport admission to Uganda Olympic committee as s full member is equally a great achievement to the federation and DanceSport athletes especially those in the discipline of Break Dance which will have its maiden medal competition at Paris 2024 world Olympic games. This has given UDSF right to access and benefit from Olympic values and Olympic solidarity programs especially capacity build programs like coaching & judging course of DanceSport through Olympic solidarity funds. DanceSport athletes and administrator can apply for Olympic scholarships and finally it has given UDSF now to stand firmly as a full recognized sport body in Uganda and meet Olympics requirements.
Following this great milestones, UDSF appreciates National Council of Sports for monitoring and guiding the activities and embracing DanceSport as one of the National sports in Uganda. UDSF emphasis is to continue to develop, promote and protect DanceSport both at National and International level so that Uganda`s flag is raised high at all DanceSport championships.
