IDSF Pressure is not working for Rhett Salmon and Kristie Simmonds

Taken from Richard Gleave face book.

Thank you for your recent mail. We understand it is your duty on behalf of Dancesport Australia to pass on restrictions of events issued by the IDSF.

We are writing to you in hope that you may understand our perspective as dancers. This year we have planned to compete at six major international competitions, none of which carry IDSF approval. Please be assured we are not dancing these competitions to offend the DSA, IDSF or any of their officers. The major competition listed below have been established for many generations of dance and will remain prestigious events for many more to come. The venues are some of the most famous in the world and the adjudication panels are the most prestigious and respected one could imagine. Any dancer would feel privileged to dance at these venues in front of the past champions of our dance world. We have long dreamt of dancing in front of our role models since we were juniors.

We pose the question, why would we give up the opportunity to dance at these competitions that attract us, to adhere to the direction of just one organisation? Please understand, as dancers we would hope to be free to dance at any competition that appeals to us, regardless of what organisation it is run by. The IDSF, in our opinion, is restricting our rights as amateur competitive dancers which in turn will affect our future development.

Of course we wish to compete at the Australian Dancesport Championships, in the hope of one day becoming champions. May we ask, is it correct that an International body can override a National body and stop couples the right to dance in their own National Championships? We sincerely hope not.

We have supported the Australian Championships for as long as we can remember and would love to continue to do so. However, if the IDSF continue to threaten our dreams to dance at major International Championships with the consequence of being banned from our National Championship, we believe this to be extremely threa...tening and the thought of being banned from our National Championship saddens us.


We are also of the opinion that we as individuals are proud and loyal members of DSA, not direct members of the IDSF and therefore, we believe IDSF have no jurisdiction over us or any other couple regardless of country.
We sincerely hope you and the DSA officers can understand why we reserve our right to direct our future regardless of these IDSF banning restrictions.

Respectfully yours,

Rhett Salmon and Kristie Simmonds