Hya
i have been an international dancer with my partner jennefer robinson now for 3 years, we have travelled all over the world and entered a lot of competitions. But this year we opened the world state championships in america and followed it through and we find that allgirl partnerships are diadvantaged by those in a girl boy because we have been told that we can enter them but wont get to 1st place due to us being an all girl partnership.

I was just wondering if anyone had been in the same position or what girl boy partnerships think ov it.

Any e-mails wish to be sent send to jen_louise_robinson@hotmail.com

I've competed only in collegiate competitions so far, but in those comps i have seen all-girl partnerships both place and even have seen a few take first place in an event. I cannot say if they were under any more of a disadvantage that the other couples on the floor, but if a partnership dances good you can't deny the truth.

I'm impressed that they even allowed you to enter. Two of the larger sanctioning bodies in the USA have rules that prohibit same-sex partnerships, which I think is a shame and a disservice to the dance community.

I think that since they are letting you enter, you should do it and dance your best. Don't worry about how you place, worry about showing your dancing. People need to see good dancing from same-sex partnerships so that they can get over their prejudices against them.

The NDCA rule books state clearly that a dance partnership consists of one male and one female. I am surprised you were allowed to enter at all in America. The organizers are supposed to reject your application from the start and refund your entry fees.

Please bear in mind that I don't agree that competitions should be closed to same-sex partnerships in the US.

However, there is a different dynamic when you have a same-sex partnership versus a female-male partnership. And of course, prejudices that may come from the judges.

I would like to see same-sex divisions added to competitions in America. That is an untapped market, and one that would also create great teachers, because usually in those types of partnerships, both learn the man's and woman's part. '

By adding same-sex divisions to competitions, it will make such partnerships more acceptable. At every social dance we attend, it never fails: there's always more women than men. But because of homophobia, women do not want to dance with other women. So many just hope that the few available men will ask them to dance some time during the evening. If same-sex partnering were more acceptable, the women could enjoy dancing with each other instead of having to wait for a guy to ask them.

Essentially a couple should be judged on how well they dance and move, but that is not the case, especially in America.