River Blandford
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REPORT ON THE IFSSDA INTERNATIONAL DANCESPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS AT GAY GAMES XII
REPORT ON THE IFSSDA INTERNATIONAL DANCESPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS AT GAY GAMES XII by Benjamin Soencksen Under the expert leadership of Tom Dane, EEDA Board Member and competitor at this event, and Isaac Rovira, who judged at Dancesport of the XI Gay Games 2023 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Dancesport in Valencia turned out to be well-run and most…
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Boston Open Championship
2026 North American Championships Thanks to the participants and organizers of the Boston Open Championships for a successful competition. On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the team of Boston Open Dancesport led by Kalin Mitov hosted its own 2026 Championships, the 2026 Massachusetts State Championships and the 2026 North American Championships, all sanctioned and sponsored by…
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Queer Dance Connect
What inspired you to create (or get involved with) your dance group or project?I feel so proud to be a member of the LGBTQ+ dance community. You only have to step into a same-gender class, event, or competition to feel the joy, openness, and support from everyone attending.And a few years ago, the scene was…
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Elaine Anderson Dance
Elaine Anderson is a queer-affirming wedding dance teacher that helps couples create first dances that feel true to who they are. After years in ballroom and teaching wedding dances, Elaine saw how few spaces celebrated queer love stories, and she set out to change that by offering instruction grounded in authenticity, connection, and joy. Through…
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Divergent Dance — Portland, OR
Divergent Dance is a new queer-led West Coast Swing project in Portland that’s carving out brave, joyful, gender-free spaces for partner dancers of all identities. Their work centers inclusion, consent, accessibility, and the belief that dance should be a place where everyone can show up as their full self. We sat down with co-founders Emily…
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NASSPDA is now NAEDA
NASSPDA is now NAEDA The North American Equality Dancesport Association ADOPTION OF A NEW NAME & ACRONYM: as previously reported in our E-Newsletters, the newly elected Board of NASSPDA officially adopted the name North American Equality Dancesport Association (NAEDA) at our meeting on June 1, 2025. This change underscores the inclusiveness that was already expressed in our…
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Syllabi vs Grading
Original posting February 2017 NASSPDA NewsletterPosted: January 6, 2022By: Benjamin Soencksen Our world of partner dancing has many topics that are considered controversial or hot button issues, such as gender identification, pros and cons of equality dancing (changing lead and follow within one dance), the choice of costumes, etc. Discussions of these topics are influenced…
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Which is Easier to Learn – to Lead or Follow
By: Lee Fox I don’t think there is one simple answer to that. Both parts have their share of responsibilities to the partnership, so I believe it all has to do with the individual.Some people find it easier to learn the leader’s part. The leader has a lot to think about. They have to learn their own patterns,…
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Why Compete?
Originally published in April 2016 NASSPDA NewsletterPosting: January 6, 2022By: Benjamin Soencksen Our small, but growing community, whether we are socially and/or competitively engaged, needs and deserves the commitment of all of us at every level, if we indeed desire growth and more opportunities. Many involved socially in our same-sex dance communities are hesitant or…
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A Brief History of NAEDA (Formerly Known as North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association)
Originally published in Topline Magazine (American International Dance Association, USISTD.org)Posted: October 24, 2021By: 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…