The Swiss Dance Sport Federation (STSV) is facing major organisational and financial challenges. This is due to the reorganisation of Swiss Olympic’s funding for federations from 2029 onwards. The umbrella organisation, the Swiss Dancesport Federation (SDSF) – which, alongside the STSV, comprises the Swiss Rock’n’Roll Confederation, the Fédération Suisse de Twirling Bâtons and, most recently, Swiss Breaking – must also evolve in order to continue to meet the requirements for recognition in the future. This also affects the STSV and, indirectly, its member clubs.
At the annual Presidents« Conference, this situation was explained and the associated challenges highlighted. In short, the STSV must develop more strongly into a mass-participation sports federation. This includes, amongst other things, training additional J+S instructors, recruiting new members and developing conceptual frameworks that clubs can implement through attractive programmes. This »area of development’, as SDSF and STSV President Walter Vogt describes it, must be prepared both strategically and operationally. The STSV Executive Board had already taken a policy decision in January regarding the ‘Dance Sport for All’ development framework.
The club representatives were asked for their views: Which tasks would they like to get rid of? Which tasks currently take up too much time and energy? And how would they use the resources freed up as a result? Concrete ideas on these points were gathered during the Presidents’ Conference workshop. In the process, numerous points of agreement emerged between the clubs’ ideas and the considerations of the STSV Executive Committee.
During this dynamic day in Aarau, characterised by creativity and commitment, the club representatives and the Executive Board agreed that the direction taken is the right one and that the challenges ahead can only be overcome by working together. The Executive Board will appoint former top dancer Mae Hofmeister to support the «Dance Sport for All» initiative as a process facilitator. During the dialogue day, the areas for development will be further refined in collaboration with the clubs.
Author: Martin Zinser
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