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Dear members of our dance sport community
Last year, we successfully kept the association on track with 11 Board meetings, a presidents' conference, a delegates' meeting and a dialogue day. In addition to the Board of Directors, a number of dedicated clubs and numerous helpers made a significant contribution to the success of the various events.
The increasing demands of external bodies such as FOSPO and Swiss Olympic have intensified the work of the Executive Board. More professionalism in the structures and processes requires a considerable amount of additional work. The targeted growth in the market is also accompanied by an increased workload.
Volunteering is often difficult to reconcile with private and professional commitments, which means that it is sometimes not possible to maintain the desired pace of implementation. But "postponed" does not mean "cancelled".
In order to relieve the Board members of non-relevant topics, we have begun working on tasks in specialised management groups - sport, training and communication. In a small number of Board meetings, we ensure that the strategic direction remains clear.
We will continue the trainer training that we started last autumn in 2025 and integrate it into our annual planning as a strategic measure.
On 17 October 2024, we held our first dialogue day to promote dialogue with the community and receive direct feedback. 21 participants from 14 clubs and board members discussed the principles and their impact within our community in Olten. A follow-up is planned for 2025.
For the 2025 Delegates' Assembly, we are counting on the spirit of the Dialogue Day to also inspire interest in the Assembly. By participating, each association shows its commitment to our joint work and community.
Data protection
As of 1 September last year, the new Data Protection Act became binding for all organisations that store and process personal data.
The association has developed a concept and transferred responsibility for implementation to the members by 31 December 2024. The respective club management is responsible for checking the effectiveness of these measures. The association reserves the right to carry out sporadic reviews.
Ethics
In order to keep the effort required to implement the ethical principles within a manageable framework, we are gradually integrating them into our association in the form of cross-sectional services, e.g. in the statutes, tournament regulations and further training for coaches.
Membership movement
The adjusted number of members has increased by 4 individual members (0.5%) compared to the previous year (2023). By joining forces, it should be possible for us to approach the 1,000-member mark in the next two years.
The STEPS Lausanne dance club has cancelled its membership of the association after less than a year (and already for the second time). Nevertheless, one couple from STEPS has found a new home in Zurich. We currently have 17 member clubs plus the UDSC.
Association promotion 2027
The year 2024 brought open questions and uncertainties for our association in terms of future sports funding. On 28 February 2025, phase 2 was completed with the consultation on Swiss Olympic's new funding concept. This concept will fundamentally change the funding and management of the associations. The concept introduces new metrics in various areas that will make it much more challenging for associations to manage.
In addition, two new criteria have been introduced for competitive sport in order to gain access to funding in this area:
According to initial analyses, several sports - including all three disciplines of our umbrella organisation SDSF - are affected by these new requirements. This could mean that our sports will no longer have access to competitive sports funding in the future. The possible effects will particularly affect the formation of squads, the promotion of young talent and elite support.
We are in close dialogue with Swiss Olympic to clarify the exact consequences and develop possible solutions. At the same time, we are examining alternative ways to secure and further develop our structures in the long term.
We would like to thank all members, clubs and athletes for their commitment and support during this challenging phase. We will of course keep you up to date on further developments.
Statutes
We had planned to modernise the Articles of Association. Due to current organisational challenges and other urgent priorities with key decision-makers, progress in this area has been delayed. However, we are endeavouring to resume this process as soon as possible and take the next steps in a timely manner.
Projects in the 2024 annual programme
With regard to the projects in the 2024 annual programme, please refer to the reports by the heads of department.
WDSF
At the beginning of this year, an investigative report by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) held up a mirror to the international dance sport community. The publication shows that the management of the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) has significant shortcomings in terms of transparency, governance and accountability. Based on independent analyses, internal protocols and personal statements, systematic abuses are documented - from non-transparent accounting and breaches of its own statutes to signs of nepotism and enrichment at the expense of its members.
The Swiss Dance Sport Federation (STSV) feels that its longstanding observations and own experiences have been confirmed, the evidence is there. We know that these shortcomings have been tacitly accepted for years and that the management of the WDSF has not yet found it necessary to constructively address the shortcomings.
We will not allow ourselves to be drawn into the internal power struggles of the WDSF. Our focus is on promoting and developing the sport of dance in Switzerland. We are continuously working to optimise our own structures and are committed to transparency, integrity and the involvement of all stakeholders.
Walter Vogt
President
With a budgeted profit of CHF 50, the year 2024 ends with a revenue surplus of CHF 6,658.
The operating profit of CHF 198 achieved compares with a budgeted operating profit of CHF 1,050.
Source of funds
In the past year, the ratio of external funds to own funds was 5 2 : 48. As a result of the uncertain availability of public funding in the future, we must consider how we can secure sustainable financing through our own funds or contributions from the private sector.
The Operating income resulted in CHF 10,649 less than budgeted. This is once again due to the fact that the budgeted income of CHF 20,000 from the acquisition of sponsors could not be realised. We will adjust our sponsorship strategy in line with our findings.
The Operating expenses (Sports administration expenses) is CHF 10,451 lower than planned in the budget. As a result, the lower income was just barely offset.
Most expense items are within the usual fluctuation range.
External Expense/income
The balance from the non-operating parts of the income statement amounts to CHF 6,807 This is mainly due to the price gain/interest income on securities (CHF 8,809 and the provision for the final invoice for the legal finalisation of the dispute with WDSF amounting to around CHF 3,000.
Subledger Y+S
Last year, we were able to experience numerous highlights together and gain valuable experience. With this report, I would like to not only look back on our successes, but also appeal to everyone to contribute their ideas and energy even more in the future.
Review
Switzerland was represented by numerous couples abroad last year. The results can be recorded on the STSV website and - depending on the competition - even count towards promotion to a higher starting class.
Outlook
International participation:
The increased participation in tournaments outside the WDSF shows our growing international presence. It is noticeable that many couples are increasingly taking part in Dance Sport Heritage tournaments in Italy, a growing group that is active outside the WDSF. Swiss couples are welcome to take part there, but must inform the STSV. However, participation in title competitions outside the WDSF is not planned for STSV couples.
Special thanks to:
Your commitment, your ideas and your dedication make our sport vibrant and successful. I look to the future with confidence and look forward to many more exciting activities and successes together in the coming year.
Brigitte Stäldi
Head of Sports Organisation
1. selection and squad development
After both squads became slightly smaller at the turn of the year 23 / 24, 13 young talents registered for selection in January 2024. Of the six couples and one individual, two couples did not make it through the first selection round as they were unable to attend the scheduled dates. A further partnership split up at short notice, with one talent not resident in Switzerland unable to be selected. This left eight talents and most of the junior squad couples in the running by the end of the year.
Among the existing couples, Selina Hermann decided to interrupt her career for the time being, but Hendrik has since found a new partner.
The final PISTE assessment was also somewhat protracted this year. We used this time to further adapt the criteria and their weighting to the requirements of Swiss Olympic. This involved focussing more on the athletes' environment in order to assess long-term potential rather than just current performance. This adjustment required a broader database, which lengthened the selection process. In the end, seven new talents and six existing squad athletes received the Swiss Olympic Talent Card National. Alessandro Faraco and Charleen Marie Leimer moved straight into the elite squad thanks to their strong performance at the SM.
There were also additions to the elite squad: in addition to Alessandro and Charleen, who impressed with their SM results and a complete, timely application, Flavio Martins de Sa & Angelina Lesniak and Leith Grifoni & Eva Pikulina were added to the squad.
The complete 2025 squad list is available at dancesport.ch/cadre retrievable.
The selection process for 2025 promises to be exciting again, as several young couples have already applied.
2. squad regulations
The rapid development of the scene once again revealed weaknesses in the existing squad regulations. Although they are currently being revised and should have been available in an updated form a long time ago, the need for further adjustments became apparent at the end of the year. These urgently need to be rectified in order to guarantee a solid and valid set of rules again.
3. financial resources
The financial expenditure for the junior and elite areas has exceeded the available funds for some time. In order to stabilise the financial situation, the Executive Board suspended Appendix 1 as of January 2024.
Nevertheless, based on an interim analysis, CHF 8,000 was allocated from the budget for the elite pairs. These funds were distributed based on the WDSF ranking points achieved.
Without additional external sources of funding, it will become increasingly difficult to make direct support payments to management couples in the future. The Executive Board is therefore examining alternative funding models to ensure sustainable financial support.
4. trainer training
In order to sustainably promote athletic development, the Executive Board invested more in further training for coaches. The main theme was: "Stable - upright - healthy".
As part of this, three online workshops on dance sport-related biomechanics were held, based on the STSV teaching materials developed in 2022/23. This further education initiative will be continued in 2025 to provide coaches with further training in this essential area.
We are also working on a requirements profile for dance sport coaches and, in collaboration with swissdance, on training modules for pedagogy and methodology. An equivalence procedure should help experienced trainers to achieve the required standards.
5 Swiss Olympic funding model 27
The new funding model currently being developed for sports organisations will present major challenges in the coming years. In order to continue to receive the same level of financial support from public funds, considerable adjustments will be necessary
6. increase in personnel in the department
Florian Lodter, TTZ member and dancer in the Latin S category, has agreed to actively support me at the PISTE events and in the supervision of the squad. An extremely welcome reinforcement!
7. outlook 2025
The coming year will be characterised by the following key topics:
We do everything we can to offer our athletes the best possible conditions for a successful sporting future.
Oliver Baumann
Head of junior and elite squad
In 2024, the Y+S manual for the sport of standard/Latin dancing was successfully finalised. After the start of the project in 2023, the manual was finalised in April 2024. In the last few months of the project, final adjustments were made so that it is now available as a comprehensive teaching aid for Youth+Sport instructors in the area of standard/Latin dancing.
While the manual was being finalised, intensive work was carried out on the digital learning modules in the first few months of 2024. These are an important part of the leadership course. However, due to an accident involving an athlete, the completion of the modules was delayed, meaning that they could not be finalised until December 2024. The ball is now in FOSPO's court to ensure publication and access to the learning content.
In addition to the finalisation of the manual, the instructor course for standard/latin dance was also revised and redesigned in collaboration with Rock'n'Roll. The course is based on the new manual and is aimed at both people with little and a lot of teaching experience who want to further develop their skills. Five participants successfully completed the course in Magglingen in 2024.
A key step in the expansion of grassroots sport was the development of cooperation with the SDSC (Swiss Dance Sport Council) and swissdance. These partnerships aim to further broaden the range of dance sport programmes on offer and promote access to high-quality training. In this context, swissdance is now relaunching a children's dance teacher training programme after a long break, which will make an important contribution to promoting dance sport at an early age.
The further development of dance sport training remains a central concern. Co-operation with various partners ensures that the sport of Standard/Latin dancing is strengthened even further. Youth and Sport remains an important part of this development, as it not only offers solid basic training, but also a wide range of further training opportunities for dance sport management.
In the coming year, we hope to make the learning modules available online and to expand our cooperation with clubs and other organisations in order to make dance sport even broader and more accessible.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and collaboration - especially the core team, the Youth and Sport staff, the experts and the athletes. Special thanks also go to the coaches, who have made a significant contribution to the further development and promotion of this sport through their dedicated work and passion for dance sport.
In 2024, further training for adjudicators took place - an integral part of our quality promotion programme. Under the expert guidance of Horst Beer, we were able to benefit from a first-class lecturer. The demo couples - Anastasiia Fedchenko and Ivan Hadarah, Yaroslava Chelombitko and Mikhail Pikulin as well as Angelina Lesniak and Flavio Martin de Sá - delivered impressive performances, which were emphasised by the numerous and committed participants and the consistently positive feedback. The venue, the time2dance dance school, provided the ideal setting for this successful day of further training with Barbara Stahel's warm support.
The advertised adjudicator training course could not be held due to a lack of interested participants. In addition, there are fewer and fewer tournaments in Switzerland, which raises the question of when it will make sense to offer such training again. This was one of the reasons why it was not possible to organise all the judges last year.
Work also began on the "Transport Academy" - a forward-looking project that encompasses all of our association's training programmes. A clear training catalogue is being created that summarises the requirements, learning content and objectives in modular form.
Gunar Haas
Head of Training
STSV media offerings receive more attention
The STSV media team can look back on a good 2024. All of its own media offerings increased compared to the previous year. It is pleasing to see that the commitment to social media is having an impact. The website and newsletter also received good attention. Live streaming, our most complex discipline, has satisfactory user numbers.
The attention paid to the Instagram-channel. Compared to the previous year, STSV increased its reach by 1139% to 30,800 users. The organically generated followers were increased by 31% to 730 new users.
Facebook is developing comparatively more slowly. The reach was increased by 362%, the number of followers by 8%.
At five Swiss tournaments - the three Swiss Championships in Sion (ten-dance), Wallisellen (Latin), Wettingen (standard) as well as the Trafo Cup (Baden) and the Glattalpokal (Wallisellen) - the STSV team realised a Live stream with 3 to 6 cameras. A short time later, these images are stored on the association's website as a replay and used with a time delay. Usage is still in the low three-digit range per event.
The Internet platform www.dancesport.ch as the association's most important means of communication, recorded an increase of 23.4% active users (now at 28,107). The visible peaks in autumn occurred on the dates of the Swiss Championships. A live stream was available on these dates.
The number of page views increased by 24.7% to a total of 181,524 in 2024. The number of events triggered on your website (e.g. clicks, downloads, form submissions, video views) totalled 418,257, an increase of 18%.
The STSV Newsletter was again used sparingly; in 2024, the team sent five issues to 700 people each. The average open rate was 60%, which is a very good figure compared to other newsletters. The click rate in the range of 12-21% is also excellent. Anyone who clicks on a newsletter address is redirected to a news article on our website, which in turn has a positive impact on website usage.
SRF "discovers" dance sport. Unfortunately, it is still the exception to find something about dance sport in the traditional media, which decide on coverage according to editorial criteria.
Fortunately, the SRF sportpanorama realised a portrait of our top couple Corrodi/Kucharczyk on the occasion of the SM Latin in Wallisellen, where their effort and professionalism were very well expressed.
Following the Olympic premiere of Breaking in Paris, the SRF Investigativ editorial team reported on irregularities at our world federation WDSF. The STSV takes this report seriously and has also confirmed that the issues and points of criticism raised in it largely correspond to its own observations.
Comprehensive coverage, as is common in other sports, remains a pipe dream for a non-Olympic sport with a comparatively small community. We are a fringe sport.
Thanks to the whole media team
Finally, I would like to thank all the members of the STSV media team, including Reini Egli (photography/newsletter), Claude Pribitzer and Vera Bruderer (website), Cordin Camenzind and Philipp Hofstetter (social media) and Beni Hadorn and Oliver Baumann (streaming), who have once again invested many hours for STSV.
As long as voluntary work is the rule, the available resources will continue to determine how much is possible in the future. The STSV Mediateam will always do the best it can with its resources and possibilities
Martin Zinser
STSV Marketing/Communication
The Sponsoring & Championships department was created in 2024 to make our main product - the Swiss Championships - more attractive for both dancers and spectators. The aim is to present our sport in a more appealing way and thus facilitate the acquisition of sponsors.
1. sponsoring
Review
The sponsorship area began with a promising starting position. Martin and our sponsoring agency partner "by-the-way" had already created a solid foundation. A draft contract with a potential partner was ready to be signed, and another partner showed great interest. I also had two companies from my network with promising opportunities to win them over as sponsors.
But things turned out differently than expected. The day before the contract was due to be signed, one of the partners pulled out. Financial uncertainties and doubts about the reach of our community led to the cancellation. The second potential partner also cancelled quickly - the main reasons given were our insufficient reach and lack of professional presentation options.
My own contacts were also sceptical: one company declined immediately because our social media channels had too few followers and too little engagement. The second company has now been looking into the possibility of working with us for eight months - there is still hope here.
The goal of gaining one or two association sponsors with an annual income of CHF 20,000 could therefore not be achieved.
Key figures & successes
Learning points & measures for 2025
Despite these challenges, it became clear that events can generate considerable amounts of sponsorship. For example, the three organisers of the 2024 Swiss Championships collected a total of over CHF 50,000 in sponsorship money.
This has led to one key realisation: the involvement of the clubs, their members and networks is essential. In the coming year, we will therefore work more closely with the clubs to further develop our sponsorship strategy in a targeted manner.
We also need to improve our social media presence in order to convince potential sponsors with a greater reach and a more professional appearance.
2. championships
Review
The first task of the new department was to draw up a championship agreement with associated guidelines and templates. These were partially implemented at the 10-Dance-SM and the La- tein-SM (due to the advanced stage of planning) and fully implemented at the Standard-SM. As OC President of the Standard-SM, I was able to test the new guidelines directly in practice.
One outstanding success of 2024 was the Swiss Championships, where the Standard and Latin Championships were integrated into one ball. This combination created a festive atmosphere and attracted over 1,200 spectators.
Key figures & successes
Learning points
According to the agreement, the organisers of the Standard and Latin Championships had to bear their own deficit and were subsequently unable to pay any fees to the association, which led to a loss of income for the association.
In contrast, the smaller 10-dance championship, which was not combined with a ball and also took place at some distance from the dance sport centres in Switzerland, was a financial success.
We have gained valuable insights from this experience:
Conclusion & outlook 2025
Target for 2025: Sustainable sponsorship strategy & optimised championship planning
Henrik Kattrup
Head of Sponsoring & Championships
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