The General Meeting of the Finnish DanceSport Federation took a huge step towards gender neutrality in Finnish DanceSport on Sunday, April 29th, 2019. The General Meeting approved the motion from the Presidium about taking off the references in the competition rules, which have determined a couple consisting of a male and a female dancer. The new competition rules, in effect from August 1st, 2019 will define the couple being formed by a leader and a follower.
In practice it means that in addition to the traditional male-female couples the rule allows for female-female -couples, male-male -couples and couples of two athletes of any gender.
However, only male-female couples are allowed to represent Finland in any international competitions, due to the competition rules of World Rock’n’Roll Confederation.
“We have considered moving this idea already earlier, but until now we haven’t felt like the time or the attitudes would have allowed this kind of a radical change to be made. We hope gender neutrality increases number of rock’n’swing -competitors and dancers in our clubs, and that the Finnish Dance Sport Federation shows as a timely organization capable of renewing its operations” says President Leena Liusvaara on Sunday evening.