Dwingeloo
Netherlands
Telephone: + 31 521 592.071
Telefax: + 31 521 593.775

E-Mail: bijster @ wdc.biz

It is no exaggeration to say that he virtually runs dancing in the Netherlands and is very active in the Dance Sport Executive of the World Dance & Dance Sport Council. Casual in his dress, even on formal occasions, Fred Bijster is noted for being something of a revolutionary in committee debate and, as some would view it, often deliberately "undiplomatic" but he is also seen as a workaholic who would never turn down that `extra´ responsibility.

His first tentative steps on the dance floor were taken at the age of 14. He danced as an Amateur during his teens but this seemed at the time to be just a casual hobby as he studied computer programming and became a system-programmer. But then he stretched his wings wider, studying Biology at the University of Groningen in his twenties. It appeared that he was destined to become either a biologist or a computer programmer.

Turning his back on these achievements, he returned to dancing and took the Dutch Professional examinations to qualify him as a teacher. Successful, he started his own school and being the person he is, was soon elected as secretary of a regional organisation, the Sond. Continuing his love affair with dancing, he organised as his first competition, believe it or not, the European Standard Championship in 1980. His second attempt at organisation was the World Ten Dance Championship in 1982.

In the ´80s and ´90s Fred Bijster wrote a book on dancing and was editor of not just one but several dance magazines. Next he produced cartoons for a poster depicting competition dancing, which had the purpose of advertising dancing in the Netherlands. Moving into a new field he produced special dance music for bands like the Midland Big Band and Nico Gomez. The mind boggles. Is there no end to the talents of the man?

Starting in 1983, the partnership of Fred Bijster and Marcel de Rijk chose the Slagharen holiday complex as the venue for their annual promotions. Slagharen became famous, with its unique mix of serious competitions, - including the Dutch Open - and its holiday atmosphere that featured fun dancing for the public. Over the years, there were occasions that a world-class official championship title - including European and World Championships - were granted by the World Dance & Dance Sport Council or the International Dance Sport Federation to become part of the Slagharen Dance Festival.

Seeking new worlds to conquer, Bijster was accepted as Chairman of the Under 35 members of the Nederlandse Bond van Dansleraren (NBD), followed by progressive upward stages to greater prominence by becoming Secretary and then President of the NBD. In another Netherlands organisation, the Federatie Dansleraren Organisaties (FDO), he was appointed to the position of Chairman/Secretary.

He made his international debut in the International Council of Ballroom Dancing (ICBD) as a delegate from the Netherlands. In the late 1980s the ICBD Council asked for his ideas on the reconstruction of the organisation. His proposals reputedly "Made great waves" at the time but, he declares, those ideas are still seen by some as the end-target of the WD&DSC.

In the early 1990s he became the `managing director´ of the NBD. This title was a newly created "full-time" job and he was given charge of the national dancing campaign in the Netherlands. (Where does he find the time?) In this capacity he introduced a completely new advertising-concept for the Netherlands: Dance Masters, where, he explained, all dance schools stay individual but use the same logo and their collective financial power is harnessed to advertise Dutch dance schools. The complete realisation of this concept still remains to be achieved but is becoming more and more fully accepted.

About this time he was also elected to the position of secretary of the Vereniging Beroeps Dansport (VBD) the Dutch Dance Sport Association. In the 1990s he was elected a Vice-Chairman of the Dance Sport Committee. Just last year he put forward a proposal for a World Series to be promoted by the WD&DSC. This has been adopted by the Dance Sport Committee of the WD&DSC and is due to start in 2001.

In the late 1990s he came forward with the suggestion that dance sport coaching should not be considered as a "private" enterprise but that coaches ought to be prepared to explain their opinions and submit their teaching-methods for open discussion; adding that the objective was to learn from analysing different techniques, thus getting better perspectives on methods of teaching. In collaboration with Ruud Vermeij and Max Winkelhuis, this idea was put into practice. During August in the Netherlands, at the NBD Congress, 20 coaches took part and over a hundred competitors witnessed the result of this idea; a new experience for the coaches present and reported as much appreciated by the competitor participants.

Fred Bijster, with all these commitments, is as widely known for his dedication to the administration of dance as for his revolutionary ideas. By some of his peers, he is thought of as a `rebel´ but he claims that he is always supportive of what he considers to be a just cause while not being willing to accept a proposition without thorough interrogation. He has his own brand of humour, combined with a witty (some might say devious) mind. The comment in brackets is his own.

As proof of the respect in which he is held by the generality of his peers, Fred Bijster has received the Overseas BDF-Award and has twice been the recipient of the Carl-Alan Award for his contributions to the world of dance.

Harry Smith-Hampshire