Vice-President (Social Dance)
Utrecht
Netherlands
Telefax: + 31 30 244.8052
Telefax: + 62 3 7069.3023
E-Mail: derijk @ wdc.biz
| Marcel de Rijk Vice-President (Social Dance) Utrecht | |
| Here can be no doubt of Marcel de Rijk´s sincerity when he is espousing the cause of the World Dance & Dance Sport Council Social Dance Committee (SDC). He genuinely wants to give of his acquired knowledge. Marcel was born into a family of dance teachers and has had the Midas touch in building financial success from the foundation. He created one of the biggest dance school chains in Europe. Over 5000 students visited his dance schools every week. One of the rewards of his business acumen is that he can now afford to own private residences in three countries: a house in Holland, a villa in Indonesia and a beautiful chateau in France.
Marcel is now in his 7th year as Chairman of the WD&DSC´s Social Dance Committee. He points out that the main role of the Social Dance Committee is advisory, whereas the other arm of the WD&DSC, the Dance Sport Committee, can make mandatory rules to control the organising and running of the international competitions and championships, which come under its jurisdiction. In his view, a much easier task, for Marcel is not without experience of legislating on Dance Sport matters. He is already in his 9th year as President of the Dutch Professional Dance Sport Federation, the VBD.
The mission of the Social Dance Committee, as Marcel sees it, is that of helping teachers in all countries � particularly in those which have not previously experienced a social dance culture � by proposing specific courses of positive action. It is able to do this by collecting and analysing the accumulated knowledge and experience of the methods of dance teaching evolved by the European countries, which were in at the birth of 20th century dancing development.
This knowledge is on offer if and when a country feels the need to initiate a social dance system of teaching or to upgrade an existing system. Marcel is aware that some of his recommendations may be seen as conflicting with long-established systems in certain countries and therefore not necessarily valid in those circumstances.
As Chairman of the SDC, Marcel´s pet project priorities are:
Marcel enjoys the work involved in being a member of the WD&DSC Presidium, although he feels that the presidium is orientated more towards the Dance Sport division. However, he loves both the social and the dance sport elements and has had great success in both.
As a highly successful businessman who has been at the cutting edge of the art of operating profitable schools of dancing, Marcel de Rijk is certainly a person to whom it is wise to listen to.
Marcel was literally born into the dance business! His birth in 1947 in Utrecht, Netherlands, of parents who ran a famous dance school. He followed in his parent�s footsteps and went through the medal test system, starting with the Bronze in 1960. He danced through the amateur ranks and won the Dutch Amateur Latin Championship partnered by Joke Bakker. A cherished memory is being invited to perform in front of Her Royal Highness, Princess Irene of Holland.
In 1966 he passed the national dance teachers examination � recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Culture � with the highest marks out of 34 candidates. On the professional competitive side, with his sister Ratna as his partner, he started on a victory trail which led to the acquisition of several Dutch national titles in each style: Latin, Standard and Ten Dance. He also reached the Finals of great international events such as the Worlds Latin and Standard Championships and the Finals of the Elsa Wells International, Star & United Kingdom and the British Championships.
1975 was the definitive watershed year for Marcel. He decided to retire from competitions in order to prepare for a dual role, to take over his parent�s business and to specialise in dance sport training. A third important role was to emerge. In this same year he was elected as a committee member of a Dutch national Teachers organisation and of the Dutch Dance Sport organisation. The final accolade was being elected by his peers to represent the Netherlands on the WD&DSC. At 27 he was already involved in national and international administration.
It was also about this period that his organising ability also came to the fore. He presented the first World Latin Cup in the Netherlands during the Dutch Open championship, which was shown on television for the next ten years. In 1981 he was joined by Fred Bijster as co-organiser of the Dutch Open Championships at Slagharen, an annual Dance Festival, which has staged many World Championships and has continued to grow in stature.
Marcel & Ratna have travelled all over the world lecturing at numerous countries´ Congresses. In 1992 he was elected President of Netherlands Professional Dance Federation. Two years later he was elected to the Presidium of the WD&DSC. His ambition now is to lead the Committee of which he is chairman in helping to develop social dance throughout the world.
The beneficial spin-off is that a healthy social dance business is the seed-bed which supplies the raw material for Dance Sport! Harry Smith-Hampshire |
Last update: 01/06/2007