Oerebro
Sweden

Telephone: + 46 19 245.240
Telefax: + 46 19 245.240
E-Mail: president.ido @ wdc.biz

He is a fully qualified Fellow of both the Standard and Latin branches of the Imperial Society in England and is an Examiner of the Swedish organisation of dance professionals, the Sveriges Danspedagogers Riksförbund SDR. Nils is also a well-known judge at dance competitions and championships in all kinds of competitive dance sport around the world.

His involvement in the IDO started when he was elected the Chairman of the ICBD (later WD&DSC) - IDO affiliation committee, 1991. During the next few years his interest in the dances that are administrated by the IDO became a dominant factor in shaping his career. He saw the exciting and growing possibilities that the new modern dances such as Hip-Hop, Disco, Break Dance and Electric Boogie would mean in getting young people interested in dancing.

Nils knowledge of competitive dance sport and his sympathetic friendly personality have made him an excellent instructor. Many of the Swedish teachers and trainers have gone through a professional education at his dance school in addition to social and hobby dancers.

Nils-Haakan Carlzon, born in Örebro, Sweden 1941 has more than 35 years experience in the world of competitive dance sport. He became involved in dance politics at an early stage and has been representing Sweden at WD&DSC meetings as a delegate since 1965 when this professional organisation was known as the ICBD.

He has been a member of the executive board of the Sveriges Danspedagogers Riksförbund since the mid 1960s. He served as Chairman for many years and is now an Honorary President of the SDR.

His interest's in dancing covers many different disciplines. He spent much of his life studying and developing a teaching system for social dancing. He believes that dancing can only be truly social if all figures that are used are easily leadable. This theory becomes evident for example in the very successful dance the Swedish Bugg that he developed. His interest in social dancing culminated in him being elected to the position of Senior Vice Chairman of the WD&DSC Social Dance Committee for the first four years after the WD&DSC reconstruction. He loves to teach and is still teaching every day in his Nerikes Dansinstitut.

The IDO founder and General Secretary Mr. Moreno Polidori, Italy appointed him chairman of the IDO reconstruction committee in 1997. In 1998 the first IDO General meeting after the reconstruction elected him as their President. The number of competitors in the IDO are today counted in millions and more than 50 countries are involved in the IDO activities.

Nils-Haakan is happily married to Yvon, who is running "Dans-shopen" in Örebro, Sweden where they sell dance shoes and dance wear. In the family there are also three children, Soldis, Zaza and Oscar. If he can find some spare time during the summer, he likes to spend that time in their lovely summer-house "Sjövillan" in a beautiful area of Sweden adjacent to a lake.

Harry Smith-Hampshire