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History - The World Championships

Source: Rullens (DancePlaza.com)

The art, and specifically the Dance, were in the first decennium of the 20th century the signs of a turnaround. On the same time the Century of the Sports began with the foundation of many national & international organisations. The Olympic Idee was born and the first Olympic games took place in 1896.
What was more clear than the own Dance "Olympia" had to be organised by the dancers. Everything what was new in painting, poetry, music and fashion, but also in dancing found a good "birthplace" in the Art & Seine city of Paris. At that time leading city for everything which was modern. The competition-thought originally comes from the U.S.A.

The first dance competition to be known in Europe, was the Tango-Tournament in Nice. Organised by Camille de Rhynal in 1907 with repeats in Paris. The dance from the "New World"(U.S.A.) obviously were received with much enthusiasm. It was the real beginning, the birth of the Modern Company Dance. Camille de Rhynal, Choreographer and dancer, composer and organiser, with a special instinct for super-business, a great Manager for that time, was by the first success in Nice encouraged to organise his "World championships" in Paris in 1909 for the first time. The first World championships, off course, can't be compared with the present World championships. However, historically speaking they are very interesting now.

In that time there was no split between Amateurs & Professionals, neither between representing countries. You danced as a couple, if the lady was French and the man was Spanish, it didn't matter a thing. Up to 1921 it was possible to get World champion per dance. Play instructions and adjudication rules were hardly known. The WC of 1911 in Paris was the first competition to be announced as a Pro/Am - competition. Which meant a pro and an amateur danced together.
At the WC of 1922 in London, it was for the first time to have an all round competition in all than existing dances.

There were different categories, such as Professionals, Amateurs and MIX-couples (Pro + Amateur) From 1909 till 1921 the champions from both the Amateurs as Professionals are the same because of no existing split between them. However since 1922 the split is processed in the summaries. In 1925 Camille de Rhynal got an enormous word-fight with the English and organised next to the existing WC his own "WC", mostly in Paris.
He found the time ready for the founded national organisations of Amateurs as well as Professionals to strengthen their powers together.

An International Amateur Organisation already existed so he founded the F.I.D. (Federation International de Danse). Founded on 15-5-1926 in Paris. At 8-9-1929 another Professionals organisation came trough A. Traber Amiel in Zurich(Switzerland) founded its L.I.G. (Liga fur Internationale Turniere) (Association for International Tournaments). The F.I.D. and L.I.G. were only "signboards" for the tournaments they both organised. The sportive side of this all was very doubtful. In the early 30s, on the moment the "English Style" manifested all over Europe, due to the "Great Conference" in London at 14-4-1929, the glory for Camille de Rhynal and his "WC" was over. The really great dancers of that time weren't to be found in Paris at this "WC". The uncrowned world champions were to be seen in Blackpool, a festival that started in the 20s en still exists. Also on the "Star" in London were all world-top-couples present. Camille de Rhynal kept on organizing his "WC", but the results were experienced as absurd by the "insiders".

The time from 1946 till 1951 was characterised by the chaos the 2nd World War left behind in all Europe. The Dance, still a true mirror of its time, is still present although the rough after war time.

Is goes without saying that Camille de Rhynal made new plans to regain his Monopoly. With his old F.I.D., bur also with new organisations (mostly only on paper...) he tries to continue his competitions. In the beginning of 1951 all his attempts failed and he disappears from the "dance stage". He was a truly important man to the dance world and he goes in to history as the founder of Modern Company Dance. He was distincted by the French and Italian government, and died on 26-11-1956 in his residence in Nice. However he has become lots of criticism from his "colleagues". For example the famous and well-known Bruno von Kayser from Dusseldorf (Germany) has written a lot of critical articles about the Paris WC.

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