The Hon. Dr MARLENE GOLDSMITH [3.34]: I move:

That this House congratulates all those concerned with dancesport in Australia on the inclusion of ballroom dancing as a sport for the Sydney Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee has granted ballroom dancing provisional status with a view to its inclusion in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The decision was made at an IOC executive meeting in Monaco. Ballroom dancing has been placed on a two-year trial, after which it can apply for full acceptance in the official summer Olympics program. It is only fair that I state that I have a personal interest in this activity. I have been the State patron of dancesport for some years, a title I treasure as a privilege and honour given to me by the dancesport community. In 1988 then Premier Nick Greiner asked me to represent him at the Australian National Dance Association's bicentennial ball at Town Hall. I had never been to a ballroom dancing function. I had learnt some dancing at school, but I do not profess to have any proficiency at it.

At this function I learnt a number of things. I learnt how popular ballroom dancing is. I estimate - and I am informed that it is quite modest - that some 20,000 people participate in ballroom dancing at all levels in this State. It is a popular activity for people of all ages. Ballroom dancing is a physical activity in which everyone, from small children to retirees, can participate - and they do. Therefore, ballroom dancing is a particularly important community activity. People get together, dance in groups and have partners - it is a social event. Ballroom dancing is also exercise and a sport. It is a feast for the eyes, as I learnt at that first ball and as I have appreciated on many subsequent occasions. A great deal of effort and care go into the preparation of costumes and the presentation of each couple that performs.

The audience has a particular treat: it enjoys the level of technical expertise of the performers and also their visual presentation. Ballroom dancing is extremely athletic. Those who think it is just a gentle waltz around the ballroom would be very surprised at the physical stamina that is needed, particularly at the competitive level, which is what I am talking about when I refer to dancesport. After getting to know the ballroom dancing community I was approached by various people, particularly those involved at the amateur level, to seek recognition of it as a sport in New South Wales. Western Australia had already acknowledged ballroom dancing as a sport, but no other State had. I worked with the representatives of the dancesport community, both amateur and professional, to assist them in making a submission for ballroom dancing to be recognised as a sport.

I acknowledge the contribution of the Hon. R. B. Rowland Smith, who was a Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing. He made ballroom dancing a sport in this State. New South Wales became the second State in Australia to accord dancesport that recognition. Other States have subsequently followed in our wake. The ballroom dancing community did not forget that. It is for that reason, I believe, that it made me a patron. A couple of years later the Australian Dancing Board awarded me a Golden Brolga award, which I treasure. It stands in a place of prominence in my office. However, I do not claim the credit for that. It is fair that I share that information with the House. Really, the credit for the work involved in making that submission belongs entirely to the dancesport community. The many different organisations involved in dancesport came together and worked as one in the preparation of a superb submission, which I was very proud to present to the Minister.

After a great deal of work on the part of the Department of Sport, Recreation and Racing, the goal was finally achieved and ballroom dancing became a sport in New South Wales. I should like to share with honourable members some of the background of this sport, but before doing so it is only fair that I point out that I am not the only parliamentarian in New South Wales who has an interest in ballroom dancing. At many functions I particularly enjoy the company of Mr Pat Rogan, the honourable member for East Hills, and his wife, Eunice. Eunice has been involved in the ballroom community for many years, and both Pat and Eunice are strong supporters. It is only right that I acknowledge their contribution to dancesport in this State. This is by no means a party political exercise. Dancesport belongs to all of us. Certainly Pat Rogan would endorse that.

Ballroom dancing as we know it today evolved in England at the turn of this century and enjoyed rapid, if somewhat uncoordinated, development throughout its first two decades. The early 1920s saw the commencement of efforts to put ballroom dancing on to an organised footing, and subsequently those efforts led to the formation of the English Official Board of Ballroom Dancing, now known as the British Council of Ballroom Dancing, in 1929. The intense popularity of this type of dancing with the public of the day caused this social activity to spread like wildfire to all parts of the globe. Two short years later, in 1931, the formation of the first dance teachers organisation in the Southern Hemisphere took place at the Sydney "Sword's Club", carrying the name of the New South Wales Dance Teachers Society, which ultimately was changed to the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing.

The rapidly changing ballroom scene necessitated the spread of information through meetings and lectures. The association gradually expanded. Notable teachers who joined at this time were many, but I mention two in particular: John Butt and Ann McDonald. I know John Butt, son of the original John Butt, who is the principal of the Australian College of Physical Education, and I know Ann McDonald and her daughter Margaret Markham, who is the principal of the McDonald College. They have gone on, in their way, to contribute strongly to sporting and physical education and to dancing tradition in New South Wales. The heritage of ballroom dancing and its history in this State has spread far beyond original ballroom dancing to many other areas.

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The Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing Australasian Championships were inaugurated in 1945, but with the association's activities spreading to neighbouring countries, together with the enormous success of the championships, it became necessary to consider a more appropriate title for the championships which would allow the opportunity for representation from other countries. Ultimately, the more suitable title of South Pacific Championships was agreed on, and has been more successfully promoted since 1947. I have been fortunate to attend the most recent annual South Pacific Championships. The championships this year celebrated their fiftieth, golden, anniversary. I congratulate the association on that major achievement. In a country with a history of recorded settlement that goes back little more than 200 years, a golden anniversary covers a span of almost a quarter of this country's recorded history, which is no mean achievement.

Dancesport itself, the sport of competition dancing, has evolved in further ways. It now has a highly organised international competition structure and is conducted in Australia at the highest competitive level. Competition dancing is a sport in which Australians can be proud of their achievements as competitors in national and international tournaments. Australian competitors have won most major international and world championships over the years. In that regard I make particular mention of our latest champions, Paul Green and Karen Rufus, who come from New South Wales and who won the World Ten dance championship recently. The ten dance competition is the most rigorous and demanding of all professional dancesport. It is the international gold medal among gold medals for dancesport. New South Wales is indeed privileged to have those two superb athletes as its representatives. I have had the privilege of presenting to them Premier's certificates for their contribution to sport in our State, in Australia and internationally.

But why is dancesport a sport, and why should it be a sport? I should like to share briefly with honourable members some of the reasons for that. Competition dancing requires physical strength similar to the physical strength required in ice dancing. Indeed, many ice dancing sequences are derived from dancesport. Dancesport also requires agility and coordination to manoeuvre and maintain shapes and lines. These skills are similar to those required in a multitude of sports as diverse as diving, sailing, surfing, basketball and even football. The critical requirement of maintaining shapes and lines, however, probably aligns competition dancing most closely with gymnastics. I note the popularity of gymnastics. When the summer Olympics sports are televised, gymnastics is one of the most overwhelmingly popular sports. That is because gymnastics not only requires athleticism of the highest degree but is also magnificent to watch.

Musical interpretation is another requirement of competition dancing. All competition dancers are required to demonstrate an appreciation of music and different rhythms, in exactly the same way and for the same reasons that gymnasts are required to demonstrate musical interpretation in their floor exercises. Stamina is an essential requirement. Dancesport competitors proceed through heats to semifinals and finals. In each championship section competitors must perform five dances for two minutes per dance in each round. I have attended evening functions at which dancers have competed in repeated events, so they do not compete in just five two-minute dances but return perhaps 10 minutes later to compete in another round of five two-minute dances in a different form of dance. The physical demands are enormous.

From an athletic viewpoint, a 1986 study conducted by the University of Freiburg in Germany demonstrated that the muscle exertion, measured by production of lactic acid, and breathing rates of dancesport competitors performing one competition dance of approximately two minutes were equal to the muscle exertion and breathing rates of cyclists, swimmers and Olympic 800-metre runners exerting themselves over the same period of time. Consider, however, that a dancesport competitor repeats this performance five times in each round and that a finalist in a World Ten dance championship will have repeated this performance 30 times. The German study's methodology was repeated in a recent Australian study, the results of which were published in the authoritative British Journal of Sports Medicine. Discipline and team work are also necessary components of dancesport. Competition dancing is essentially a team sport. The team may be a single couple or comprise up to 16 members in a formation team competition. The discipline of 16 competitors performing up to 13 changes of dance tempi while constantly coordinating their floor positions with other team members far exceeds that of many other team sports.

Finally, competition dancing requires grace, style and, like ice dancing and gymnastics, fluent movement. Also, attractive grooming is essential to success at competitions. It is also relevant to note how competitions are judged. Judges make their decision based on their assessment of the execution by each couple or team of standard technique, combined with the complexity of movement and correct interpretation of the rhythms appropriate to the dance style being performed. Judging dancesport is similar to judging gymnastics or ice dancing in this sense, except that an additional essential element for dancesport is that competitors must demonstrate their floor craft, that is, their ability to move around the competition area without obstructing other competitors - a tad tricky when all the other competitors are moving around as well!

Perhaps in one sense it does not matter at all whether competition dancing is viewed as a sport. Ballroom dancing in its broadest meaning also falls within the definition of, and is a significant contributor to, Australia's recreational sports activities, through dance classes and social dance nights at dance studios, balls and clubs. Dancesport is competitive, but of course ballroom dancing goes
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much further than competitive activity. Many thousands of people in this State enjoy ballroom dancing each week, and it is increasing in popularity because it is such a splendid form of social activity. It not only provides companionship and entertainment but also encourages physical fitness.

However, it is also acknowledged that the pinnacle of any sport is pure artistry, and the dancesport competitor strives for that goal no less than a competitor in other activities. The image of ballroom dancing in general has been that of an older person's activity, assisted no doubt by the continuing popularity of the old dance movies. The problem is that although this image is far removed from contemporary dancesport, it is still a substantial inhibitor to a broader participation in both the competitive and social sides of ballroom dancing, particularly among the younger generation. However, this image is gradually changing and both ballroom dancing and dancesport are booming as a result. An indication of this in the early 1990s was when the International Dancesport Federation was granted membership to the General Association of International Sporting Federations, which is often called the second pillar of the Olympics. This was a precursor to granting that body provisional membership of the International Olympic Committee earlier this year.

Dancesport in Australia is governed by the rules and regulations of the Australian Dancing Board, which is the Australian member body of the International Council of Ballroom Dancing. Two competitive categories are involved, namely, professional and amateur. All competitors register annually with the board. In the case of amateur dancers, that competitive registration leads in tandem to membership of the Australian Dancesport Federation, the Australian member body of the International Dancesport Federation. The main thrust of registration is the maintenance of fair competition and uniform rules for all participants in whatever style they choose to pursue, be it modern, Latin American, new vogue, old time or exhibition.

I hesitate to introduce a negative element into this debate; however, I must draw to the attention of the House an article published in the Sun-Herald on 23 April of this year, not long after the IOC granted provisional status to ballroom dancing with a view to its inclusion in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The article by Simon Kent was nothing less than snide. It tried to make a joke out of the entire activity, as though dancesport were not athletic and popular and should not be included in the Olympic Games. I will not repeat the article, which sought to turn ballroom dancing into a joke: it compared ballroom dancing with water ballet, skateboarding, roller-skating, surfing and trampolining. Water ballet has certainly received some negative publicity and public reaction in recent years. However, if dancesport is not a sport, how can ice dancing be a sport, as ice dancing is an offshoot of dancesport? Ice dancing is one of the most popular events at the winter Olympics, just as gymnastics is one of the most popular events at the summer Olympics.

Therefore, it makes no sense to have those activities as stars of the Olympic program, while dancesport is supposed to be some sort of joke. It is not a joke; it is a very important activity in our State, with very many dedicated professionals and amateurs involved. People of all ages are passionate about their sport, and they deserve the recognition gained for dancesport. These people deserve to have dancesport recognised by the Olympics. It is excellent for Australia to have dancesport as part of the 2000 Olympics Games, because we are very strong in this area. I was informed that the Chinese had already committed themselves, in anticipation of Beijing winning the 2000 Olympic Games, to include ballroom dancing at least as an exhibition sport as part of those Games. Why? Because ballroom dancing is spreading like wildfire through China. An acquaintance of mine, who is not involved with the dancesport community, returned from China a year or so ago and informed me that when she rose one morning just as the light was breaking, she looked out across the park and saw literally hundreds of people practising their ballroom dancing.

The Hon. J. M. Samios: I have seen them doing Tai Chi.

The Hon. Dr MARLENE GOLDSMITH: The honourable member rightly points to Tai Chi. My first assumption upon hearing this story from my acquaintance was to say, "Are you sure that this was not Tai Chi?" She answered, "No, it was ballroom dancing." This was interesting. Practice space is at a premium in many parts of China, so practising early in the morning in public parks is one of the few opportunities available. Dancesport is extremely popular in China and, as my informant tells me, is expanding rapidly. I commend all those involved with dancesport in New South Wales and the rest of Australia, particularly those with whom I have had the good fortune to work and to get to know during my years of association with this marvellous sport.

A number of organisations deserve specific mention. In the amateur area of the sport, I particularly commend Vince Bain who has been Federal President of the Australian Dancesport Federation, and Barry Fisk, also from New South Wales. I am loath to make special mention of people because I know that the names of many people who undoubtedly deserve mention will not be mentioned. Nevertheless, it is important that I place the names of at least some of those people on the record - they deserve it. I refer to, from the Australian Dancing Board, Lindsay Paul, and from the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing, Robert and Leigh Steele. I also mention Enyd Connelly, Doreen Kay-Sewell, Phillip Logan, Margaret Reeve, Brian Duncan, Alex Shembri, Doug Newton, Allan and Pat Crane, Barry Clarke, Judy Graham-Clarke and Charme Burdekin.

I do not announce these names in any order because that task would be beyond me. The scholarly Neville Boyd is the author of many books on ballroom dancing and the godfather - if I may call him so - of
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the new vogue repertoire. I include in my list the Australian National Dance Association that introduced me to ballroom dancing. I give special commendation to Des Matthews because he has been such a good friend to me over the years and I have a very high personal regard for him, as indeed I have for many others in this area. Sue James is also involved with the Australian National Dance Association. I mention also the late Joe Loves, OAM, who was a beloved figure in dancesport and is sadly missed. Finally I commend the people who make dancesport possible for all of us and for the community to enjoy: the dancers. Many hundreds, indeed thousands, of people participate in ballroom dancing on a competitive level and work hard to create such joy, not only for themselves but also for the whole community. Those dancers are absolutely wonderful and I consider myself privileged to have known so many of them during my years with the ballroom dancing community.

The Hon. Franca Arena: You did not say anything about the joy that the film Strictly Ballroom gave us.

The Hon. Dr MARLENE GOLDSMITH: The Hon. Franca Arena rightly reminded me about the joy that Strictly Ballroom has given to the community. Strictly Ballroom has taken ballroom dancing to the wider community. The film is partly responsible for some of the ongoing resurgence in the popularity of ballroom dancing, although its popularity was increasing substantially prior to the release of that movie. It must be remembered that Strictly Ballroom is a parody and one really has to have love in one's heart to be able to parody something effectively. It must be something one knows well and it must be done lovingly. I believe that that was the spirit of Strictly Ballroom. All the members of the ballroom dancing community that I know have taken the film in wonderful spirit and are very fond of it.

The Hon. J. M. Samios: It received seed funding from the coalition Government.

The Hon. Dr MARLENE GOLDSMITH: It did indeed get seed funding from the coalition Government, as the Hon. J. M. Samios, the shadow minister for the arts, so rightly points out, under the sports ministry of the Hon. R. B. Rowland Smith and the arts ministry of the Hon. Peter Collins. Together with a number of members of this House I had the privilege of seeing Strictly Ballroom in the parliamentary theatrette long before it was commercially released. We had to wait months before this wonderful, joyous event could be shared with the rest of the community. A couple of things came across strongly in that movie. One was the spectacular nature of dancesport and the second was the great fun involved in ballroom dancing. I finish my contribution by again commending all those involved with dancesport and ballroom dancing in this State. I thank them for the joy that they have brought to the whole community. I commend the motion.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN [4.04]: I have great pleasure in congratulating all people concerned with dancesport in Australia on the inclusion of ballroom dancing as a sport for the Sydney Olympic Games. It is appropriate that the country that brought us Strictly Ballroom should bring ballroom dancing to the Olympics. I agree with the Hon. Dr Marlene Goldsmith that Strictly Ballroom was a great movie. I am proud that an old school friend of mine, Antoinette Albert, was the producer of that film. Of course, when she was at school she was known as Popsey Muir. She took over the difficult job of producing the movie when her husband died in the middle of the production. She has produced what is now an Australian classic. It is totally proper to have ballroom dancing included as an Olympic sport. After all, for many years we have had similar sports in the Olympics. We have had ballroom dancing on ice included as an Olympic sport - otherwise known as ice-skating or figure-skating. Who could forget the wonderful activities of Torvill and Dean, not to mention the not-so-wonderful activity of Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding - especially Tonya Harding.

The Hon. Ann Symonds: What did they do?

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: It is alleged that Tonya Harding knee-capped her rival. She should have gone into politics rather than the Olympic sport of figure-skating.

The Hon. Ann Symonds: It was not her. That is unfair; it was a bloke.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: Yes, that is right, of course it was a bloke that did it. I make the important point that we already have ballroom dancing on ice at the Olympics and we have ballroom dancing in tights at the Olympics, known as gymnastics. Why not have ballroom dancing included as an Olympic event? I will now proceed with the correct line analysis, the socialist, feminist analysis of the sport of ballroom dancing. I could say that we have line dancing and correct line dancing.

The Hon. M. R. Egan: Are you a correct line dancer yourself?

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: I have never been known to partake. I know that Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile believes that ballroom dancing should not be included because he thinks it is parading half-naked women on television, throwing their legs up in the air.

Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile: As long as they wear neck-to-ankle gear.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: They are to wear neck-to-ankle gear and not throw their legs up in the air. This is the correct line analysis, the socialist, feminist analysis: ballroom dancing is not an elitist sport; it takes place in clubs and community halls around Australia. There is enormous community participation in ballroom dancing. Like netball, it is more participated in than watched. One of the problems with sport in Australia is that the sports everyone watches, such as rugby league, are not being played by the community. Sports such as netball are played by millions in the Australian community but they do not get much television coverage.

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The Hon. M. R. Egan: It is improving now.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: Yes, I know it is getting much better. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service have been very good at putting women's sport, such as netball, on television. To continue with my correct line analysis, ballroom dancing is non-violent, unlike many sports in the Olympics. To participate in ballroom dancing one does not need great strength or speed, but one relies on hard work and practice, which means that it is also non-discriminatory. Both men and women participate equally in ballroom dancing. However, there is a small problem which I think we can address.

The Hon. Ann Symonds: Women move backwards.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: That is right. The small problem is that men lead. There is a famous comment about Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, that she did exactly the same, but backwards, and in high heels. Of course, we can address this problem by a minor change to the rules about who should lead in ballroom dancing contests. This is my socialist, feminist, correct line analysis which, if the honourable member had not been talking in the background, she might have heard.

Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile: Restrict it to two females.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: Maybe the couples could be judged to be a male-female couple. As Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile has suggested, it would be more ideologically correct to have same sex dancing in the Olympics.

Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile: I am trying to help you solve the problem of who will lead. There will no longer be a problem.

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: As I said, a slight change to the rules would mean that there could be alternate leads. It may be that the man could lead in the South American dancing and the woman could lead in the classical waltz.

The Hon. Ann Symonds: Who should wear the tulle?

The Hon. Dr MEREDITH BURGMANN: Who should wear the tulle would depend on who had the best legs, presumably - although Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile said it has to be neck-to-knee gear. In that case it would not matter who wore the tulle. I want to make a very important point about sexism in sport and in the sports which are allowed in the Olympics. I want to put on record my belief that women's water polo should be an Olympic sport. I am very proud of the Australian world champion women's water polo team. I think it is sad that this team of young women who have shown enormous grace, agility and strength cannot participate in the Olympics when the men's teams are allowed to compete in the Olympics. Who could forget the 1956 Olympics when that unseemly brawl broke out between the Hungarians and the Russians? But was it not a great game? Men's water polo has been an Olympic sport for many years and women's water polo should be included also. Once again I extend my congratulations to those involved with dancesport in Australia.

The Hon. Dr MARLENE GOLDSMITH [4.12], in reply: I thank the Hon. Dr Meredith Burgmann for her kind and supportive comments. I am delighted that New South Wales is unanimous in its support of the ballroom dancing community, as I know the ballroom dancing community will be.

Motion agreed to.

[Pursuant to sessional order business interrupted at 4.15 p.m. The House continued to sit.]