The Disco/Freestyle/Rock ‘n’ Roll Faculty (branch) is one of the newest of all the UK’s ISTD faculties, being formed in 1990. Since its beginning the DFR Faculty has developed and continues to improve on a sound and safe technique for the Disco/Freestyle/Rock ‘n’ Roll and Country Western Dance. The DFR represents a continual challenge to stay on top of modern music, trends and different cultures. In the beginning, Peggy Spencer (MBE), Sydney Francis and Anne Lingard were responsible for steering the faculty through its early development, and as an instructor for the Spencer Dance Center in London at the time; I had the pleasure of being intimately involved. My partner Stephen Kemsley and I were helping with the Rock ‘n’ Roll syllabus for the new faculty, and I remember in the early stages going around to Peggy’s house and dancing through the syllabus figures for her critical comments. Often accompanied by a quick lunch, these sessions were arranged around the hectic teaching schedules and were a time of hard but satisfying work, which culminated in demonstrations during the implementation of the syllabus at the Examiners Seminar and Teacher Training Days. Stephen and I would remain connected to the fledgling faculty for several years afterwards – lecturing and demonstrating at many of the ISTD Congresses. Stephen succumbed to lung cancer in 1996, by which time I was running my own studio in Hong Kong but I took the new Rock ‘n’ Roll Fellowship exam when it came out the following year, in his memory. During my seven years in Hong Kong, and the three so far in Massachusetts, I have always found children to be extremely receptive to this faculty. Through teaching in the local schools as part of the PhysEd. syllabus, I have found - to my never ending delight - even the most skeptical boy can be made to succumb to dance with an introduction to Hip Hop. An easier starting point than ballet, children of all ages gain from a grounding in Hip Hop, progressing to Country Western and then to Rock ‘n’ Roll /Swing. For young teenagers, performance teams are a way to build confidence in a non-competitive environment, and for older teenagers the partner dances of Rock ‘n’ Roll/Swing (with a compliment of Salsa and Social Foxtrot) provides a perfect foundation for Prom nights and beyond. Both Peter and I are very keen to promote the DFR syllabus in the United States, and as from June 21st 2004, when we were officially granted permission from the UK ISTD to promote the DFR Faculty we will be able to offer teacher training courses and more lectures. Last year at the New York USISTD Congress I gave a seminal lecture on the DFR faculty, which a large number of you were able to attend. We both feel that the eventual founding of the DFR as the fifth branch in the US will bring an exciting extra dimension to the growth potential and range of classes that can be offered by member schools. If you are interested in finding out more information about the DFR branch of the ISTD, or would like to become a qualified teacher in any of the three units above please email me on
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