The move has been led by an explosion in the popularity of dance activities in Italy, driven in part by RAI’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ programme, which was recently won by Italy's former world champion long jumper Fiona May.
According to the Italian statistics bureau, over one million Italians now take part in organised dance courses, more than double the participants registered in 2000.
In 1997, the International Olympic Committee granted the International DanceSport Federation status as a recognised federation and a member of the IOC, but DanceSport has not been included in the medal programme of the Olympic Games.
Italy’s National Olympic Committee has welcomed DanceSports into its Olympic family by formally recognising the Italian Federation of Dancing Sports.
