The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing has run competitions and events within Australia since 1945. The events in the calendar include dates going back over 50 years. The details are as follows:

March and September Competitions
The advertised dates in March and September were established fifty years ago and have been successfully organised on the corresponding weekend every year since their inception.

Crowds enjoying the 2003 Australasian Championships

The Australasian Championships
The Australasian Championships have also been established for fifty years. These have become a major national event and have been conducted in all states of Australia and New Zealand on a rotation basis.

Event Sponsorship
The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing is the only dance organisation in Australia who has sponsored amateur and professional competitors for amounts up to $40,000 each year for travel and accomodation each year. To allow us to continue our sponsorship aims, we look forward to your support for our upcoming events in 2004.

The Society

The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing Ltd., (known as S.A.T.D.) was inaugurated in 1945 when a group of  Stage Teachers invited the late Jack Keating to Chair a meeting with the view to Forming an alternate dance association in Australia.  That meeting resulted in a uniting of  Ballroom and Stage Teachers and the S.A.T.D was founded.  Under the guidance of Jack Keating, together with Des Etheridge (Secretary) and the late Bob Potter (Treasurer), the S.A.T.D. introduced its medal test examinations while continuing to promote Amateur and Professional competition and championship events. In those early years, many prominent teachers became S.A.T.D. members, helping the Association to advance and prosper.  Following a visit to Sydney in 1949 by Jack and Val Guthrie of  New Zealand, the formation of  S.A.T.D. New Zealand was achieved, and since then, it has been the official Organiser of the Australasian Championships in New Zealand.

Co-operation between the Australian Institute of  Dance (WA) and the S.A.T.D. (NSW) resulted in teams from Perth (organized by Robert Wrightson) travelling across the Nullabor to the eastern states, culminating in Interstate Teams’ Matches - which were very successfully presented at the famous Trocadero in Sydney.

1950 saw the S.A.T.D, as a major driving force in the organisation of the Australasian Championships.  State organisers were appointed and they became responsible for the selection of  State Representatives each year, as well as the presentation of  the Australasian in their respective States, on a State to State rotation basis. This truly unique format proved successful and still remains in place today. The S.A.T.D. (NSW) is the of official  organiser of  the Australasian  in NSW and continues its commitment of  financing large contingents of  dancers each year to the State wherever the Australasian  Championships are being conducted.

The early fifties saw the S.A.T.D. organizing championships in Queensland under the control of  the late Ron Steele, and about the same time, S.A.T.D. (Queensland) was granted the right to be the of official Organiser of the Australasian in Queensland.  During 1964 the Australian Dancing Board was established and Jack Keating, along with Eileen Kane, Robert Wrightson and the late Mickey Powell played a major role  in its formation.  In 1978 S.A.T.D. was admitted as a member of  the A.D.B.  It was the year in which Don Kersnovske was appointed as our Queensland Organiser for the Sunshine State Championships and Australasian Selections, and was also the year that saw the passing of  the S.A.T.D. founder, Jack Keating.  That year also saw Allan Crane eIected as President, and together with Alastair MacIntyre (Secretary) and Doreen Costello (Treasurer), they worked towards the Company incorporation which came to fruition in 1984. Due to the efforts of Allan Crane, the S.A.T.D. was able to acquire real estate whilst maintaining growth in medal test examinations and promotion of  competitions and championships. On the retirement of  Allan Crane in 1986, Alastair Maclntyre was elected as President with Doreen Costello as Secretary/Treasurer. For personal reasons AIastair MacIntyre retired in 1988 and Bill Duggen, who had been a S.A.T.D. Director for many years, was elected to the Chair. In 1993, Don Kersnovske, a long standing  member and organiser of  the Sunshine State Championships and S.A.T.D. Director to the Australian Dancing Board, was elected as S.A.T.D. President/Chairman.  Presently, the S.A.T.D. is one of the major dance organisations in Australia. It has been active in its service to the Dance Fraternity for over 50 years.  S.A.T.D. is well known throughout Australia, especially for its voluntary work in the sponsorship of couples to the Australasian Championships as well as to other interstate events.  S.A.T.D. is currently a member of the AustraIian Dancing Board and also the NSW Combined Societies and is represented in many areas, including Hunter Valley Districts, by Helen Moffatt, Southern Highlands by Darryl Navybox and Northern River areas by Roy Gosper and Betty Lindsey. Tasmania is represented in the north by Eve Reddish and in Hobart by Mark Reddish.

The Directors are pleased to be able to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to all those Amateurs, Professionals and members of the Public alike, who have supported S.A.T.D. events and so enabled us to achieve our goals. We are happy also, to advise that plans are in hand for the S.A.T.D. to continue its progressive and successful format well into the new millennium.

President/Chairman - Don Kersnovske  Secretary/Treasurer - Doreen Costello