The British Dance Council was formed in 1929 as the Official Board of Ballroom Dancing (OBBD). The name was subsequently changed in 1985 to the British Council of Ballroom Dancing and, again in 1996, the name was then changed to British Dance Council.
The aim of the founders of the Council was to establish a co-ordinating organisation to enable teachers to work together on uniform lines.
This has been achieved and today the British Dance Council is accepted as the regulatory body for all matters pertaining to all forms of Ballroom, Latin American, Sequence and Freestyle dancing throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Channel Islands.
One of the main functions of the Council is to formulate and administer the rules for competition dancing. All recognised competitions in Great Britain are governed by these rules. The BDC also grants championship status to many dance events each year. It grants the right for individuals or organisations to run dance championships either open to the world or restricted to Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Professional Ballroom, Latin American, Classical Sequence (Old Time and Modern), including corresponding Amateur events, covering various age groups.