Great Dancing, Great Cheering, Great Fun!
The year 2024 brought USA Dance a lot of excitement and opportunities, and our younger dancers took full advantage of them. What are we talking about? Collegiate Challenges, of course!!! Did you miss them? Here is what happened!
College Dancers from across the country came together this past Fall to participate in five USA Dance Collegiate Challenges. They danced beautifully, cheered loudly, and set new records for participation.
The first Challenge of the season was the OSU DanceSport Challenge, September 27-28, hosted by the Ohio State University Ballroom Team, in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes’ competition was especially welcoming to newcomers and brought out a floor full of dancers of all levels. The event included a welcome dance on the first night, followed by a “fun day of friendly ballroom competitions.” It was exciting, with inspiring music, great costumes, constant cheering, and energetic dancers filling up quarterfinals in many events.
Not to be outdone, Carnegie Mellon University’s Ballroom Dance Club hosted the Carnegie Classic, October 11-13, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Tartans touted that their competition was open to everyone – college students, Adults, Seniors, Youth, and Junior Dancers — and they made it worth the trip. The weekend started with the Friday-night Starlit Soiree in the University’s Rangos Ballroom. Saturday morning, the competition ran with Syllabus dancing until the 6:00 p.m. dinner break, followed by the Pre-Championship and Championship events. The weekend’s events, however, were not over yet. Sunday morning brought workshops featuring five-time Danish Professional Standard Champion Maja Servé. This was a very well-organized event with an extremely informative website.
On the weekend of October 19-20, it was the University of Rochester’s turn in Rochester, New York. This was especially exciting because it was the University’s first ballroom competition. Events began on Saturday with Workshops, Rounds, a Dinner, and a Social Dance. On Sunday morning, the doors opened at 6:00 a.m. for the anxious competitors and a full morning and afternoon of events. This competition turned out bigger than expected, drawing enough dancers to fill out the semi-finals in many events.
Solar Flare was the fourth Collegiate DanceSport of the 2024 Season. Hosted by Arizona State University and the USA Dance Phoenix Chapter, it is Phoenix’s largest all-amateur competition. The competition included an array of events for dancers from Junior I to Senior I, and all had a good time.
Last but not least was the Cougar Classic, hosted by the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, on November 15-16. The event, open to all dancers at all levels, included a welcome dance and workshop on November 15, with the competition the following day. The Cougars’ competition featured a full array of dances, including Traditional Standard, Smooth, Rhythm, and Latin, with additional dances like Nightclub Two-Step, Country Triple Two-Step, West Coast Swing, Country Polka, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Bachata, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Hustle, and more! There was definitely something for everyone.
Younger dancers were not the only ones to take advantage of these five competitions. They were also open to Seniors who were up to the challenge of dancing in a lower age category on a lively and full floor. The dancers performed to cheering crowds while under the watchful gaze of top-notch officials. It was exciting, challenging, and a lot of fun!
The next Collegiate Challenge is the U Dance Fest, scheduled for March 2-3 at the Union Depot in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The event promises fun Amateur events, Leveled Jack and Jill events, Rookie-Vet events, “Strictlies” (Hustle, Salsa, and West Coast Swing), a Team Match, and Workshops. Dancers of all ages should consider this and other Challenge events in the new year. They will be published as they are sanctioned in American Dancer’s Competition Calendar.
The goal of the USA Dance Collegiate Division is to establish a line of communication with collegiate dancers across the country, allowing USA Dance to inform them of special events, competitions, other dance clubs, and related news. Any college or university dance organization can register with USA Dance for free, whether they dance ballroom, salsa, country, or another style.
The Collegiate Network Committee is available for any questions. The Committee representatives include Collegiate Network Director Patti Panebianco, Daniel O’Connell, Ross Pearce, Kaye Teague, Katusha Wilder, and Christine Zona.
Benefits of Running a USA Dance Collegiate Challenge
There are numerous advantages to having your competition sanctioned by USA Dance, the USOPC-Recognized Organization for DanceSport in the United States. Here are some key benefits that will not only enhance your event, but also provide a significant boost to its reputation and success:
Your competition becomes part of the qualifying process for the USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships: Competitors of all ages who participate in your event can earn two of their six qualifying points in their ‘natural’ age category. Qualifying lets College Students compete in additional competitive events for free, while Adults and Alumni can earn the right to compete at the National Championships. Even youth and seniors earn qualifying points!
Access to Additional Marketing and Promotion: by sanctioning your competition with USA Dance, we will promote your event to our network of dancers in your area and around the country. This enables you to raise your event among a highly targeted and passionate audience. This exposure, combined with the benefits a Collegiate Challenge provides, increases the likelihood of attracting competitors to your competition.
Support from Our Development Team and College Committee: USA Dance is not just a sanctioning body, but a community of passionate dance enthusiasts and experienced organizers. By aligning your competition with us, you gain access to our development team and network of successful organizers. They are eager to share their expertise, providing guidance on what works best and helping you navigate any challenges you may face. This support system ensures that your event is well-equipped for success and growth.
Affiliation with your USOPC-Recognized Organization for DanceSport: By aligning your competition with USA Dance, you become part of the USOPC’s Recognized Sport Organization for DanceSport in the United States. Many college administrations value their sports groups and clubs having this formal affiliation and may offer additional funding as a result.
If these benefits would appeal to your team and your competitors, contact the college committee today at collegiatenetwork@usadance.org today!
Structure of a USA Dance Collegiate Challenge
For many existing college competitions, the USA Dance Collegiate Challenge requirements mean few if any changes to their existing practices. For new college competitions, USA Dance competition tiers provide proven and widely accepted templates for organizing and structuring your event. Following our established framework ensures that your competition meets the expectations of both experienced dancers and enthusiastic newcomers. With a clear and consistent structure in place, competitors can focus on showcasing their talent and enjoying a seamless experience. This makes for happy dancers, and happy dancers are returning dancers.
Core Requirements:
- Participants do not have to be USA Dance members to participate, but must be members of USA Dance during the competition to receive any eligibility benefits towards the USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships
- Officials do not have to be USA Dance members, but must pass the USOPC SafeSport background check and training. This helps safeguard against the abuse of minors.
- 50% of the judging panel must have a license certifying them to judge competitions from any recognized national or international DanceSport organization. Examples include DVIDA, Terpsichore, Fred Astaire, and WDSF.
- We request you put our logo on your website and competition materials. We also require you to place specific wording on your website. This wording makes it clear what being a USA Dance Collegiate Challenge means for your competitors (for example – that they are not required to be a member of USA Dance).
- Though not a rule of USA Dance’s, NDCA penalizes its professionals that officiate in events that do not have its sanction. Therefore, we recommend using USA Dance certified officials or other independent professionals and adjudicators. We can supply references to officials in your area if needed.
- Follow the “minimum standards” that most competitors expect at any competitive event – for example, songs have to be a certain length. Most existing college competitions meet these requirements. Please refer to our rulebook for a full list of these rules.
The 2024 sanctioning fee for a Recognized College Event is $150. If you have any questions or you are unsure if you can meet these requirements, please contact our college committee at collegiatenetwork@usadance.org and we will happily work with you to find a suitable solution. If you feel you meet the requirements and are ready to be a part of USA Dance, then fill out the sanction form and submit it to ballroom-sanctioningchair@usadance.org today!
