Nationals 2026 Expectations

Dear Senior Dancers,

The 2026 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships will be held March 27-29 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  

You’ve asked, we’ve listened.

The National Championships should be the highlight of your dance year. A chance to reconnect with friends from across the country, celebrate the dedication you’ve poured into your dancing, and most importantly, celebrate you. This year, we’re rising to the occasion with a range of enhancements just for you.

Style Block Scheduling

Non-championship Senior Syllabus and Open events will now be grouped by style block. This means S1 – S5 non-championship events for a given style will take place on the same day, with limited interruptions from other age categories.

Condensed Schedule

The non-championship events for seniors are scheduled over two days instead of three. Your awards will also be in the main room all three days.

Championship Introductions are Back

We also intend to have dance-ons for all championship events that come from a semi-final, regardless of age category.

Bring Back the Events You Love

We’re going to offer registration for categories we have not offered in prior years. If these events gather a full final (6 couples) by registration close, we will run these events. This year we will try to run events in Senior VI and in 9/10 dance beyond the age categories WDSF requires. If these are short of a full final by registration close, we will merge entries with the closest available age categories to ensure you get to dance. Alternatively, if the survey the Senior Committee is collecting indicates no S6 or S4 couples will mind, we will run Senior VI as a separate category on the floor at the same time as Senior IV. As a helpful tip, 9/10 dance events are considered separate styles for age purposes and can be danced at a different age than your other events.

Multiple Partners? You can Dance Multiple Age Categories

We’ve created a new rule to let you get in your full dancing with multiple partners. Each additional partnership must all dance the same levels (ex: all silver/gold) and each partnership is limited to two age categories.

Showdance Made Accessible

We’ve redefined Showdance to no longer require lifts, opening the door to more creative and inclusive performances.

Workshops Now Included – and Expanded

Your competitor pass now includes all of the workshops at no extra cost. This year we’re doubling the offering: two workshops will run simultaneously throughout Saturday and most of Sunday.

A Ballroom Makeover

Expect a brand-new layout and elevated atmosphere:

• A larger floor (80’ x 60’)
• Audience seating on three sides
• A practice floor adjacent to the ballroom and on-deck area.
• Décor consulting from Lisa Spencer, the famed ‘fairy godmother’ of USA Dance.

Introducing the Social Celebration

We’re weaving together competitive and social dance like never before. Our new Social Celebration aims to create an inclusive, welcoming space for alldancers.

While the work is never done, we hope these changes reflect that your voice has been heard and that they spark excitement for this year’s Nationals.

But there’s one thing still missing: you.

Dancers are what make for a great event. If you’re already excited about what we’re building, share the news. Speak with your dance friends, studio mates, and fellow competitors. Encouragement from a friend often means more than any invitation we could send. If you’re excited about what we’re building, share the news. Let’s make the 2026 USA Dance National Championships the most memorable yet!

You are formally invited to attend the 2026 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships. For more information, check out www.usadancenationals.org.

See you on the qualifying circuit and out on the floor!  For a list of USA Dance competitions and information regarding qualifying, check the competition calendar and Key Details/deadlines for Regionals and Nationals.

P.S. Have questions or still on the fence? We’re here for you. Reach out to us anytime at ballroom-seniorathletechair@usadance.org or senior-advisor@usadance.org. We want to do what we can for you to be excited to attend.