What were you doing on Halloween 2025…trick or treating, giving out candy, dancing at a local party, or maybe watching Disney’s Hocus Pocus? (Love that movie; it’s so cute!)
All were great options. However, 217 USA Dance dancers chose a different path. They traveled to Chicago, Illinois, to dance the weekend away at the Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships.
The USA Dance Senior committee summed up the overwhelming consensus. “OH YEAH! IT’S BACK!!!!”
Dancers, from Youth to Senior VI, donned their best dresses, Latin shirts, and tails, styled their hair, painted their faces, put on their shoes, and took to the floor to participate in this regional event. Some were competing for the first time, some danced to improve their placement or category, and still others tried out new choreography and dance moves. Many qualified for the 2026 USA Dance National DanceSport Championships, which will be held March 27-29 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
One thing is for sure, they all had a great time with their USA Dance family and friends.
This year’s USA Dance Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships were held at the Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge Hotel, the same site as in 2024. This hotel, located less than 30 minutes from both major Chicago airports, was conveniently near some wonderful food options, including Capri Ristorante and Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. It had everything the dancers needed and more. There was a grocery store within walking distance for those who forgot something or wanted to pick up snacks.
The rooms were pleasantly spacious, with ample room to hang costumes and store multiple pairs of shoes. It had a large on-site bar that stayed open late for the after-evening performance crowd. Some people even took advantage of the swimming pool and gym. Although the dining room was closed during parts of the weekend, the Organizers thought ahead and arranged for a complimentary catered buffet breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Then, there was the ballroom. The 2025 Midwest hosted a large 60’ x 80’ floor with high ceilings and offset seating around three sides, allowing dancers to use every inch of the floor space. Adjoining the competition floor, and only feet away, was a large practice floor for those who wanted to rehearse, warm up, or make last-minute choreographic adjustments.
Although the sights and sounds of this competition were similar to last year’s event, this year, the Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships drew a much larger crowd and were much more exciting. In 2024, the competition was set up late in the year, and organizers Shawn Fisher and Annie Topham found their new Regional to be too close to the popular Carolina Fall Classic, organized by Daniel Bowman and Tiffany Bouquet. They had fun but needed more dancers. However, the four organizers decided to join forces for the 2025 Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships, resulting in a well-attended, well-advertised, and well-organized event.
The three-day competition began at 5:00 on Halloween night, featuring music by DJ Kevin Guy and the welcoming, melodic voice of emcee Andrea Mirenda. This year’s judges were:
- Dana Edwards – Chairperson
- Bonnie Diaz
- Daniel Dilley
- Viktoriya Drubetskaya
- Patricia Goh
- Phil Lee
- Trevor Luff
- Kimberly Smith
- Martin Smith
- Christopher Spalding
- Phillip Stephens
- Yuehwern Yih
As for the dancers…they had a great time. When they weren’t competing, they were practicing, checking out the vendors, visiting with friends, or cheering for others on the floor.
“Adult Smooth events drew high-level couples in the Championship Adult category,” noted Tiffany Bouquet, “including Jonathan Medlin & Malin Allert (1st place), Tommy Endicott & Sally Zhai (2nd place), and Jasper Yu & Alison Tseng (3rd place).”
Also, of note were the Regional Championship events that advanced from semi-final rounds. These took place in the Senior III category. Senior III Smooth dancers were especially excited to see a semi-final in their style, something that hasn’t happened since 2019. This event was won by Mike & Rose-Ann Lynch. Also advancing from a semi-final round was Senior III International Standard, which was won by Jinhua Xu & Wing Tseung. Many events had full finals, creating a lively floor and challenging floorcraft.
That wasn’t all.
“The Formation Team Showcases from the kids of Quickstep Dance Studio (based in Sandy, Utah) was a highlight,” noted Tiffany. This group danced four different formation events.
The college turnout was also strong. They had nearly the entire ballroom teams from Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Additionally, there were two Georgia Tech alumni couples, two couples from the University of Alabama, and some from the University of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin. “We couldn’t have asked for a better competition to end our fall competition season,” noted students from the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club.
But what about Halloween?
It wasn’t forgotten! “Other highlights definitely included the Halloween roulette dances and costume contest, and people generally being in costume,” said Tiffany.
“Personally, I enjoyed getting to know and meet the Midwest seniors. We definitely picked up some more local couples that I hadn’t met before, and it’s nice that between the Kansas City Dance Classic and Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships, they have some good competition options,” she added. “It’s good to see the familiar faces as well!”
The 2026 dates for the USA Dance Midwest Regional Championships are not yet solidified, but Tiffany said, “We are looking at October 23-25…at the same venue. We are really pleased with the location and facilities.”
So, you heard it here first, and can start planning now.
Did you miss the Midwest Regional DanceSport Championships? There are two USA Dance Regionals left to help you get qualified for the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships, March 27-29 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are:
- The MAC – January 17-19, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey.
- Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships – February 27- March 1, in Dunwoody, Georgia.
For more information on upcoming competitions or qualifying for Nationals, check out the Update on USA Dance Competitions, the USA Dance Competition Calendar, and the USA Dance College DanceSport Competition Calendar. For more information on the USA Dance Nationals, check out Nationals 2026 Expectations and stay tuned for further updates in American Dancer.
Are you reading American Dancer? You should!
