Editor’s Note: Southeastern DanceSport Championships will be held February 27-March 1, 2026, in Dunwoody, Georgia. It is one of three remaining Regional Championships before the USA Dance Nationals, and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Here, organizers Tiffany Bouquet and Daniel Boman share insights into the competition-organizing process.
If anyone has ever wondered what it is like to be a competition organizer, Daniel and I are starting a new series for the Southeastern DanceSport Championships. As we lead up to February, we will make periodic posts about what we are working on, tips and tricks for organizing, and give readers a peek behind the scenes of running a ballroom dance competition.
A few days ago, Daniel finished setting the tentative schedule for the competition. Registration opened a few weeks ago, with most events in the correct places. Now, with a complete schedule, people can see when their style and age group can expect to compete (Friday night, Saturday matinee, etc.) and book their flights and hotel rooms. There is a fine line between making all the events compact without turning dancing into an exhausting ordeal and keeping dancer expenses low while spreading different styles across multiple days.
We are working to select which Championship events to feature in the Friday and Saturday evening sessions. Southeastern will be running Jack and Jill events this year in the evenings, and we want the Championship events to feel like big showcases! By featuring Championship events with at least four couples, and alternating them with Jack and Jill events, we emphasize fun and skill in a more social setting.
In planning, we also try to mix up the events in each session. While Under 21 Latin is a very exciting event to watch, if it were preceded by an hour of youth-senior VI Latin, it would be less entertaining. So, we try to alternate between styles and age groups so that every event that takes the floor is viewed with fresh eyes and interest by the audience.
You can check out the Southeastern DanceSport Championships website or Ballroom Comp Express to see the updated schedule.
Check whether your event made the cut for the evening sessions! Additionally, if your event isn’t in the evening session and you want it to be, get six or more entrants before January 15, and we’ll contact everyone in it about moving it to the prior evening (from Saturday to Friday). If everyone agrees, you’re in!
Daniel and Tiffany began organizing USA Dance competitions in 2022. Check out their great American Dancer article about learning the ropes, “What is in a Dance Competition?” Are you reading American Dancer? You should!
