Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of articles on the 2026 USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships. Find out the latest. Stay informed. Are you reading American Dancer? You should!
Yes, you read the headline correctly. This is about the 2026 USA Dance Nationals. Why? Because this huge event is seven months away, there’s a lot to do, and there’s a lot that you should know. Plus, this year’s Nationals have something for everyone, and you need to plan accordingly.
Let’s start with the basics. The 2026 USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships will be held March 27-29 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This will be the third year in a row at this site and the fifth year, historically, that the Championships will be held in Pittsburgh.
The National Championships Executive Committee includes:
- Charles Garrett – President
- Daniel O’Connell – Co-Chair & Senior Advisor to the President
- Aleh Kulyba – Co-Chair & Senior Vice President
- Daphna Locker – Registrar & DanceSport Vice President
- Roger Greenwalt – Secretary
So what is new?
Let’s start with the Social Scene. This year’s Nationals will include the 2026 USA Dance National Social Celebration, which we hope will be the largest Social dance of the year, and all are invited. Stay tuned for more details. Along with burning up the Social floor, dancers may take advantage of leadership seminars, workshops, and have full access to the ongoing competition activities
Next is the Collegiate Scene with the National Collegiate DanceSport Championships. This year, they are expecting so many teams and dancers that they have increased the size of the main competition dance floor to 80’ x 60’ with a plan to run a split floor for these events. Plus, they are anticipating a larger Team Match with more than 250 dancers and new dances! All this will then be followed by Sleep-In Sunday, because they recognize that College enthusiasm requires some downtime. It sounds very promising.
Also new this year are a few items for the Senior Scene. Apparently, it’s been requested, and you are getting it — Non-Championship Senior events (Syllabus and Open) will be grouped by Style this year. Senior I-Senior V Non-Championship events for a given style will take place on the same day and will span only a two-day period. Now, here’s an interesting note: The Nationals Committee says that they will add any Senior event that can gather six couples in a given age category. Sounds like a real challenge for those who were fighting for 9 and 10-Dance, as well as Senior V and VI competitions in past years. It’s time to rally your fellow dancers.
Note to all Competitors, you do have to qualify for Nationals again this year. But you are in luck, there are many opportunities to do so. The next Regional Competition (second of five) is the Midwest DanceSport Championships, October 31-November 2, in Chicago, Illinois, and the next Challenge Event is the Excelsior Cup, September 12-13, in Newark, New Jersey. On top of that, there are six Chapter and College Competitions in September and October alone. Check out the Competition Calendar for a complete and up-to-date listing of competitions and websites. Also, check out the latest DanceSport Rules Update and the 2025 Rulebook.
This all sounds exciting, but where can you get more information and important updates?
- Let’s start with the easy one: Are you reading American Dancer? You should!
- Check out the Competition Calendar.
- Follow the USA Dance, Inc. – Member Forum Facebook Page.
- The USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championship website and Facebook page will soon be up and running.
- Social Dancers, Chapter Presidents, and District Directors, watch for the Monthly Chapter Chatter. For more information, contact: social-vp@usadance.org
- Collegiates and College DanceSport Leaders, if you’re already excited about this, share the news.Speak with your dance friends, teammates, and fellow competitors. Invite them to attend. If you or your team is on the fence or needs assistance, reach out to collegenetwork-dir@usadance.org.
- Watch for the monthly email Digest.
- Senior Athletes, make sure you are on the Senior Committee’s email list. Start checking on those events that need six couples; you really can make a difference.
- Reach out directly to the Nationals Committee.
