MARCH 28-30, 2025

USA Dance

National Ballroom
DanceSport Championships

PITTSBURGH

Qualification Rules for Nationals 2025

To be eligible for Nationals you must accrue six (6) points. One accrues these points by:

Being in the top 50% at Regionals in each age/level/style in which you want to compete – Qualified (if 3 or less, all qualify) = 6 points, and you have qualified for Nationals
Attend one Regional and compete in each age/level/style you want to dance, without reaching the top 50%, = 4 points, and one other competition, dancing those same events, to gain an additional 2 points (sanctioned Local, Collegiate Challenge, Challenge, or another Regional Championship) – Qualified regardless of placement
Attend any 3 competitions and compete in each age/level/style in which you want to compete to reach 6 points (sanctioned Local, Collegiate Challenge, Challenge, or Regional Championship) – Qualified regardless of placement
Hawaii / Alaska – Attend one sanctioned competition (sanctioned Collegiate Challenge, Challenge, Regional Championship) and dance in each age/level/style in which you want to compete – Qualified regardless of placement
Senior V couples who want to compete only in Senior V events, do not have to qualify for Nationals. If a Senior V couple wants to compete in any other age category, they will have to qualify in that age level to compete at Nationals
No qualification needed for Showdance, Solo, Pro/Am, Teacher/Student, Mixed Proficiency, and Professional events

College Students – Additional Registration and Qualifying Rules:

Full-time college students (35 and under) automatically qualify, without attending a qualifying event, for one collegiate level/style and will get the same level/style in adult categories, this is considered your “registration fee events”
For a second level/style of collegiate events, which must be consecutive to your "registration fee events” level, you will have to qualify by achieving at least 6 qualifying points in each style in which you want to compete.
- If you achieve at least six qualifying points/style, this will also entitle you to dance in both the Collegiate and Adult events. This second collegiate level is not part of your registration fee, and you will be charged the per dance collegiate fee. You would still be able to dance in the second adult level for no additional charge.
Exception is Championship Level events where collegiate students must qualify like all other couples for the non-collegiate Championship events.
Those couples with mixed (1 full-time college student and 1 non-college student) must qualify like all other couples for the non-collegiate events.

Regional Competitions = 6 points if you reach the top 50% in your category and = 4 points if you do not

All Challenge (Collegiate & non-Collegiate) Competitions = 2 points

Local Competitions = 1 point

Over $200,000 in scholarships & Cash Prizes

Welcome & Thank You from the Organizing Committee

Dear Athletes, Fans, Sponsors, Officials, Coaches, Parents, Social Dancers, Vendors, and Fellow Volunteers:

We, the Organizing Committee, extend a whole-hearted invitation for you to join us at the 2025 USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships. At this spectacular event you will observe America’s best dancesport athletes competing to become crowned the National DanceSport Champion of their divisions. This is also the only National DanceSport event that determines which athletes will represent Team USA at the upcoming World DanceSport Federation’s (WDSF) World DanceSport Championships and Cups.

Please visit the informative pages of this dedicated website to learn more. Register for the competition, purchase tickets, and connect with the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel for your reservations. Whether you are competing in one event or in a multitude of styles and divisions, or just watching, we hope you can stay for the entire three days and enjoy all this event has to offer.

Nationals Organizing Committee Co-Chairs
Chuck Garrett, President | USA Dance, Inc.
Renata Shvarts | USA Dance, Inc.

Liz Bradley, CleanSport Director

Myra Coffield, Webmaster & Video Wall

Jane Downing, Volunteer Coordinator

Todd Kirrane, Senior Vice President & Onsite Competition Manager

Vera Kirrane, Vendors Coordinator & Consignment

Daphna Locker, Registrar

Daniel O’Connell, NCDC & Marketing Coordinator

Rosemary O’Connell, Assistant Registrar

John Seifken, Volunteer Coordinator

Sterling Sightler, Secretary

Dear All:

As organizing chairperson, I am pleased to welcome back most of the 2022 planning team. After having such a successful Nationals in Pittsburgh, it helps to have continuity as we move to St. Louis for what we expect to be another outstanding USA Dance 2023 National Ballroom DanceSport Championships. Although we will miss having the volunteer support of a strong chapter, Social Vice President Lolita Brawner is stepping up to fill the gap with a Social Leadership Conference planned during the weekend. In addition, there will be a social dance and workshops. So, dancers, encourage your local board members to join you in St. Louis where they can cheer you on to victory and enjoy the social activities themselves during the weekend. Working together to grow the organization makes USA Dance much stronger.

On the competition side, we look forward to again having a wholly complete ballroom Nationals; all age groups, skill levels, amateur, pro-am and professional. We’ve got it all!

Join us as we celebrate our unity and share the excitement as new champions are crowned.

As the song goes, “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

Ann Durocher
Organizer Chair | USA Dance National Ballroom DanceSport Championships

Affiliate Organizations

US Olympic and Paralympic Committee

USA Dance is USOPC Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport. Founded in 1894, the USOPC empowers Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being.

SafeSport

USA Dance being a USOPC designated, Recognized Sport Organization, to the extent appropriate, abides by the policies and procedures of the USAOC and the USOPC – designated independent safe sport entity, the US Center for SafeSport (the “SafeSport Entity”).

USA Dance - Member of WDSF

USA Dance is the United States National Member Body (NMB) of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). The WDSF is the recognized member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a member of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sport Federations (ARISF). As such the WDSF and its NMBs are responsible for the governance of DanceSport internationally and in their respective countries. As a member of the International World Games Association the WDSF and its NGBs select representatives to participate in the World Games every four years which were held in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022. Each year National representatives are sent to participate in the WDSF World Championships to compete for World Titles. In November 2022, the WDSF Senior II Ten Dance World Championships was held in New Orleans, Louisiana.