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Buckeye Dance Festival, Marriott Columbus airport, Columbus, OH (2026)

11/04/2026

One of our biggest missions at the Buckeye Dance Festival is to bring communities together, introduce more people to the joy of dance, and support the incredible people who are creating experiences that connect us! ❤️

That’s why we’re excited to support TWO amazing events this weekend by donating Buckeye Dance Festival All-Access Passes for their attendees!

FRANCIS FARMS – Londonderry, Ohio

We’ve had the pleasure of knowing this wonderful family for years through the Columbus-area Pet Expo! They’re genuinely great people, and when we heard about the event they were putting together, we wanted to be part of supporting their success!

What makes this partnership especially exciting is the opportunity to introduce dance to people who may have never considered stepping onto a dance floor before.

You don’t have to be a dancer to discover how much fun dancing can be! That’s a huge part of what we’re building at Buckeye!

GROOVETOPIA – Dayton, Ohio

We’re also thrilled to support the amazing West Coast Swing community at Groovetopia!

Jason and Sophy have put together another fantastic event, featuring incredible instructors, including the legendary Benji Schwimmer! 🤩

The West Coast Swing community is full of passionate, welcoming, energetic people who know how to create an unforgettable dance experience. We’re excited to support their event and introduce even more dancers to everything happening at Buckeye!

❤️ COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION!

We would absolutely love to be attending these events in person! Unfortunately, we have our own performances this weekend, so we can’t be everywhere at once!

But that doesn’t mean we can’t send a little BUCKEYE ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, AND EXCITEMENT their way!

We believe that when we support each other’s events, we strengthen ALL of our communities.

Whether you’re a seasoned competitor, a social dancer, or someone who’s never taken a dance lesson in your life, there’s a place for you on the dance floor!

Our goal isn’t just to grow the Buckeye Dance Festival. It’s to grow the dance community itself!

To Francis Farms, Jason, Sophy, and everyone involved in making these events happen: THANK YOU for creating opportunities for people to connect, celebrate, and have fun!

We wish you both incredible events this weekend! And congratulations in advance to the lucky winners who will be joining us at Buckeye!

🌰 BUCKEYE DANCE FESTIVAL
📅 February 25–28, 2027
📍 Columbus Airport Marriott – Columbus, Ohio

Where Dance Communities Come Together!

11/03/2026

BALLROOM DANCERS, ARE YOU READY TO GET THE MOST OUT OF COUNTRY DANCE COMPETITION?

PART 2: More Dances. More Opportunities. More Rewards!

At the Buckeye Dance Festival, we believe that dancers deserve to be celebrated not just for where they place, but for the effort, dedication, and commitment they put into their dancing!

In Part 2 of our video series, we’re breaking down how you can maximize your dance entries, get incredible value out of your competition experience, and earn some exciting rewards along the way!

Introducing our THREE Amateur Dancer Achievement Awards!

EPIC 50 CLUB – Complete 50 dance entries and earn special recognition for your dedication to dance!

SUPER 75 DANCERS CUP – Reach 75 entries and celebrate an extraordinary level of passion, endurance, and commitment!

BUCKEYE CENTURY AWARD – Complete 100 dance entries and earn an entry into our special prize drawing!

THE GRAND PRIZE?

One lucky Buckeye Century Award recipient will win an incredible package for the 2028 Buckeye Dance Festival!

* ALL competition entries paid for!
* An ALL-ACCESS Festival Pass!
* THREE nights of hotel accommodations (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday)!

And here’s the BEST PART!

You don’t have to WIN your dances to qualify!

These awards aren’t about first place, trophies, or beating someone else. They’re about challenging yourself, stepping onto the dance floor, and celebrating your commitment to becoming a better dancer.

SO HOW DO YOU GET TO 50, 75, OR EVEN 100 ENTRIES?

There are more opportunities than you might realize!

UCWDC Country Competition: Dance your age division, an age division down, your Open division, and even one skill level up where eligible. Add Traditional and Open Role (formerly Mixed Role), and you could be well on your way to the EPIC 50 Club & Buckeye Century Award!

Jack & Jill Competitions: With over 75 opportunities across our social dance styles, newcomers through advanced dancers have plenty of ways to participate! Compete in Traditional (male lead/female follow) or Open, where dancers of any gender can lead or follow.

Select Competitions: Love dancing with a partner you’ve chosen? Our Select competitions offer over 75 more opportunities across those same social dance styles!

And don’t forget our other competitions!

Couples, Line Dance, Showcase, and Ballroom Dance Competitions!

You can combine eligible entries across our different competitions to reach your milestones.

Whether you’re a ballroom dancer exploring country for the first time, a seasoned country competitor, or a social dancer who loves Jack & Jill competitions, there’s a place for YOU!

Our goal is to create opportunities for dancers to challenge themselves, expand their abilities, explore new dance styles, and be recognized for the time and energy they invest in something they love.

Because at Buckeye Dance Festival, we’re not just celebrating the winners. We’re celebrating the DANCERS!

February 25–28, 2027
Columbus Airport Marriott
Columbus, Ohio

Buckeye Dance Festival – Where Dance Communities Come Together!

Watch Part 2 and discover just how many opportunities are waiting for you on the dance floor!

How many entries are YOU going for? 50, 75, or the CENTURY?

11/03/2026

ANNOUNCING THE BUCKEYE DANCE FESTIVAL AMATEUR DANCER ENTRY AWARDS!

At the Buckeye Dance Festival, we believe competitive dancing deserves to be celebrated for more than just your placement on the dance floor.

We want to recognize your PASSION, COMMITMENT, ENDURANCE, and the TIME and EFFORT you invest in becoming a better dancer!

That's why we're introducing THREE special awards for our amateur competitive dancers, with a special recognition and awards presentation on Saturday night!

THE EPIC 50 CLUB – 50 ENTRIES

EPIC stands for Education, Practice, Interaction, and Competition, the four pillars of the Buckeye Dance Festival experience!

Reaching 50 competitive dance entries is an accomplishment worth celebrating. It represents the countless hours of learning, practicing, competing, and pushing yourself to improve.

Welcome to the EPIC 50 CLUB!

THE SUPER 75 DANCERS CUP – 75 ENTRIES

Now we're talking about some serious dedication!

Reaching 75 competitive entries demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to your passion for dance.

Whether you're competing in country, ballroom, Jack and Jills, or a combination of competitions, this award celebrates dancers who simply LOVE to compete!

THE BUCKEYE CENTURY AWARD – 100 ENTRIES

This is the ultimate achievement!

Complete 100 competitive dance entries at the Buckeye Dance Festival and you'll receive special recognition AND be entered into a drawing for an incredible prize!

ONE LUCKY BUCKEYE CENTURY AWARD RECIPIENT WILL WIN:

- ALL competitive dance entries PAID FOR at Buckeye Dance Festival 2028!
- Your ALL-ACCESS PASS included!
- Your HOTEL accommodations included!

That's right! We're giving one passionate amateur dancer the opportunity to return in 2028 and compete with their entries, festival pass, and hotel covered!

HOW DO YOU GET TO 50, 75, OR EVEN 100 ENTRIES?

Here's where things get exciting!

EVERY competitive dance entry counts toward your total!

That includes:

- UCWDC Country Dance Competitions
- Ballroom Dance Competitions
- Jack and Jill Competitions
- Select Social Dance Competitions

And with OVER 100 Jack and Jill and Select competition opportunities to choose from, there are plenty of ways to reach your goals!

Our Jack and Jill competitions offer FOUR levels:

Newcomer | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced

And don't forget, you can compete in both TRADITIONAL and OPEN ROLES, giving you even MORE opportunities to dance!

COUNTRY DANCERS, MEET BALLROOM. BALLROOM DANCERS, MEET COUNTRY

Here's something interesting.

In the ballroom competition world, it's not unusual for amateur dancers to compete 100, 200, or even 300 times during a multiday event.

In the country dance world, 30 to 40 entries is much more common.

We're bringing these communities together and creating opportunities for dancers to experience the BEST of both worlds!

We recognize that many competitive dancers travel specifically to COMPETE. While some love social dancing, others want to spend as much time on the competition floor as possible.

And we want to give you that opportunity!

MORE DANCING. MORE OPPORTUNITIES. MORE VALUE!

When you're investing your time and energy to travel to a dance competition, we want you to get the absolute MOST out of your experience.

Whether you're an experienced ballroom competitor, a country dance champion, or a newcomer stepping onto the competition floor for the very first time, these awards are within your reach!

You don't have to be the best dancer in the room to earn recognition.

You have to be willing to SHOW UP, PUT IN THE WORK, and DANCE!

Because at the Buckeye Dance Festival, we don't just celebrate the dancers who WIN.

WE CELEBRATE THE DANCERS WHO DANCE!

Join us February 25–28, 2027, at the Columbus Airport Marriott for YOUR EPIC DANCE EXPERIENCE!

Stay tuned for more announcements about our competitions, awards, and opportunities to make the most of your Buckeye Dance Festival experience.

WHERE DANCE COMMUNITIES COME TOGETHER!

11/03/2026

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! THE BUCKEYE SOCIAL DANCE CIRCUIT IS HERE!

We are excited to officially announce the launch of our Jack & Jill and Select Social Dance Competitions**, featuring our inaugural National Championships at the 2027 Buckeye Dance Festival!

29 SOCIAL DANCE STYLES. TWO COMPETITION FORMATS. FOUR SKILL LEVELS. ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES!**

We've taken inspiration from the West Coast Swing and Country Swing competition communities and created something that brings even more dance communities together.

What makes our circuit different?

We're opening competitive opportunities to virtually EVERY style of social partner dancing!

From Two-Step, Waltz, and Cha-Cha to Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, West Coast Swing, Country Swing, and everything in between!

And if there's a social dance style we've missed, let us know! We're always open to expanding the opportunities for dancers to participate.

TWO COMPETITION FORMATS

JACK & JILL: Register individually and dance with randomly assigned partners. Competitors will dance three times per round, with qualifying rounds, semifinals, and finals as participation allows.

SELECT: Choose your partner in advance and compete together! Select competitions follow the same three-dance format, with qualifying rounds, semifinals, and finals as participation allows.

Both competitions are judged and awarded separately.

**TWO ROLE DIVISIONS: TRADITIONAL & OPEN**

We recognize that different dance communities have different traditions, and we want EVERYONE to have a place on our dance floor!

TRADITIONAL: Male Lead / Female Follow. Competitors maintain their designated roles throughout the competition.

OPEN: Lead and Follow roles are open to everyone, regardless of gender. Men can lead or follow, women can lead or follow, and role switching is welcome!

The only restriction is that competitors entering both Lead and Follow roles must compete at different skill levels for those roles.

Our goal is simple: Respect the traditions of dance while embracing the evolution of our dance communities.

FOUR SKILL LEVELS

Newcomer | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced

Competitors may choose their starting level, and our points-based advancement system will provide opportunities to progress through the divisions as the circuit grows.

$20 PER PERSON, PER ENTRY!

That's right! Whether you're entering Jack & Jill or Select, registration is just $20 per person, per competition.

And here's something else we're excited about!

EVERY ENTRY COUNTS TOWARD YOUR BUCKEYE DANCE AWARDS!

With over 100 potential competition entries available through our Jack & Jill and Select events, there are incredible opportunities to work toward our Buckeye Century Award!

Every dancer who achieves 100 competition entries and earns the Buckeye Century Award will have their name entered into a special drawing.

THE PRIZE? ALL COMPETITION ENTRIES PAID FOR AT THE 2028 BUCKEYE DANCE FESTIVAL!

SOCIAL DANCERS, THIS IS YOUR COMPETITION!

These competitions are separate from our UCWDC-sanctioned events and are designed specifically for social dancers.& ;

You don't need years of competitive experience, expensive costumes, or professionally choreographed routines.

You just need a love of dancing and a willingness to get out on the floor!

Our vision is to create a national social dance circuit where dancers can earn points, advance through skill levels, meet new people, explore different dance communities, and experience the excitement of competition in a welcoming environment.

Because competition doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be FUN, encouraging, and an incredible way to grow as a dancer!

FEBRUARY 25–28, 2027
Columbus Airport Marriott
Columbus, Ohio

The Buckeye Dance Festival — Where Dance Communities Come Together!

We're building something new, and we want YOU to be part of it!

Which of our 29 social dance styles are YOU most excited to compete in? And is there a dance we missed?

Tell us in the comments!

11/02/2026

Ballroom dancers, welcome to the world of country dance competition!

If you’re coming from the ballroom world, you’re probably accustomed to dancing A LOT! It’s not uncommon for ballroom competitors to dance 100, 200, or even 300 entries over a multi-day competition.

Country dance competitions operate a little differently. There are fewer competitive categories and opportunities to enter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get plenty of time on the dance floor!

At the Buckeye Dance Festival, we’re excited to welcome our ballroom friends into the country dance community, and I want to show you how to maximize your dance opportunities, get incredible value, and earn a special award along the way!

HOW TO GET INTO THE EPIC 50 CLUB!

Here’s how you can build your competition entries:

1. Dance in your age division. Compete at your current skill level within your age category.
2. Dance an age division down. Challenge yourself against a different age group.
3. Dance in the Open category. Add more opportunities to compete at your level.
4. Dance a skill level up. Challenge yourself with four additional dances! Just be strategic about which dances you enter. Dancing five can qualify you for that higher division, so we’re keeping it to four!

That brings you to 28 competitive dance entries!

But wait… we’re not finished!

INTRODUCING OPEN ROLE!

Formerly known as Mixed Role, this category opens up even MORE opportunities!

Leaders can follow. Followers can lead.

You can compete in the same dances again, this time in the opposite role!

That means you can potentially DOUBLE your entries!

28 dances + 28 dances = 56 COMPETITIVE ENTRIES!

And just like that, you’ve earned your way into the…

EPIC 50 CLUB!

At the Buckeye Dance Festival, we believe that dedication, passion, endurance, and enthusiasm for dance deserve to be celebrated!

Anyone competing in 50 or more dance entries will receive a special EPIC 50 Club award and recognition during our Friday evening show!

Because dancing 50 times isn’t just about competition. It’s about pushing yourself, expanding your abilities, embracing new challenges, and getting the most out of your dance experience.

And for our ballroom friends who are new to country competition, what an incredible opportunity to explore another side of the dance world!

We’re bringing dance communities together, creating new opportunities, and celebrating the people who LOVE to dance!

Are YOU ready to join the EPIC 50 CLUB?

Buckeye Dance Festival
February 25–28, 2027
Columbus Airport Marriott
Columbus, Ohio

Your EPIC Dance Experience!

Where Dance Communities Come Together.

11/02/2026

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Introducing the Buckeye Dance Festival Spirit Team!

After recently experiencing firsthand how a local professional sports team’s dedicated Spirit Team brings energy, excitement, and audience engagement to their events, we were inspired to bring that same concept to the Buckeye Dance Festival!

As competitive dancers ourselves, Kimberley and I know what it’s like to step onto the dance floor in a room that’s gone quiet. After hours of competition, even the most enthusiastic crowds can lose some of their energy.

And let’s face it, dancing is ALWAYS more fun when people are cheering you on!

That’s why we’re creating our very own Buckeye Dance Festival Spirit Team!

Our Spirit Team will be positioned throughout the competition ballroom, cheering for competitors by name and number, engaging spectators, encouraging audience participation, and keeping the energy alive throughout the event.

But this is about so much more than making noise.

It’s about making people feel SEEN, HEARD, CELEBRATED, and ACCEPTED!

Not every competitor has family or friends in the audience. Some are stepping onto the competition floor for the very first time. Others have traveled hundreds of miles to pursue their passion for dance.

We want EVERY dancer to know that someone is cheering for them!

And of course, our mascot, Dance Nut, will be an official part of the Spirit Team! Expect plenty of personality, entertaining appearances, audience interaction, and some unexpected fun throughout the weekend!

Our mission has always been to bring dance communities together and create an unforgettable experience for everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned competitors.

The Spirit Team is another way we’re bringing that mission to life.

AND WE’RE HOLDING TRYOUTS!

We’re looking for enthusiastic, outgoing, positive people who love connecting with others, creating excitement, and making people smile!

You don’t have to be a dancer. You just have to have SPIRIT!

If you’ve got the energy, personality, and passion to help us create something special, we’d love to have you audition!

Buckeye Dance Festival | February 25–28, 2027
Columbus Airport Marriott

Where Dance Communities Come Together.

Because at the Buckeye Dance Festival, we don’t just want you to dance.

We want you to feel like a STAR when you do!