USA Dance Celebrated our 60th Anniversary in 2025!     

Purpose and Early Years

USA Dance, Inc. was organized in 1965 as the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, Inc., also known nationwide as USABDA. Its purpose was to promote the acceptance of ballroom dancing into the Olympics.

 

In 1965, during the organization stage of USA Dance, the late Normand Martin, a leading social and competitive dancer and ballroom dance champion, gathered a group of interested dancers to petition the Olympic Committee for inclusion of Ballroom Dancing in the Olympics. Although, those early efforts to get into the Olympics failed, it became clear during the development of the bylaws that the dance world of the American dancer extended far beyond accommodating the “International Style” competitors who were interested in the Olympics. As the founders worked on defining the dancing guidelines and requirements to be considered in the development of the Bylaws, the American Style competitor and a vast number of serious and dedicated Social Dancers suddenly came into focus.

 

The resultant Bylaws of USA Dance addressed four very important areas of association: the International Style competitors, the American Style competitors, the Social dancers, and the Youth and College dancers. While helping the competitors to compete nationally and internationally, those early plans of USA Dance also helped set the stage for the availability of ballroom floors, music and venues for the Social dancers, who were then and still are, the backbone and strength of USA Dance.

 

In January 2005, a corporate resolution was filed with the sate of Virginia, changing the organization's name to USA Dance, Inc.

 

USA Dance Becomes a National Organization

 

During its early years, USA Dance consisted primarily of a small number of members in the greater New York area, a few in the Washington, D.C. area,  and some on the West Coast. In 1978, the Mid-Eastern Chapter was formed, which initiated actions to expand USA Dance to more regions of the country and begin establishing a national organization. National elections were held in 1979, and the following few years marked the beginning of the current organization, with chapters being formed in several states.

 

During the 1980s, efforts were made to bring all other amateur ballroom dance organizations in the United States under USA Dance, Inc. In 1985, the organization reorganized and was granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. New Bylaws were formulated, establishing a national organization with a regional and chapter structure.  In 1987, a unification election formally brought all amateur dancers into one national organization, was subsequently recognized by the international world governing body, International DanceSport Federation (IDSF). Since then, USA Dance has served as the National Member Body for all forms of DanceSport in the United States.

USA Dance: Growth Since the 1980s

The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) coined the term "DanceSport in the early 1980s.

 

Since the 1985 reorganization, USA Dance has concentrated on promoting the growth of all styles and forms of DanceSport, including both competitive and recreational social dancing. This initiative included a program to establish a network of chapters in each state. These efforts were highly successful, yielding significant growth each year in the number of dancers, chapters, and related activities such as competitions, workshops and social dances. Many volunteers dedicated their time and resources to promoting ballroom dance and DanceSport in colleges and secondary schools.

In 1999, a separate Social Division was established to promote and guide the growth of sports and exercise through social dancing in the United States. The goal was to encourage social dancing as a healthy lifelong recreational activity suitable for families.  Today, this remains the largest division of dancers within USA Dance.

 

In 1999, the Collegiate Network was restructured, and the volunteer staff expanded to create a promotional and management organization capable of meeting the immense challenge of bringing social ballroom dance and DanceSport to every college and secondary school in this nation.  This is a major goal for USA Dance volunteers in the next decade. 

 

USA Dance Inc organizes and supports educational programs among the public about the healthful aspects of recreational ballroom dancing and Dancesport, the competitive form of ballroom dancing. These programs emphasize the physical, mental and social benefits of dancing, and include the expansion of dancing skills among those of all ages and capabilities.

 

Annually, USA Dance Inc conducts national, regional and local DanceSport Championships. National DanceSport Champions are selected and USA Dance helps to finance their participation in the WDSF World DanceSport Championships. United States representatives also are sent to the World Games, which are held for Olympic recognized sports that are not yet in the Olympic Program.

Journey Into The Olympics

In 1997,  the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted WDSF full recognition as the International Governing Body for DanceSport, and in 1999, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) granted Affiliate membership to USA Dance. Subsequently, USA Dance, Inc. became the Recognized Sports Organization for DanceSport in the United States, as designated by the USOPC, and the National Member Body of the WDSF.

 

In 2018, the DanceSport discipline Breakin' was added to the Youth Olympic Games program and, was subsequently included in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, France. Viktor Montalvo of USA Dance won the Bronze Medal for the United States.

USA Dance's Focus of Current Activities

USA Dance continues to focus its activities on programs that allow members to enjoy dancing, accomplish their dance objectives, and promote the sport.

 

There are currently over 100 USA Dance Chapters situated in communities across the United States. These chapters frequently gather dancers who enjoy dancing and warmly welcome beginners to the ballroom floor.  They also organize and promote educational initiatives for the public regarding the health benefits of recreational ballroom dancing and DanceSport, the competitive variant of ballroom dancing. These programs highlight the physical, mental, and social advantages of dancing and strive to enhance dancing skills among individuals of all ages and abilities. 

 

USA Dance conducts annual national, regional, and local DanceSport Championships while maintaining a calendar of these events. National DanceSport Champions of all ages compete for the chance to represent their country in the World DanceSport Federation World Championships. 

 

Representatives from the United States are also sent to the World Games, which highlight Olympic-recognized sports not included in the Olympic Program. 

USA Dance's Mission

USA Dance's mission is to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States.  It is a nationwide 501(c)3 non-profit organization with over 5,500 members from across the United States who love ballroom dancing and appreciate its excitement, romance, and social and health benefits.