USA Dance

USA Dance

Background Information

USA DANCE is an affiliate member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and is recognized by the USOC, the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), and the United States Congress as the National Governing Body of DanceSport in the United States.

The IDSF has been granted full recognition by the International Olympic Committee as the worldwide governing body of DanceSport.

USA DANCE is a Virginia Corporation organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes with the meaning of Section 501 © (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and is registered with the State Division of Consumer Affairs, Commonwealth of Virginia, as a charitable organization authorized to solicit and receive donations from the public.

Educational and Charitable

In furtherance of its educational and charitable purposes, USA DANCE promotes ballroom dancing as a sport and recreational activity locally, nationally, and internationally, and to that end:

  1. Works for its acknowledgment as an Olympic sport;
  2. Educates the public on how ballroom dancing enhances the development of mental and physical health, including such characteristics as poise and appearance;
  3. Educates the public, particularly the young on how organized and supervised dance activities improve and develop capabilities;
  4. Maintains a spirit of cooperation with existing national and international and professional dance organizations in the furtherance of "ballroom dancers" interest;
  5. Provides a means of information exchange between the various dance related organizations and encourages interaction between dancers of those organizations;
  6. Promotes, guides and supports ballroom dance programs in colleges, high schools and middle schools all over the nation, and;
  7. Publishes a bi-monthly magazine called American Dancer that is distributed to all members and many public libraries across America.
  8. Establishes subordinate chapters of the USA DANCE, Inc., throughout the United States.

Chapter Activities

USA DANCE chapters create dance opportunities for local citizens by organizing affordable social dances, dance lessons, and workshops. Chapter members present dance demonstrations in nursing homes, retirement homes, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and other public places and strive to educate the public regarding the health and social benefits of ballroom dancing. The goal of each chapter is to serve as the leader and focal point for ballroom dance activities in the community.

Colleges and Schools

A major portion of USA Dance's resources is devoted to promoting, organizing, and supporting ballroom dance programs in local colleges and schools.


DanceSport Activities

USA DANCE organizes and sanctions local and National Qualifying DanceSport Championships.

USA Dance runs the National DanceSport Championship that selects DanceSport Athletes to represent the United States in the IDSF World DanceSport Championships and World Games, and helps to finance their participation.

USA DANCE hosted the year 2000 IDSF World Latin DanceSport Championships and the 2001 IDSF World Standard DanceSport Championships in the United States. The will host the 2010 World Latin Championships in partnership with Sam Sodano.

USA Dance in cooperation and support from the organizers of the Embassy Ball runs the annual IDSDF Adjudicators Congress.

USA Dance grants sanctions for IDSF Competitions, Cups, Championships and Grand Slam Events.

USA Dance as the National Governing Body set the rules and standards for Amateur DanceSport Competition in the USA through its DanceSport Council and democratic sports-based principles of membership and athlete representation.

USA DANCE actively works with the media to supply dancers for interviews, dance demonstrations, and participants on television programs.

Purpose and Early Years

USA Dance, Inc. was organized in 1965 under the name of United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, Inc., also known nationwide as USABDA to promote the acceptance of ballroom dancing into the Olympics. In January 2005 a corporate resolution was filed with the state of Virginia changing the name to USA Dance, Inc.

In 1965 during the organization stage of USA Dance, the late Normand Martin, a leading social and competitive dancer and ballroom dance champion, organized a group of interested dancers to petition the Olympic Committee for inclusion of Ballroom Dancing into the Olympics. Those early efforts to get into the Olympics failed but in developing the bylaws, it was realized that the dance world of the American dancer went far past accommodating the "International Style" competitors who were interested in the Olympics. As the founders worked on defining the dancing guidelines and needs to be considered in developing the Bylaws, the American Style competitor and a vast number of serious and dedicated Social Dancers suddenly came into view.

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. Those early-on plans of USA Dance, while helping the competitors to compete nationally and internationally, also helped set the stage for the availability of floors, music and venue for the Social dancers which then were and still are, the backbone and strength of 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, DC section of the country, plus a small number on the West Coast. In 1978 the Mid-Eastern Chapter was formed and actions were initiated to take USA Dance into other parts of the country and to commence creating a national organization. National elections were held in 1979 and the next few years saw the beginning of the present organization, with chapters being formed in several states.

During the 1980s efforts were made to bring all other amateur ballroom dance organizations into USA Dance. In 1985 USA Dance reorganized and was granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. New Bylaws were formulated providing for a national organization with a regional and chapter structure.

In 1987, a unification election was held that brought all amateurs into one national organization which then was recognized by the international world governing body, now known as the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF). Since then USA Dance has functioned as the National Governing Body for all forms of amateur ballroom dancing in the United States.