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Dancing to the sound of any music
Pride in the ballroom!
Join us for the biggest equality dance competition in world with championship titles award by the International Federation of Same-Sex Dance Associations (IFSSDA). At the Gay Games you can dance with whoever you like, and in whichever role you like (leader or follower), regardless of gender.
Dance styles include international standard and Latin American ballroom, American style rhythm and smooth, Argentine Tango and line dancing (see below for more details).
Spectators
Dancers love an audience! Spectators are a vital part of dance competitions and create an atmosphere that must be experienced to be believed.
All Gay Games participants are welcome to come and watch the dance competition, on presentation of their accreditation. For everyone else, spectator tickets will be made available nearer the time and will also be available on the door.
The Gay Games XII Dancesport Gala Ball
Come and join us for a joyous and inclusive celebration of ballroom dancing!
The first half of the gala ball will feature demonstrations from some of the winning couples and teams from the previous four days of competitions including some world champions!
In the second half, you are invited to join us on the dance floor where DJ Charles will be playing music from standard ballroom and Latin dances to alternative club rhythms ranging from Argentine Tango to Salsa and Texan Two-Step. There will also be a selection of line dances and sequence dances.
We encourage you to dress glamorously for the occasion and express yourself with sequins, feathers, sharp suits and leather.
Tickets*
* This event is included with your Gay Games València registration. Tickets for the Gala must be purchased separately, although a discounted rate is available for accredited participants. Please note that your accreditation badge must be presented at the entrance.
- Competition Day 1: 30 June – 12,00 €
- Competition Day 2: 1 de julio – 12,00 €
- Competition Day 3: 2 de julio – 12,00 €
- Competition Day 4: 3 de julio – 12,00 €
- Gala From Feather to Leather: 3 de julio, 19:00 h
Participants of #GGVLC26: 12,00 € (the Accreditation Badge must be shown before entrance)
General Attendees: 15,00 €
IMPORTANT
- Minors aged 0 to 15 years inclusive may attend the event only to access competitions. They must purchase the corresponding ticket, complete the required form, and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Download the form HERE.
- Minors aged 16 and 17 must purchase the corresponding ticket and may attend competitions without adult supervision. However, they must also complete and submit the document, which can be downloaded HERE.
- The From Feather to Leather Gala is open to adults aged 18 and over only.
Remember that you will need to show your accreditation to access the competition venue.
A Gala Ball will be held on the evening of the last day of competition (ticketed event). All active dancers will get free entrance; accredited participants of #GGVLC26 will have a reduced entrance fee to the Gala Ball.
Don’t forget your water bottle, there will be water stations to refill it.
Bring your dance attire (dress or suit depending on the style) and mproper dance shoes. Hair, make-up, outfits can reflect personal style but must follow the event dress code.
Sport fee
General registration
$245.00
Residents in Spain
$165.00
(special price, 32% off)
+
Sport fee
$50.00
15% discount for residents in Valencia 10% discount for residents in Spain
HOW
The competition will follow the IFSSDA rules, promoting full inclusion and equality. Some of the key rules are summarised below, but please consult the full IFSSDA rules for further details.
A full list of the competition categories is provided below.
Individual dancers may enter different categories with different partners (e.g. a dancer may compete in adult male standard with one partner and in adult open-gender standard with a different partner), but may only enter a single category once i.e. a dancer could not compete twice in adult male ballroom with two different partners.
Couples may enter multiple categories. Specifically, same-gender couples may also enter the open-gender events and senior dancers may also enter the adult event.
The organisers reserve the right to limit the number of categories that a couple may enter if categories are oversubscribed. The organisers also reserve the right to combine gender and age categories and grades where there would otherwise be fewer than three couples in a single category.
There are two team events – formation and showdance – and teams may only enter for one of these two styles.
Click here for further detail on the dance sport event including start lists, detailed schedule and venue information.
WHEN
Training
Competition
| ESPORT | 27 JUNE | 28 JUNE | 29 JUNE | 30 JUNE | 1 JULY | 2 JULY | 3 JULY | 4 JULY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance Sport | Gala |
In the schedule below, OG = Open Gender, Snr = Senior
Tuesday 30 June
- American Smooth
- American Rhythm
- Argentine Tango
- Line Dancing
- Male Standard Snr
- Male Latin Snr
- OG 10 Dance
- OG 10 Dance Snr
Wednesday 1 July
- Male Latin
- Female Standard
- Female Latin Snr
- OG Standard
- OG Latin Snr
Thursday 2 July
- Female Latin
- Male Standard
- Female Standard Snr
- OG Latin
- OG Standard Snr
Friday 3 July
- Female 10 Dance
- Female 10 Dance Snr
- Male 10 Dance
- Male 10 Dance Snr
- Couple Showdance
- Team Formation
- Team Showdance
WHO
Definitions:
- Same-Gender (male and female) Couples – partners of the same, self-identified, gender. Non-binary individuals may choose to dance in this event by choosing male or female as their “gender dance category”. They should however dance in that gender category for the whole of the Gay Games XII València 2026.
- Open-Gender Couples – open to couples of any gender identity or expression.
- Adult – age 18+
- Senior – age 45+
- Graded events – if an event is shown as graded, couples will dance one or two classification rounds after which they are allocated to classes A to D where A is the highest level. Further rounds will then be danced in those levels. When registering, couples should indicate the level at which they would expect to compete. This is to help the organisers schedule the heats and dancers will compete at the level to which they are allocated in the classification rounds.
- Ungraded events: all dancers compete in a single round, regardless of level
Available Categories:
International Standard Ballroom (Graded)
- Adult Male
- Adult Female
- Adult Open Gender
- Senior Male
- Senior Female
- Senior Open Gender
International Latin American (Graded)
- Adult Male
- Adult Female
- Adult Open Gender
- Senior Male
- Senior Female
- Senior Open Gender
International 10 Dance (Ungraded)
- Adult Male
- Adult Female
- Adult Open Gender
- Senior Male
- Senior Female
- Senior Open Gender
Couples Showdance (Ungraded)
- Adult Male
- Adult Female
- Adult Open Gender
- Senior Male
- Senior Female
- Senior Open Gender
Team Competition (Ungraded)
- Formation
- Showdance
Country and Western line dance (ungraded)
- Adult open-gender.
- The line dances are shown below. Click on the links to access the official step sheets and demos
- The first two walls of each dance must be danced as per the step sheet. After that dancers may include variations provided the dance is still recognisable and that dancers don’t intrude into the space of other dancers.
American Rhythm and Smooth, and Argentine Tango
PLEASE note that, depending on the number of registrations, the following categories may be separated by gender and/or age, and might not be graded. Dancers should register for the open gender category and indicate the class in which they would expect to dance. We will confirm the exact format as soon as we can, depending on registrations.
- American Smooth
- American Rhythm
- American 9-Dance
- Argentine Tango
For the graded events, the following dances are to be danced at each level:
Class ”A” (top level)
- Standard: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep
- Latin: Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive
- American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
- American Rhythm: Cha cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, Mambo
- Argentine Tango: Tango, Vals, Milonga
Class ”B” (advanced level)
- Standard: Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep
- Latin: Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Jive
- American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
- American Rhythm: Cha cha, Rumba, Swing, Mambo
- Argentine Tango: Tango, Vals,
Class “C” (intermediate level), Class “D” (beginner level) and classification rounds
- Standard: Waltz, Tango, Quickstep
- Latin: Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive
- American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot
- American Rhythm: Cha cha, Rumba, Swing,
- Argentine Tango: Tango
WHERE
This registration is also for you if you live with a disability.
Our facilities are adapted and accessible to everyone; however, for this sport there may be limitations in terms of such modifications. If you need more information, please contact us.
ORGANIZED BY
