Being sick is the worst! Being sick when you’re a dancer is the ABSOLUTE worst. Not only do you feel horrible, but you also can’t do what you would normally do to brighten your mood—dance! Now, as many of us know, the same could be said for staying in quarantine.

Dancing is incredibly demanding on the body.

Netflix. Amazon Prime. Hulu. HBO. Disney Plus. Countless others.

Ever since the coronavirus swept through most of the world in the first few months in 2020, all aspects of society have changed, from the way we grocery shop and interact on a daily basis to the way we experience art and entertainment. That has been especially true for dance and dance studios, which are adapting all across the country and, really, the world in order to confront these new challenges.

Dance is perhaps the most physically demanding and grueling art on the planet — and also maybe the most intimate. The necessary physical proximity to your partner or partners is key in many forms of dance, but especially in ballet, ballroom, and hip-hop. Even in elaborate group dances, physical engagement and connection drive a great performance. 

The events of the last week have been tremendously painful to us all.

As we know very well here at FloDance, there is nothing in the world that brings as much hope, inspiration, love, and human connection as dancing. Even in the midst of COVID-19 and the difficulties that this global pandemic has caused, people are still dancing. And there's nobody who has demonstrated that better than Dr. Jason Campbell, who practices at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. 

The coronavirus pandemic has stranded all of us in our homes, and for dancers, that's especially difficult! We like to move, sweat, rehearse, perfect our routines, and express our creativity with our bodies. This whole lockdown thing is almost making that impossible.

While most of the country was experiencing cooler fall weather, things were heating up in Albuquerque this past weekend! The 30th anniversary of the New Mexico Dance Fiesta included some amazing dancing and close competitions. 

It’s fiesta time in Albuquerque! The 30th anniversary of the New Mexico Dance Fiesta is happening this weekend. This UCWDC-sanctioned event was started by dance couple Mike Haley and Patti Miller, and ballroom coordinator Steve Stevens in 1989. Though the competition has changed hands a few times over the years, it continues to be a can’t miss event full of dancing and great times with dance friends and family.

Howdy partners! It was an exciting Labor Day weekend in Nashville. From packed ProAm heats to a close Crown Masters competition, the 2019 UCWDC Nashville Dance Classic kept us hootin’ and hollerin’ for more.

It’s time for some dancing in the ”The Country Music Capital of the World” - Nashville! Home to the Grand Ole Opry House, the famous “Grand Ole Opry” stage and radio show, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, it’s obvious why this city would draw a crowd for our next UCWDC competition, the Nashville Dance Classic. 

Alas, another weekend full of dancing has come and gone. Isn’t it always so hard to go back to work on Monday? In case you were off doing your own dancing, here’s what you missed at the Chicagoland Dance Festival.

This weekend, hold onto your hat and point your dancing shoes towards Chicago for the 32nd annual Chicagoland Country and Swing Dance Festival. This event has it all - qualifying events for the United Country Western Dance Council’s World Championships, points events for the World Swing Dance Council Jack & Jill swing dance registry, and it’s a part of the original Hustle Dance Tour. 

And things keep changing! The third GrandSlam of the WDSF calendar year has officially concluded here in Rimini, Italy, and we found ourselves face to face with some intriguing occurrences!