Four days. Multiple styles of dance. World-class educators. Social dancing. Competition. Movement. Connection. Community.

February 25–28, 2027 | Columbus, Ohio

The Buckeye Dance Festival was created with one simple idea:

Give more people the opportunity to experience more of what the dance world has to offer — all in one place.

Whether you are stepping onto a dance floor for the very first time, looking for a new style to explore, an experienced social dancer, or a seasoned competitor, Buckeye is designed to give you opportunities to learn, practice, interact, compete, and experience something new.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Buckeye Dance Festival is to make high-level dance education and unforgettable experiences more accessible and attainable.

Throughout the dance world, some of the best coaches, champions, instructors, and specialists can be difficult or expensive for the average person to access.

Buckeye brings them together.

We want attendees to have the opportunity to learn from nationally and internationally recognized professionals, ask questions, experience different disciplines, and discover teachers and styles they may never otherwise encounter.

And you don’t have to be an advanced dancer to belong here.

Beginners are welcome.

In fact, creating an environment where people feel comfortable trying something new is one of the reasons Buckeye exists.

TRY SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER TRIED BEFORE

Maybe you’re a ballroom dancer who has always wondered about West Coast Swing.

Maybe you’re a country dancer who wants to try Salsa.

Maybe you’ve never danced at all.

Maybe Tai Chi, Kizomba, Bachata, acro yoga or another movement experience catches your attention.

Try it.

One of the biggest goals of Buckeye is removing the barriers between communities and giving people permission to explore.

You may walk into the weekend thinking you know what you love and leave having discovered something completely different.

That’s exactly what we hope happens.

Buckeye Dance Festival Tickets are Available Now!

THE BUCKEYE EXPERIENCE

At the heart of the Buckeye Dance Festival are four ideas:

EDUCATION

Learn from accomplished instructors, coaches, champions, and specialists from across the dance and movement communities.

With workshops ranging from Ballroom, Country, West Coast Swing, Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba to specialty experiences such as Tai Chi, yoga, acro yoga, movement and more, Buckeye gives you the freedom to explore.

You don’t have to specialize.

Come curious.

INTERACTION

Dance is about more than steps.

It is about connection.

Buckeye is designed to create interaction between dancers, instructors, competitors, spectators, vendors, communities and people from different areas of the movement world.

Meet someone new.

Dance with someone new.

Learn from someone you normally wouldn’t have access to.

Explore another community.

Connection is part of the experience.

PRACTICE

Learning something is one thing.

Getting the opportunity to actually use it is another.

Workshops, social dance floors, practice opportunities and events throughout the weekend are designed to help you take what you learn and put it into motion.

Take a workshop.

Ask questions.

Practice it.

Dance it.

Then go learn something else.

COMPETITION

For those who love to compete — we’ve got plenty of that too.

The Buckeye Dance Festival brings multiple competitive opportunities together under one roof, giving dancers the chance to test their skills, challenge themselves, celebrate their progress and experience the energy of competition.

But competition is part of Buckeye — not the entirety of Buckeye.

You don’t have to compete to have an incredible weekend.

LEARN FROM SOME OF THE BEST

Great education shouldn’t feel out of reach.

Buckeye is bringing together respected, nationally and internationally recognized instructors, coaches, champions and specialists and making their knowledge available through an entire weekend of workshops and experiences.

Instead of traveling from city to city or paying for individual access to numerous experts, you can experience them together in one place.

Learn from them. Ask them questions. Experience their specialties.

Then take that knowledge back to your own dance community.

BUILT FOR BEGINNERS. EXCITING FOR EXPERIENCED DANCERS.

You do not need a partner.

You do not need years of experience.

You do not need to be a competitor.

And you definitely don’t need to already know every dance being offered.

The Buckeye Dance Festival is being intentionally built to create opportunities for people at different experience levels to participate.

For experienced dancers, it’s an opportunity to expand your knowledge, meet new instructors, cross into other styles and surround yourself with multiple dance communities.

For beginners, it’s a chance to discover just how big the world of dance really is.

Buckeye Dance Festival Tickets are Available Now!

Buckeye isn’t trying to put every dancer into the same box.

We’re opening the boxes.

Ballroom.

Country.

West Coast Swing.

Latin.

Social Dance.

Specialty movement.

Wellness.

Competition.

Performance.

Education.

Different communities. One weekend. One shared floor.

A Festival of Dance, Movement, and Community

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER

Craig Mills

The Buckeye Dance Festival was founded and organized by Craig Mills, founder of Inspiring Elevated Habits and a professional emcee, coach, competitive dancer, educator and community builder.

Craig’s work centers around a common theme: connection.

Through dance, coaching, live events and community programs, his focus has been creating environments where people feel comfortable learning, interacting and challenging themselves.

The idea behind Buckeye grew from seeing an opportunity within the dance world:

There are incredible instructors, organizations, dance styles and communities everywhere — but people often experience them separately.

What happens when we bring them together?

The Buckeye Dance Festival is Craig’s answer to that question.

It is designed not simply as an event people attend, but as an experience that encourages people to participate.

Learn something.

Meet somebody.

Try something.

Dance somewhere.

Challenge yourself.

And leave with more possibilities than you arrived with.

COME EXPERIENCE BUCKEYE

February 25–28, 2027

Columbus, Ohio

Four days designed around:

EDUCATION • PRACTICE • INTERACTION • COMPETITION

Come for a workshop.

Come for the social dancing.

Come to compete.

Come to watch.

Come to learn.

Come because you’ve always wanted to try.

Or come without knowing exactly what you’re looking for yet.

You might just find it here.

Buckeye Dance Festival

Learn. Move. Connect. Compete. Experience.

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