United Country Western Dance Council

What is Country Dancing ?

Country western dance is community of people who enjoy dancing to country music and includes both couples dancing and line dancing. Country music calls for a wide variety of dance styles, so we include all sorts of dances highlighted by our signature dance, the two-step. Country music has an enduring appeal to people from many cultures and lifestyles. The fun, welcoming and casual atmosphere is appropriate for families, couples and singles. There is something for everyone and you'll find people of all ages and abilities all over the world who participate socially or competitively in country western dance.

There is a place for both social dancers and competitors in the UCWDC family and our events provide educational, social and competitive opportunities. Our rules and judge certification process assure a consistent and fair competition platform for those who want a competitive environment. Pro-Am, Couples, Line Dance and Team divisions are part of our competitive format. Our top dancers are highly trained, dedicated athletes.

Competitive Dancing

Competitive Dancing is a popular and widespread activity in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles - Triple Two, Polka, Nightclub, Cha Cha, Waltz, Two Step, East Coast Swing & West Coast Swing - Before a common group of judges. Competitive dancing is for those who love to dance and want to take their dance to a higher level. A competitive dancer must maintain some level of physical fitness because even short dances can be physically draining. Also, competitive dancers will lean to improve their technique, balance skills, strength and flexibility through continuously training throughout the year.

Competitors may enter into many varied categories of dance - Couples, Pro-Am or Pro-Pro, Line Dance & Teams. They may also compete in a number of different age divisions which include Junior (under 10), Youth (10-13), Teen (14-17), Open (18+), Crystal (30+), Diamond (40+), Silver (50+), Gold (60+) or Platinum (70+). Lastly they may choose to compete at different skill levels that include but are not limited to; Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superstars, Crown and Masters.

Although the highest scoring dancers are ranked according to their overall scores, dance professionals, dance schools and competitive dance companies emphasize that dancers are primarily competing against themselves and thus competitive dance is not so much about competing, but rather is an opportunity to receive valuable critiques from dance professionals and judges. Competitive dancers have a wonderful sense of community. Many dance professionals and schools attend dance competitions and so dancers from different areas and countries may see each other many times during the competition season. They learn to be courteous to each other, to applaud other routines and to generally support each other. This creates a sense of community as well as an opportunity to make and maintain new found friendships.

Competition Rules

The UCWDC creates, revises and administers the use of a uniform set of rules, scoring formats and contest procedures for all of it's worldwide events. These rules can be found by clicking on the link to the left. If you have any questions regarding these rules or procedures, please contact the event directors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. They will be able to help you better understand them as well as answer any questions you many have.

Line Dance Competition

A complete listing of the line dances offered for competition by the UCWDC is listed on their web site:

* * * ATTENTION ALL LINE DANCE COMPETITORS * * *
The NEW Dance "A" will be used at the Calgary Dance Stampede for all divisions
except Crown Line, RisingStar and SuperStars.

Classic Line Dances

Please note the following:·

• Newcomer will have 3 dances, and must dance ALL 3 dances to qualify for overall.
• Novice will have 4 dances, and must dance ALL 4 dances to qualify for overall.
• Intermediate and Advanced will have 5 dances, and must dance ALL 5 dances to qualify for overall.

Newcomer and Novice dances need not be motion specific. Open and Junior dancers will dance Street/Funky, not Stage/Novelty. Age Division dancers will dance Stage/Novelty, not Street/Funky. Therefore, if a Street/Funky dance is offered for Open and Junior divisions, a Stage/Novelty dance will be offered for Age divisions.

Showcase Line Dances

If you have any questions regarding Line Dance Competition at the Calgary Dance Stampede, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fully Sanctioned UCWDC Event

What does it mean to be a Fully Sanctioned UCWDC Event ?

The UCWDC sanctions and advises the promoters and directors of Country Dance Events and related events which include, but are not limited to, Country Dance Competitions and Country Dance Workshops in order to ensure the uniformity of operation and the quality of the experience of the guests attending these events.

To be Fully Sanctioned means that all of the dance divisions, competitions, rules, judging, scoring and procedures set out by the UCWDC are adhered to by the regional events. Contestants competing in Couples, Pro-Am or Pro-Pro, Line Dance or Teams at these Fully Sanctioned Events can earn eligibly to compete at the World Championships of Country Dance, hosted by the UCWDC. Contestants also earn valuable points in each division they compete in that are used to determine Overall Divisional Champions in the current year. Awards are presented at the annual Country Dance World Championships each January.

The Calgary Dance Stampede

is proud to be a Fully Sanctioned UCWDC Event