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ACTIVITIES & MISSION STATEMENT
www.usadance.org/chapters/activities-of-chapters/

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Purpose and Goals
The basic purpose of each chapter is to promote the growth of ballroom dancing as both a lifetime recreational activity and as a sport. Chapters serve as the leader and focal point of ballroom dancing in their community and strive to educate the public regarding the physical, mental and social benefits of ballroom dancing.

The basic goal is for everyone to ballroom dance. In support of that goal, chapters provide affordable opportunities for all ages to participate in ballroom dancing. They welcome beginner dancers and help them get started as ballroom dancers. Talented dancers are encouraged to become DanceSport Athletes. Chapters seek to bring the joy and benefits of ballroom dancing to as many people as possible, including students in colleges and K-12 schools.

Social Dance Program
Affordable social dance programs are the cornerstone of each Chapter's activities. These programs include frequent social dances (usually monthly) supported by the full use of available media coverage to bring new dancers of all ages and skill levels to Chapter events. Admission charges are lower for members than for non-members. The social dance programs of Chapters usually include exhibitions by amateurs and/or professionals, and also include mixers and line dances. Singles are welcome at all Chapter dances.

Fund Raisers
Each year Chapters are encouraged to dedicate at least one monthly dance to raising funds to support their youth and college outreach programs. Some Chapters also sponsor fundraisers for charities, i.e. "Affair of the Heart" Balls for the American Heart Association, Alzheimers, Wounded Warriors and others. It provides a good opportunity to stress the mental and physical benefits of dance.

Grants
All chapters are asked to make full use of USA DANCE’s Grant Handbook. The guidelines in that Handbook will show chapters how to obtain grants and sponsors to help finance chapter activities. Special efforts should be made to obtain financial grants to support the chapter’s Performance Team and programs for youth.

Dance Lessons
Chapters usually present a one-hour group dance lesson at the beginning of each social dance. Beginners are especially welcome and chapters will help them get started as ballroom dancers. Chapters also often schedule additional beginner lesson programs on a regular basis separate from their social dances.  All members are encouraged to take some formal dance lessons as well to increase their skills and confidence on the dance floor. Chapters arrange other special low-cost group dance lesson programs, workshops, and seminars as well. 

Membership
Chapters directly support USA DANCE’s national programs to increase the numbers of members--youth, adult, seniors, social, and DanceSport athletes by providing programs that appeal to each category of members.

Chapter Newsletters
Each Chapter is expected and encouraged to publish a newsletter that has value for both the social and competitive members. In addition to news items on ballroom dancing and DanceSport, newsletters usually include: 

• a calendar of events regarding dancing, 
  
• a list of local dance studios and independent dance instructors, 
  
• a list of other dance-related businesses in the local area 
  
• a directory of places in the area to dance ballroom, 
  
• and dance-related classified ads at no cost to members when possible. 
  

Black Tie Affair 
Chapters are encouraged to sponsor at least one elegant, formal dance event each year. 

DanceSport Competitions
Chapters sponsor competitions if member interest warrents and encourage members with competitive aspirations to participate in USA Dance events. Chapter members are also encouraged to attend those competitive events as spectators to show support for our athletes. 

Performance Teams 
Chapter Performance Teams give demonstrations of ballroom dancing at public events. Examples are: Festivals, fairs, expositions and other civic events; shopping malls; clubs; social events; schools; cotillions; nursing homes and any event or location that will attract significant numbers of people.  It is suggested that the teams include both adult and youth couples.

Collegiate Programs
All Chapters are asked to start and then help support ballroom dance programs in local colleges. This may include fundraising events and seeking donations by businesses and college alumnus. College DanceSport Teams participate in competitions between colleges and in USA DANCE DanceSport events. They may also give demonstrations in other colleges, high schools and at public events. Colleges that have dance programs are asked to help start similar programs in nearby colleges that do not have dance programs. Chapters should also encourage college students to attend their regular social dance events.

K-12 Youth Programs
Chapters are encouraged to develop, with the assistance of professional dance instructors, a program of free or very low-cost ballroom dance lessons for students in grades K-12. This may be accomplished by adding ballroom dance to the school curriculum, by forming extra-curricular clubs, or by conducting independent programs for youth, including home schoolers. These young dancers give dance demonstrations in local schools and civic events, and participate in DanceSport competitions. 

The goals are to help our youth acquire needed social skills in ballroom dance, and to encourage the most talented to become DanceSport Athletes in support of the Olympic movement. 

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About USA Dance
Our Mission is to Improve the Quality and the Quantity 
of Ballroom Dancing in the United States

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USA DANCE is the National Governing Body for DanceSport in the United States.  With 178 chapters throughout the country, USA Dance is also the representative organization for all social and recreational ballroom and Latin dancers in America, ranging from pre-schoolers to seniors. 

For DanceSport, USA Dance is the official member organization of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the U.S. member of the world governing organization, the International DanceSport Federation (called the IDSF), which is the official global member organization of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  Along with the IDSF, USA Dance has the sustaining mission to gain national and global acceptance for DanceSport as an official medal sport in the Olympic Games. 

With nearly 23,000 U.S. members who financially support the national programs and with an outreach of more than 200,000 dancers, USA DANCE serves the industry as a leader and also as a 501c3 non-profit organization, approved by the IRS, and is authorized to solicit and receive donations from the public to support its promotional and educational programs. 

Important USA Dance programs include the support and establish-ment of chapters throughout the country, financial and training support of our country's top athletes, organization and regulation of DanceSport compe-titions at the regional and national levels, encouragement of Special Olympics DanceSport and a K-12 after-school dance programs, support of seniors as recreational dancers and as athletes, fostering of a healthy, productive communi-cations exchange via the general media and the USA Dance website, social media sites and the official publication American Dancer. 

Essentially, USA Dance has the overall mission to increase the quality and quantity of ballroom dancing in America.

Educational and 
Charitable Mission
In furtherance of its educational and charitable purposes, USA DANCE promotes ballroom dancing as a recognized sport and a recreational activity, providing opportunities to all Americans. 

Objectives Include

1. Educating the general public on how ballroom dancing, as a sport or activity, can greatly enhance the physical and mental well-being and health of its participants, regardless of age, ability or interest level; 
2. Also educating the general public-- from pre-school to seniors -- about the social benefits of participating in organized dance activities; 
   
3. Fostering and promoting a willingness and spirit of universal cooperation among co-existing dance, sports and social organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, businesses, teaching and competing professionals and amateurs, and other interest groups to sustain a high level of interest and participation in ballroom and latin dancing; 
4. Providing a means of information exchange between the various dance-related organizations and promoting a healthy and productive interaction between dancers of all organizations;
5. Eliminating restrictive conditions and policies that would prohibit or discourage participation in dance; 
6. Promoting, guiding and supporting social and competitive ballroom dance programs at the collegiate and K-12 levels throughout the nation; and, 
7. Fostering and helping sustain purposeful USA Dance chapters throughout the United States in all 50 states. 

Chapter Social & 
Community Activities
USA DANCE chapters create dance opportunities for local citizens by organizing affordable social dances, dance lessons and workshops. Chapter members often present dance education and live demonstrations in nursing homes, retirement homes, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and other public places, while striving to educate the public regarding the health and social benefits of ballroom dancing. The goal of each chapter is to serve the national mission on a grassroots level, as a leader and a motivation for ballroom dance activities in the community. 

Colleges and Schools
A significant portion of USA Dance's resources is devoted to promoting, organizing and supporting ballroom dancing programs for youth and collegiate dancers. 

DanceSport Activities
USA DANCE organizes and promotes local dance competitions, regional dancesport competitions (called National Qualifying Events), and the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships, where dancers from pre-teen to seniors 55+ compete within their divisions and at varying proficiency levels. At the USA Dance "National", the United States' World Teams are selected and represent the USA at upcoming IDSF World DanceSport Championships and World Games. USA Dance works to fund Development and Training Scholarship Funds for the World Teams to help finance their participation. 

USA Dance was organizer and host of the 2011 IDSF World Championship Latin, held in New York City in November, 2010. The USA Dance 2011 National DanceSport Championships were held in Baltimore in April 2011 and there, 11 couples were selected for the World Teams.