North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association

Embracing and Welcoming ALL Dance Couples and Dancers

Milestones & Major Events of Same-Sex Dancesport

updated: August 17, 2023

There is no guarantee of accuracy and/or completion for the following listing.

Anyone who has corrections and/or additions, please e-mail info@nasspda.org.

 

YEAR LOCATION “EVENT NAME”plus NOTES
1990 Vancouver, Canada “Gay Games III,” which includes same-sex dance couple demonstration (“Cheek2Cheek,” couple from Bay Area, USA)
1993 Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA IAGLCWDC (International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs) was founded
1994 New York, New York, USA “Gay Games IV,” which includes same-sex competition as a side event at Roseland Ballroom attended by couples from USA & Canada
1994 Louisville, Kentucky, USA first convention with a dance cruise on the Ohio River
1994 Oldenburg, Germany first known independent same-sex competition
1995 Frankfurt, Germany “Eurogames III,” which includes for the first time Dancesport as an official sport
1996 Sydney, Australia first “Australian Same-Sex Dancesport Championships,” held since annually
1996 Berlin, Germany “Eurogames IV,”Dancesport again included (introduction of grading)
1997 London, United Kingdom first known independent same-sex competition in the UK, named “Pink Juke Box Trophy” and held since then every single year
1998 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA first same sex C/W competition at an IAGLCWDC convention, included from this time on annually
1998 Amsterdam, Netherlands “Gay Games V,” which for the first time includes Dancesport as an official sport (new full set of rules established by Dutch organizing team “DancEquality,” creating the term “Equality Dancing” for switching lead & follow within a dance)
1999 Berlin, Germany “Berlin Open,” organized by “pinkballroom”
1999 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA after one year of discussion on the subject, the NDCA incorporated into its rules the definition of a couple restricting it as a man leading and a woman following, in response to various NDCA sanctioned competitions trying to open the floor to same-sex couple events
2000 Zürich, Switzerland “Eurogames VI,” Dancesport again and permanently included (there had been no Eurogames in 1998 & 1999, and Dancesport wasn’t included in 1997, but independent same-sex competitions sprouted up, especially in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom)
2001 Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, USA “OUTdancing Weekend” by Stepping Out Studios (NYC) includes a competition with single & multi-dance categories and couples from different states
2001 Hanover, Germany “Eurogames VII,” with increased participation from American & Canadian couples
2001 Hamburg, Germany first “International Queer Tango Festival”
2002 Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, USA “OUTdancing Weekend” by Stepping Out Studios (NYC) includes a competition with single & multi-dance categories and couples from different states
2002 New York, New York, USA second same-sex competition in NYC at Stepping Out Studios with single & multi-dance categories and attendance by one couple from the UK
2002 Sydney, Australia “Gay Games VI,” Dancesport again an official sport regulated under the rules of DancEquality (except the first 3 dances in Latin include Samba, not Jive)
2003 San Jose, California, USA first independent same-sex competition in the Bay Area, called “California Dancesport Championships for Same-Sex Couples”
2003 Adelaide, Australia SA SamesexDancesport formed, a committee affiliated with Team Adelaide promoting same-sex dancing
2003 Copenhagen, Denmark “Eurogames VIII” (due to Gay Games VI there were no Eurogames in 2002)
2004 Oakland, California, USA “Mid-Winter Madness, California Dancesport Championships”
2004 Munich, Germany “Eurogames IX”
2004 San Francisco, California, USA “Autumn Adventure, California Dancesport Championships”
2005 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA first “Philadelphia Liberty Dance Challenge,” held since then every year, except in 2013, and then again for the last time in 2014
2005 San Francisco, California, USA first “April Follies, California Dancesport Championships,” held since then every year, starting with 2008 in Oakland, California, USA
2005 Sacramento, California, USA USADF (United States Alternative Dancesport Federation) was created
2005 Berlin, Germany first German Championships
2005 Utrecht, Netherlands “Eurogames X”
2006 Sacramento, California, USA WFSSD (World Federation of Same Sex Dancing) was created
2006 London, United Kingdom UKSSDC (United Kingdom Same Sex Dance Council) was founded
2006 Chicago, USA “Gay Games VII,” Dancesport now permanently included (lower attendance of European couples, due to World Outgames I two weeks later)
2006 Montreal, Quebec, Canada “World Outgames I,” Dancesport included in all following Continental & World Outgames (this event marks the formation of GLISA, rivaling the FGG)
2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina first “International Queer Tango Festival” in Argentina
2006 New York, New York, USA DAGE (Dance Alliance for Gender Equality) was formed, a network of social and competitive same-sex partner dancers and LGBTQ social dance associations in the Tri-State area
2007 Orlando, Florida, USA first US Championships under aegis of USADF
2007 New York, New York, USA 5-Boro Dance Challenge (last time held in 2008)
2007 London, United Kingdom ESSDA (European Same-Sex Dance Association) was founded
2007 Antwerp, Belgium “Eurogames XI”
2007 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada first “Vancouver Queer Dance Classic,” intended to be annual, but cancelled the following year due to lack of registrations
2007 Oakland, California, USA first meeting to form NASSPDA (North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association)
2007 Montreal, Quebec, Canada first “La Fiesta de Montreal,” later renamed “Montreal Rainbow Dance Challenge,” a competition held annually and first sanctioned by NASSPDA in 2011
2007 San Francisco, California, USA first “California Dreaming,” held also in 2008 and 2009
2008 New York, New York, USA NASSPDA’s first North American and New York State Championships at the 5-Boro Dance Challenge
2008 Munich, Germany DVET (Deutscher Verband für Equality Tanzsport – German Association for Equality Dancesport) founded
2008 Barcelona, Spain “Eurogames XII”
2008 Melbourne, Australia “Asia Pacific Outgames I”
2009 Sacramento, California, USA first “Dancing In The River City” competition, sanctioned by NASSPDA and held annually from 2010 through 2014
2009 Copenhagen, Denmark “World Outgames II”
2009 San Francisco, California, USA first “International Queer Tango Festival” in the USA
2010 Oakland, California, USA BASSDA (Bay Area Same-Sex Dance Association) formed, organizers of “April Follies”
2010 Cologne, Germany “Gay Games VIII”
2010 Wetzlar, Germany DVET becomes a member of the DTV (Deutscher Tanzsport Verband – German Dancesport Association), the German amateur organization, a first worldwide for integration into mainstream
2011 Rotterdam, Netherlands “Eurogames XIII”
2011 Wellington, New Zealand “Asia Pacific Outgames II”
2011 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada “North America Outgames II,” also NASSPDA North American Championships
2012 Budapest, Hungary “EurogamesXIV”
2013 Austin, Texas, USA first “Same-Sex Swing Convention,” a competition held annually (not NASSPDA sanctioned)
2013 Antwerp, Belgium “World Outgames III” & IFSSDA World Championship
2013 Darwin, Australia “Asia Pacific Outgames III”
2013 Boston, Massachusetts, USA first “Boston Open,” NASSPDA sanctioned competition, held annually
2014 Cleveland & Akron, Ohio, USA “Gay Games IX” & IFSSDA World Championship (including Argentine Tango for the first time as a category and introducing new rules for this style)
2015 Columbus, Ohio, USA first “Glitz & Glitter Ball,” NASSPDA sanctioned competition, held annually
2015 Woodbury, New Jersey, USA first “Delaware Valley Equality Ball,” a former mainstream proficiency event, renamed and then sanctioned by NASSPDA
2015 Stockholm, Sweden “Eurogames XV” (no Eurogames in 2013 & 2014 due to World Outgames III & Gay Games IX)
2015 Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA first “Provincetown Dance Trophy” as part of the relocated “Boston Open”
2016 Palm Springs, California, USA first “Floorplay In The Desert,” NASSPDA sanctioned
2016 St. Louis, Missouri, USA “North America Outgames III” – cancelled
2016 Helsinki, Finland “Eurogames XVI”
2017 Miami Beach, Florida, USA “World Outgames IV” – sport events cancelled one day before, instead one-day IFSSDA event following IAGLCWDC annual convention
2017 Providence, Rhode Island, USA first “New England Open” replacing the “Boston Open”
2018 Paris, France “Gay Games X” & IFSSDA World Championship
2018 Providence, Rhode Island, USA first “New England Open” replacing the “Boston Open”
2019 Rome, Italy “Eurogames XVII”
2020 Los Angeles, California first “Floorpay LA,” formerly “Floorplay In The Desert”
2021 Copenhagen, Denmark “Eurogames XVIII”
2022 Nijmegen, Netherlands “Eurogames XIX”
2023 Bern, Switzerland “Eurogames XX”
2023 Guadalajara, Mexico “Gay Games XI” & IFSSDA World Championship