- Categories:
- Arts & Entertainment
- Tags:
- ActivitiesHobbyMusic
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Begins with the 3rd Friday of April and runs for 10 days
- Holiday emoji:
- 💃
National Dance Week grooves into action from April 17-26, 2026, inviting everyone to embrace the power of movement. This annual ten-day celebration highlights dance’s rich history, cultural impact, and health benefits, from ballet to hip-hop. Find a local class, attend a performance, or simply dance in your living room to join the celebration.
Want to sponsor National Dance Week? Learn how
Expected National Dance Week Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that National Dance Week inspires a variety of deals across the industry. Expect dancewear retailers like Discount Dance Supply and Capezio to offer discounts on leotards, shoes, and accessories. Online platforms such as Steezy Studio and local dance studios may provide free trial classes or reduced enrollment fees for new students. Brands like Lululemon and Nike might feature activewear suitable for dance. Keep an eye out for special offers from performance venues and theater groups. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as April 2027 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Dance Week
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalDanceWeek. Share your favorite dance moves or studio moments.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalDanceWeek. Film a short dance challenge or tutorial.
YouTube
Subscribe to @NationalToday for holiday video content. Upload your own dance performance or class highlight.
National Dance Week Hero
Martha Graham
History of National Dance Week
Dance is a performing art form that consists of sequences of movement that are either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value and is performed to express happy emotions.
Early dance dates back to 3300 B.C., from the depiction of dancing figures on Egyptian tombs and the discovery of 9,000-year-old paintings in India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka. References to dance can also be found in very early recorded history. Dance is generally, not exclusively, performed with the accompaniment of music and may or may not be performed in time to such music.
National Dance Week was founded in 1981 by a group of dance-related organizations to increase awareness about dance and its contributions to our national culture, and bring greater recognition to it as an art form. The week is sponsored by the United Dance Merchants of America to increase public awareness and the appreciation of various forms of dance.
Over the years, the organization’s dedication to its founding mission has inspired the events and initiatives taking place throughout the year. These reflect the unique and creative abilities of the individuals and organizations who participate, encourage, and take the lead in an array of events and initiatives to celebrate dance in several unique ways.
National Dance Week volunteers host more than a thousand events nationwide during the observation. Scheduled activities for the week include community dance performances, free classes, an essay contest, and attempts to break Guinness World Records in relevant categories.
National Dance Week timeline
The first ballet dance academy, Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opens in Paris.
The American Dance Therapy Association is founded as an organization to support the emerging profession of dance/movement therapy.
The National Dance Week Foundation (N.D.W.F.) is established as a non-profit foundation.
Dance styles fusing classical ballet techniques with African-American dance emerge.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Dance Week
Local businesses can celebrate National Dance Week by hosting open house events at dance studios, offering free trial classes, or staging outdoor performances in public spaces. Retailers can curate special displays of dance-inspired fashion or offer discounts on activewear. Restaurants might feature themed menus or host dance-themed nights, encouraging community participation and highlighting local talent.
National Dance Week FAQs
When is National Dance Week?
In 2027, National Dance Week takes place from Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 25, providing another vibrant opportunity to celebrate movement and artistry.
How many people participate in dance in the U.S.?
Dance remains a popular activity across all age groups, with estimates suggesting that nearly 10% of the U.S. population engages in some form of dance each year, from studio classes to social dancing.
What is the economic impact of the dance industry?
The performing arts sector, including dance, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and generates over $100 billion in economic activity nationwide. Dance studios alone represent a multi-billion dollar market.
What is the National Dance Week Foundation?
Established to encourage the public to celebrate dance, the National Dance Week Foundation provides resources and grants to help communities host dance-related events, fostering participation and appreciation.
National Dance Week Activities
Get dancing
What better way to celebrate this week than to go out and dance? Whether it is at a party, at home, at school, or any other suitable place, take out time to do some dancing, and your body will feel the benefits.
Share your favorite dance videos
There are millions of videos on different dance styles, and you must have seen a couple of them. Share the ones you love and enjoy most with others.
Teach dance moves to others
If you’re a professional dancer or just happen to be good at it, this is a perfect time to teach some cool moves to others. They’ll surely be excited to learn them.
Why We Love
It is as old as human history
Dance dates back to the early days of the recorded history of man.
It can be therapeutic
Dance and movement therapy has been used as a healing ritual in the influence of fertility, birth, and sickness since early human history, and evolved into a form of therapy in the late 20th century.
It is a great unifier
It played an important role in forging a collective identity among the many cultural and ethnic groups of Latin America.
Dance is in two forms
It is of two major groupings – theatrical (performance upon a stage by virtuoso dancers) and participatory (undertaken for a common purpose such as social interaction or exercise).
It is deeply linked to rhythm
Dances generally have a characteristic pattern, beat, and tempo.
Why We Love National Dance Week
It connects and unites us
Dance is a universal language that everyone can understand. It serves as a bridge to connect strangers and even deepens relationships with friends alike.
It creates a platform for interaction
Through the many activities of this week, people get to meet and interact with new people. Who knows just how beneficial many of these interactions will be?
It brings out the creativity in us
When we dance, we express sides of us that we are sometimes oblivious to. This week helps bring those parts of us into the limelight.
National Dance Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | April 17–26 | Friday–Sunday |
| 2027 | April 16–25 | Friday–Sunday |
| 2028 | April 14–23 | Friday–Sunday |
| 2029 | April 20–29 | Friday–Sunday |
| 2030 | April 19–28 | Friday–Sunday |
Social Media Tips for National Dance Week
Individuals
Creators
Brands