Your Guide to the Best Dance Events and Conventions in 2025/2026

Written by
Caitlin Martin
3
min read
Growth
Industry Experts

If you run a dance school, you know that dance events and conventions aren’t just fun, they’re essential. They’re where you network with fellow dance pros, discover fresh styles and trends, spark inspiration, and open doors to new opportunities.  

But with so many options on the dance floor, finding the best dance events and best dance conventions for your students can be like trying to nail the perfect pirouette- tricky and time-consuming.  

To save you time and keep your studio ahead of the curve, we’ve created your go-to guide to the best dance events and dance conventions UK-wide for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.    

Why These Events Matter for Your Dance School  

Attending dance events and conventions goes beyond just training, it’s an investment in your studio’s growth and success. Here’s why they are essential for dance school owners like you:

  • Stay Current with Industry Trends and Styles: From choreography to teaching techniques, dance conventions give you a live look at what’s trending, helping your studio offer fresh, relevant training.  
  • Inspire Both Teachers and Students: Exposure to high-level choreography and instruction can be highly motivating. For teachers, it offers fresh ideas and approaches to bring back to classes. For students, it provides excitement and encouragement that can deepen their commitment and enjoyment of dance.  
  • Build Professional Networks: Networking isn’t just for business suits, it’s for everyone. Dance conventions gather a diverse group of professionals, from fellow school owners to choreographers and adjudicators. These connections can lead to collaborations, referrals, and shared resources that benefit your school long after the event ends.  
  • Explore New Opportunities: Many dance conventions UK offer teacher training options, auditions, and performance platforms- boosting visibility and creating new income streams.  

How to Get the Most from Each Event

Maximising the value of dance events requires planning and strategy. To truly benefit fro the best dance conventions, here’s what you should do:

  • Plan Ahead: Book sessions and classes early as popular ones fill fast! Sort travel and accommodation so your focus stays on learning, not logistics.  
  • Bring a Team: Having both students and staff attend can multiply the impact. They can debrief and share learnings back at your studio.    
  • Capture the experience: Use photos, videos, and testimonials from the event to create engaging social media content and newsletters. Highlighting your school’s involvement demonstrates your commitment to quality training and can increase engagement with current and prospective families.
  • Post-Event Integration: Organise in-house sessions to apply what you’ve learned. It’s a great way to reinforce knowledge and showcase your studios evolving expertise.  

Want some tips on using social media to share event moments? [.pink__text]Check out this blog.[.pink__text]

The Ultimate Planner for Your Kids' Club

We've got a ton of free resources you can access now to help improve the efficiency of your club.

Download

Spotlight on the Best Dance Events & Conventions in 2025

Here are some of the best dance events and dance conventions UK that your school shouldn’t miss:

IDS Elevate

  • Hosted by: International Dance Supplies
  • Location: Birmingham, UK
  • When: 5th- 7th August 2025
  • Age/Level/Style: Teachers & advanced dancers; multi-style focus including ballet, jazz, contemporary
  • Great for: Professional development and CPD-accredited teacher training that elevates your team’s skills and confidence. It’s the perfect place to add new teaching tricks to your toolkit and recharge your studio’s creative batteries.

Learn more about this event [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

IDS Spotlight

  • Hosted by: International Dance Supplies
  • When and Where: Manchester, 27th August 2025, Newton Abbot, November 2025 and Scotland, January 2026
  • Great for: Professional development, learn from leading industry experts, gain personalised advice, networking opportunities and explore over 300 costume samples.  

Learn more [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

Perform Ireland

  • Hosted by: Perform Ireland
  • Location: Dublin, Ireland
  • When: February, 2026 (TBA)
  • Age/Level/Style: All ages and levels; multi-genre workshops and competitions
  • Great for: Schools looking to expand their students’ horizons with fresh choreography, plus performance and competition opportunities. With a warm Irish welcome, it’s a vibrant hub for students and teachers alike.

Learn more about it [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

Can You Dance? (CYD?)

  • Hosted by: Can You Dance? Live
  • Location: UK-wide (Glasgow, Manchester, London, and more)
  • Age/Level/Style: Kids, teens, adults; broad styles including commercial, hip-hop, contemporary
  • Great for: Schools wanting a fun and inclusive convention experience that mixes masterclasses with adjudicated competitions and the chance to dance with top industry pros. Plus, perfect for building community among your dancers.

Learn more about Can You Dance? [.blue__text]here[.blue__text]

There is also a teachers convention to be announced for 2026, learn more [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

Move It

  • Hosted by: Move It Live
  • Location: ExCeL London
  • When: 20th – 22nd March 2026
  • Age/Level/Style: All ages and levels; everything from ballet to street styles, tap to lyrical
  • Great for: The ultimate dance mega-event! It’s a must-attend for exposure to auditions, celebrity choreographers, battles, and workshops that keep your school on the cutting edge. If dance were a blockbuster, Move It would be the premiere.

Learn more about Move It [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

SuperWeekender

  • Location: NEC, Birmingham
  • When: 15th and 16th November 2025
  • Age/Level/Style: Intermediate to advanced; heels, commercial, jazz, street styles
  • Great for: Students ready to step up their confidence and stage presence in high-energy, fierce choreography. Perfect for dance schools specializing in commercial and urban styles looking to empower their dancers.

Learn more about SuperWeekender [.blue__text]here.[.blue__text]

Final Thoughts

Ready to lace up your dancing shoes and take your studio to the next level? Whether you’re showcasing your best students or helping your teachers stay sharp, the best dance conventions are where inspiration meets opportunity.  

📣 Stay tuned, next we’re revealing the top dance competitions and awards for 2025/2026. Don’t miss it!

Caitlin Martin

Cait is our in-house social media manager and digital content writer. When she isn’t brainstorming puns or chasing participants for TikToks, she can be found outside running, playing her fiddle in Scottish pubs, travelling on the Avanti West Coast train line to visit her family (read, dog), or nestled up on the sofa with a good book or movie.