California Dance Festivals and Events

West Coast Swing is official California state dance. There are so many types of dances ranging from ballet to belly dance, and some even think pole dancing should be on the list. Among California's favorite dance festivals are Polynesian festivals with dance competitions generally the focal point, and pow wows are ceremonial dance festivals.

PASADENA: Pasadena Dance Festival February 
San Marino High School
2701 Huntington Dr.
San Marino, California 
$10-65, lineagedance.org
A day filled with dance presentations and some classes

PALM SPRINGS: Red & White Valentines Ball February 
Palm Springs Pavilion
401 S. Pavilion Way
Palm Springs, CA
$9, palmspringsdancers.com
Complimentary dance lessons at 6:30 p.m. with paid admission

SAN FRANCISCO: International Hip Hop Dance Fest One Love Benefit February 
Pier 39
San Francisco, CA
$25-60, sfhiphopdancefest.com
Appetizers, entertainment, awards

SAN FRANCISCO: Black Choreographers Festival
Dance Mission Theater
3316 24th St.
San Francisco, CA
$15-25, bcfhereandnow.com
Weekend 2 at SafeHouse Arts February 24-25, 2018. Location: 145 Eddy St., San Francisco
Weekend 3 at Laney College Theater March 3-4, 2018.
Location: 900 Fallon St., Oakland, CA

LOS ANGELES: Southern California Tango Championship  Candela
831 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA
$30-395 spectators, socaltangochampionship.com
Tango, Senior tango, Vals, Milonga, Stage, Group Stage...and the new Pelando Variación

ANAHEIM: Belly Dancer Of The Universe Competition February 
Saturday 10a-9p | Sunday 10a-7p
Business Expo Center
1960 S. Anaheim Way
Anaheim, CA
$32-52, bellydanceroftheuniverse.com
Dance classes, workshops, fashion, makeup, presentations and competitions

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Dance Festival March 1-3, 2018,  Theater Ramond Kabbaz
10361 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
$15-25, ladancefest.org
Ten of LA's top female leading companies showcase work with 5 different companies each evening. These companies are award winning, critically acclaimed companies. Stage performances, dance related artwork in the plaza and  site-specific work during intermission. Service to the Field Award each night honors leaders who change the landscape of dance in Los Angeles.

PALM SPRINGS: Palm Springs Dance Fest March 3
Annenberg Theater - Palm Springs Art Museum
101 North Museum Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
$55-106, palmspringsdancefest.com

NORTH HOLLYWOOD: La Farruca Del Fuego Y La Memoria Presented by the Los Angeles International Flamenco Festival March
El Portal Theatre
5269 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
$39-49, laflamencofestival.com

FRESNO: Danzantes Unidos Festival (folklorico) March 
Showcase Concerts at Warnors Center for the Performing Arts
1400 Fulton Avenue
Fresno, CA 
danzantes.org
The largest gathering of folklorico artists in the country educates the community on the history and traditions of Mexican folk dance.  65  workshops, music and related arts at the Reagan Educational Center (aka Clovis East HS & Reyburn Jr. High) 

SAN DIEGO: San Diego Dance Festival March 
Crown Plaza Hotel
San Diego, CA 92101
$30-135, sandiegodancefestival.com
San Diego Dance Festival on Easter Weekend features: Sanctioned Worlds Qualifying UCWDC Contest – All Divisions Offered A Sanctioned WSDC Jack & Jill Contest – All Divisions Offered Including All-Stars | A Sanctioned CTST Jack & Jill Contest | Pro-Am Swing and Two-Step Jack & Jill Contests | Pro-Am Contests – Swing, Hustle, Night-Club, Two-Step & Salsa | Strictly Contests – Swing, Night-Club & Just Dance Two-Step | Pro-Am Swing Routines | Classic and Showcase West Coast Swing Divisions | Top Teacher Awards

SAN FRANCISCO: Argentine Tango Festival March
San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel
San Francisco, CA
tangousachampionship.com
4 nights 3 days of 100% pure authentic Tango Argentino | 4 days Official USA Tango Championship | 8 Argentine Tango Maestros performing will be directing workshops | 28 Great Workshops all focused on your learning, improving and enjoying your tango. 4 Milongas with special performances and two spectacular Master Shows by the festival Maestros | Live music Trio Tango BC from Buenos Aires and Seth Asarnow y su Sexteto Tipico.

LOS ANGELES: Tap Fest April 
Colburn School Campus
200 S. Grand
Los Angeles, CA
colburnschool.edu
A day of tap workshops with guest artists, and a free group performance in Zipper Hall.

LOS ANGELES: World of Dance Festival April 
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa
Los Angeles, CA
$40-100, worldofdance.com
Dance Tour promises to deliver an unparalleled experience to both participants and audiences

SANTA CRUZ: Santa Cruz Dance Week April
scdanceweek.com
Dancing in the Streets, Dancing in Unlikely Places, Open Classes and more.

YUBA CITY: California State Square Dance Convention Festival April
Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds
Yuba City, CA
castate2018.org
Ghost Riders band featured Friday & Saturday night. 2019 Convention to be held in El Centro, CA

 SAN JOSE: sjDANCEco Festival at Santana Row April   10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Santana Row Park
368 Santana Row, Stevens Creek Boulevard
 between Olin Avenue and Olsen Drive
San Jose, CA 95128
Free, sjdanceco.org
The outdoor festival stage features 60 Bay Area dance organizations from young children to professional companies (12-1:30p) in many styles of dance. The Coalition for National Dance Week was formed in 1981 to bring greater recognition to dance as an art form. NDW volunteers host more than a thousand events nationwide during the observation April 20 - 29, 2018.

SAN FRANCISCO: Bay Area Dance Week 
bayareadance.org
400 free performances, classes and workshops celebrate over 100 forms of dance!

UKIAH: Mendocino College Spring Dance Festiva
Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, and more choreographed by  Mendocino College students, teacher and guest artist. Mendocino College Center Theatre, 1000 Hensley Creek Rd Ukiah, CA. $5-10, artsmendocino.org  

SACRAMENTO:  Camellia Folk Dance Festival ​May
Annual Camellia International Folk Dance Festival
SIFDAC Polish-American Hall
Masonic Temple
1123 J St.
Sacramento, CA
folkdancesac.org
Teaching, workshops, and the Saturday Balkan Dinner and Party

LAGUNA BEACH: Laguna Dance Festival  May
lagunadancefestival.org

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Salsa Festival May 24-27, 2018
Loews Hollywood Hotel
1755 N Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90028
facebook.com/lasalsafest/
Includes Vazquez Brothers performing

OLYMPIC VALLEY: Tahoe Tango Retreat
The Resort at Squaw Creek
400 Squaw Creek Rd.
Olympic Valley, CA
$545-675, tahoetango.com

HOLLYWOOD: Mariachi USA June
Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood, CA
mariachiusa.com
Premier mariachi music festival returns to Hollywood Bowl  showcasing top Mariachi bands from the USA and Mexico, traditional folkloric dances and the legendary Fireworks display

BURLINGAME: Nora's Tango Week  July 4-7, 2019
San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront Hotel
1800 Old Bayshore Highway
Burlingame, CA
tangoweek.com
Choose from fifteen classes and seminars from morning to evening and learn the length and breadth of the historic art of Tango. Learning is not limited to the milonga. Take part in daily Chamuyos to listen to each instructor's history and experiences on Tango and related topics. Nora Olivera is a 40+ year ambassador of Dance.

ELK GROVE: Elk Grove Strauss Festival July 25-28, 2019
Elk Grove Regional Park
9950 Elk Grove Florin Rd.
Elk Grove, CA
Free to see, straussfestival.com

OXNARD: Salsa Festival, Food & Dance July 27-28, 2019
Plaza Park
Oxnard, CA
oxnardsalsafestival.com

HUNTINGTON BEACH: Orange County Tap Fest July 2-7, 2019
HB Academy of Dance 
6491 Edinger
octapfestival.com
Features a world renowned faculty that includes EMMY and Tony Award nominees and winners, leading television choreographers, living legends of the art of tap dance, international master teachers, dance adjudicators and performers!

LOS ANGELES: LA Tap Fest July 29-31, 2019
thelatapfest.com

LOS ANGELES: Summer Bachata Dance Festival August 8-12, 2019
Sheraton Gateway Plaza LAX
6101 W. Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
$20-600 approx., lasummerbachatafestival.com
Over 3,000 dance enthusiast from all over the world gather annually. beginner dancers as well as those experienced. -Beginner Bachata Bootcamps. 3 Days & 4 Nights: Social Dancing till 5am in 5 Large Ballrooms playing Urban Bachata, Dominican Bachata, Salsa Kizomba & Zouk. Workshops: World's best instructors teach over 50 workshops, Beginner Bootcamps and Choreography Intensives in Bachata, Salsa, Kizomba, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary & More. Nightly Themed Parties

SANTA CRUZ: Santa Cruz World Arts Festival October
tanneryworlddance.com

RIVERSIDE: Riverside County Square & Round Dance Festival November 7-10, 2019
National Date Festival Fairgrounds
46350 Arabia Street
Indio, CA
$12.50-60, rivcosquaredance.com

OAKLAND:  California State DanceSport Championships November 16, 2019
usadance-norcal.org
Hosted by NorCal USA Dance, amateur ballroom dance competitors

SAN DIEGO: San Diego Tango Festival December 28, 2019-January 1, 2020
Wyndham Bayside (subject to change)
San Diego, CA
sandiegotangofestival.com
Classes, Milongas, Advanced Couples Classes, Tango Inform body conditioning

TAHOE CITY: Lake Tahoe Dance Festival July 24-26, 2019
Gatekeepers Museum
Tahoe City, CA
laketahoedancefestival.org

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.