Bids Hub

USASF + IASF

The Dance Worlds bids

The Dance Worlds 2026 is April 24–27, 2026 at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orlando. USASF and IASF jointly host. Bids are how teams qualify to compete — and they come in three flavors with different financial sponsorship.

The three Worlds bid types

Paid Bid

Up to $650 per athlete + 2 coaches. Maximum $25,000 per team. Awarded to top-scoring teams at major bid-giving USASF Member Event Producer competitions. Highest-value, rare.

Partial Paid Bid

Up to $325 per athlete + 2 coaches. Maximum $5,000 per team. About half the value of a Full Paid. More commonly awarded than Full Paid.

At-Large Bid

NO financial sponsorship. Team must self-fund Worlds. Awards qualification only. Most common for international and Junior teams.

Senior Division bid pathway

Senior teams earn bids by competing at USASF Member Event Producer's bid-giving competitions during the regular season. Top scorers in their division earn Paid, Partial Paid, or At-Large bids. Each event has its own bid allocation (e.g., 3 Partial + 6 At-Large at major events).

Junior Division — Video Qualification

Junior teams (U16, birth years 2009-2014 for 2026) qualify differently: video submission to USASF.

  • Performance from a USASF-sanctioned competition hosted by a Member Event Producer that awards bids
  • In-person performance does NOT have to be from a bid-giving event itself
  • Submission deadline: March 9, 2026, at noon EST
  • Entry fee: $100 per category
  • Video must be unedited; all dancers must remain in camera frame
  • Only Junior categories eligible: Pom, Jazz, Hip Hop (NOT Contemporary/Lyrical or Kick)

Worlds Bid Boost cash awards

Teams already holding a Worlds bid can earn additional cash awards at designated USASF-sanctioned competitions throughout the season.

  • Up to $100 per athlete cash award (per qualifying event)
  • Toward Worlds expenses (registration, hotel, travel, food)
  • Find a Bid Boost Event near you (USASF maintains list)
  • Apply at qualifying events

Bid acceptance & deadlines (2026 cycle)

  • Acceptance window: typically 72 hours from bid award
  • Registration items due for bids earned through Feb 19, 2026: March 19, 2026
  • Registration items due for bids earned after Feb 19, 2026: April 9, 2026
  • Junior Dance video qualification deadline: March 9, 2026 (noon EST)
  • Music verification & legality review deadline: April 6, 2026
  • Final registration payment: April 16, 2026
  • The Dance Worlds: April 24–27, 2026

Bid math (a concrete example)

A Senior team with 12 athletes earning a Paid Bid: $650 × (12 athletes + 2 coaches) = $9,100 sponsorship. Worlds athlete cost typically $1,200-$1,500 each, so total cost ~$14,400-$18,000. Net cost after Paid bid: ~$5,300-$8,900. Per-athlete cost after bid: ~$440-$740.

Roster rules at Worlds

Rosters can change up to 50% within the division in which the team won its bid. At least 50% of athletes from the original qualifying roster must remain on the Worlds roster. A performer may represent only ONE team in cheer or ONE club in dance.

No Wildcards at Dance Worlds

Unlike cheer (where Wildcards exist at Summit), dance has no Wildcard mechanism. Bid types at Worlds are Paid, Partial Paid, and At-Large only.

Bound for Worlds?

Custom "Bound for Worlds" team apparel and commemorative pieces by KC.

Design Worlds Apparel