IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The closing date for couple entries for the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival is March 6, 2026.  The organizer of the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival has informed us that all dancers who participate in the team matches must also be registered to compete individually at the Blackpool Dance Festival.  Entries for couples for the Junior Blackpool Dance Festival must be submitted to the Blackpool Festival no later than Fricay, March 6th.  Consequently, couples that will be selected for the U.S. teams for the Blackpool Junior Festival MUST already be registered for their couple competitions in Blackpool.  Any couple who has not submitted their entries to the Blackpool Junior Festival may NOT be considered for inclusion as members of the U.S. team match teams.

Representative couples for the 2026 Junior Blackpool Dance Festival Team Matches (Juvenile and Junior) will be determined by the results of the 2026 U.S. National Pre-Teen 2 and U.S. National Junior 2 championships.  The couples to represent the United States of America in Blackpool this year will be invited following the respective award presentations in Provo.  Only couples who meet the age requirements for Junior Blackpool may be invited.  Couples will need to be prepared to inform the Team Captain for the Junior Blackpool Team Matches (Sasha Altukhov) of their availability at the time they are invited to participate.  If the teams cannot be filled by using the results of the Pre-Teen 2 Ballroom & Latin, and Junior 2 Ballroom and Latin championships in Provo, then couples from the Pre-Teen 1 and Junior 1 respective events will be invited.  The teams will be comprised as follows:

JUNIOR TEAM (both members of each partnership must be under 16 years of age on the day they compete in Blackpool, and one member of each partnership must be at least 12 years of age)
Two couples in the Ballroom style
Two couples in the Latin style

JUVENILE TEAM (both members of each partnership must be under 12 year of age on he day they compete in Blackpool)
Two couples in the Ballroom style
Two couples in the Latin style

Couples who are selected for a team match are required to also compete individually in the Junior Blackpool Dance Festival.  Registration for individual events at the Junior Blackpool Festival must be completed no later than March 6, 2026.  Please register on the Junor Blackpool website at Junior Blackpool Competitor Registration

No travel allowances or other financial support will be extended to USA couples who are invited to dance in the Junior Blackpool team matches.