Ballroom Shuffle is coming to ATOMIC Ballroom on Saturday, May 9th, 2026! Featuring Cha Cha and Waltz, this brand-new event will bring together competition, social dancing, and a fresh new energy for our ballroom community. Presented by ATOMIC Ballroom, Peter Jensen-Sabol of DanceHub, and Hunter Doughty, Ballroom Shuffle is designed to feel lively, welcoming, and fun, giving dancers a new way to connect, challenge themselves, and be part of something exciting on the ballroom floor.

At the heart of the event is a Jack & Jill competition. In a Jack & Jill, dancers sign up individually as a Lead or Follow rather than entering with a set partner. Throughout the competition, partners are assigned at random, which means dancers are judged not on choreography or long-term partnership, but on skills like connection, improvisation, musicality, adaptability, and floorcraft. It’s a format that has become a favorite in other partner dance communities because it is exciting to watch, fun to participate in, and rooted in the real skills of social dancing.

With Ballroom Shuffle, we’re bringing that same spirit to ballroom. Our goal is to offer ballroom dancers a fresh kind of event—one that feels more social, more spontaneous, and more approachable than a traditional competition, while still giving dancers the chance to challenge themselves and shine. By introducing the Jack & Jill format to ballroom, we hope to energize the social dance floor, create more opportunities for connection across the community, and build an event dancers will want to come back to again and again.

Registration & Pricing

Dancers will register through ATOMIC Ballroom’s system as either a Lead or a Follow, and may sign up for the Waltz Jack & Jill, the Cha Cha Jack & Jill, or both.

Whole Event:

• $80 Presale (ends 5/8/26)
• $100 At the Door
• Includes Jack & Jill competition entry for one or both styles, plus the workshop and social dance.

ATOMIC VIP Membership:

• $70 Presale Only (ends 5/8/26)
• Available for ATOMIC VIP Members registering for the Whole Event.

Workshop Only:

• $30 Presale (ends 5/8/26)
• $35 At the Door
• Includes the workshop only.

Regular Saturday Night Options:

ATOMIC Ballroom’s regular Saturday evening group classes and social dance will still be happening as scheduled for dancers who would like to attend the night as usual.

• $28 Group Class • Includes the social dance.
• $16 Social Dance Only

How the Jack & Jill Works

Competitors will register to dance in either Waltz, Cha Cha, or both dance styles. Each style will follow the same Jack & Jill format. Dancers register individually as a Lead or a Follow, not as a couple. Partners will be assigned at random during each stage of the competition, giving dancers the chance to show how well they can connect, adapt, and perform with different partners in the moment.

• Quarter-Finals: Each style will begin with a quarter-final round made up of 1 to 4 heats, depending on the number of entries. In each heat, dancers will dance three 60-second rounds, each time with a different randomly assigned partner. At the end of the quarter-finals, judges will recall the top dancers to move on.

• Semi-Finals: Recalled dancers will return for the semi-finals, where 12 Leads and 12 Follows will compete in each style. This round will be divided into two heats, and dancers will again rotate through three 60-second rounds with different randomly assigned partners. Judges will then recall the top 6 Leads and top 6 Follows for each style.

• Finals: In the finals, the top 6 Leads and top 6 Follows will be randomly partnered. Each final couple will dance a 45-second spotlight round on the floor alone. Finals for both Waltz and Cha Cha will take place during the evening social dance, followed immediately by awards.

Schedule

4:00pm – 6:00pm • Preliminary Rounds

• The afternoon begins with social dancing for warm-up, late arrivals, and last-minute sign-ups, followed by the preliminary rounds for Waltz and Cha Cha. Social dancing will be mixed in throughout the afternoon to keep the energy up and give dancers time to change shoes and reset between styles.

6:00pm – 7:45pm • Dinner Break

• Take a break, grab dinner, and recharge before the evening portion of the event begins.

7:45pm – 8:30pm • Special Workshop

• Join us for a special workshop with Oxana Kashkina, Pro Rising Star Winner in Rhythm.

8:30pm – 11:00pm • Social Dance

• The evening continues with ATOMIC Ballroom’s regular Saturday night social dance with DJ Ken & Doreen.

9:00pm • Final Round + Awards

• The finals for Waltz and Cha Cha will take place during the social dance, followed immediately by awards.

Special Workshop with Oxana Kashkina
7:45pm – 8:30pm

As part of Ballroom Shuffle, the evening will feature a special workshop with Oxana Kashkina, Pro Rising Star Winner in Rhythm. This is a great chance to learn from a high-level ballroom professional and add even more value to your event experience. Oxana brings championship-level knowledge, strong technique, and an exciting teaching style that will inspire dancers to sharpen their skills, elevate their movement, and bring more confidence to the dance floor.

This workshop is designed to be one of the highlights of the night. Whether you are competing, social dancing, or just coming to enjoy the event, this is a rare opportunity to train with an accomplished guest coach and be part of something special before the social dance begins. It is also a great fit for ballroom dancers of all levels because the tools, technique, and movement concepts shared in a workshop like this can help improve partnering, timing, expression, and overall confidence across many styles of ballroom dancing.

Be Part of the First Ballroom Shuffle

Ballroom Shuffle is your chance to be part of something brand new at ATOMIC Ballroom. With Jack & Jill competition in Waltz and Cha Cha, a special workshop with Oxana Kashkina, and ATOMIC Ballroom’s Saturday night social all in one exciting event, this is going to be a fun, high-energy night you will not want to miss. Spots will fill, so sign up early, grab your place, and join us for the very first Ballroom Shuffle on Saturday, May 9th, 2026.