The 2026 Carolina Dance Fusion brought another incredible weekend of country/western dance competition to Raleigh, North Carolina, and The Average Nomad was there to capture it. Over 26 hours of dance video from the event is available on YouTube (links below).
Event directors Antoinette Santoro, Satu Ketallapper, and Jennifer Allen Egl were once again behind the scenes making sure everything ran smoothly, and you can find full event details on the Carolina Dance Fusion website.
A fully sanctioned UCWDC event and Country Dance World Championships qualifier, Carolina Dance Fusion filled the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills with heats, socials, and showcases from Friday through Sunday. Dancers and their families made good use of the hotel’s indoor pool and fitness center between sessions, hopped the hotel’s free shuttle into nearby North Hills for dinner and shopping, and some ventured further into Raleigh itself — the “City of Oaks” has no shortage of parks, museums, and downtown spots to fill an off day.
This year’s event also debuted the non-sanctioned Fusion division, added by popular demand for dancers who want to compete without the full slate of UCWDC rules — no hat or boots required — alongside Spotlight entries that let competitors dance to a routine of their own choosing. Between rounds, competitors browsed the vendor spotlight for hair and makeup from Beauty by Ceci, photography from MB Photography, and custom competition wear from Cashay Couture.
Video coverage from the UCWDC event, including heat-by-heat footage from the competition floor, is already live on The Average Nomad YouTube channel, with over 26 hours of it recorded and published so far (links below) — plenty of footage to relive the weekend or find your own heats.