Intercollegiate Swing Battle 2026

Boulder Swing Dance & CMDance have joined forces for this inspirational event! We invite ALL AGES to gather, learn, have some fun in friendly competition – and most importantly – have a blast social dancing! Competitors and attendees range from dancers that just started to those with years of experience. Join us as we foster the next generation of swing dancers! We offer dance lessons from world-class instructors, contests, performances, and social dances with live music. And hey! This event is open to the public! Yes! It is a community event open to all, not just college students, so come show your support and share your love of swing dancing with our next generation. Follow our Facebook page!

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Registration

Get involved! Volunteer / Work exchange application

Scroll Below for More Schedules: Weekend Pricing

Here is a limited amount of online discounted pre-sale tickets!

Student passes are for currently enrolled students and will need to show valid ID when checking in or will be upgraded to a public pass.

You must have a full weekend or dance pass to compete in any contest.

Full Weekend Passes:

Student $65 online/$75 door

Public $120 online/$140 door

Dance pass: $30 online/$35 door

Individual Tickets:

Friday Dance Only $12 online/$15 door

Saturday Classes Only $60 online/$70 door

Saturday Dance Only $20 online/$25 door

Saturday All Day/Night $80 online/$90 door

Sunday Classes Only $60 online/$70 door

Friday Evening Schedule

Friday Evening will be at the Denver Turnverein.

6:30 - 7:00pm: Doors Open, Pre-Lesson DJ'd Music
7:00pm - 8:00pm: Swing Dance Lesson
8:00pm - Midnight: Social Dance

6:30 - 7:00pm	Doors Open, Pre-Lesson DJ'd Music
7:00pm - 8:00pm	Swing Dance Lesson
8:00pm - Midnight	Social Dance
9:00 PM	Solo charleston registration closes
9:10 PM	Instructor Jam
9:10pm - 9:30pm	Solo Charleston Battle
9:30pm - 10:30pm	Social Dance
9:30 PM	Collegiate M&M registration closes
10:00pm - 10:30pm	Collegiate M&M Prelims
10:30 PM	Open M&M Registration Closes
10:30pm - 12:00am	Social Dance
11:00pm - 11:30pm	Open M&M Prelims

Saturday Schedule

The Avalon Ballroom

9:30 AM	Doors Open
10 -11 am	Class 1
11- 12:45pm	Power Hour: Social Hour in Park
1:00pm - 2:15pm	Class 2
2:30pm - 3:45pm	Class 3
4:00 PM	Contest registration closes

5:15pm - 7:00pm	Dinner Break

6:45 PM	Doors Open
7-8 PM	Swing Dance Lesson
8:00 PM	Social Dancing
10:00 PM	Collegiate Mix n Match Finals
10:00pm - 11:00pm	Social Dancing
11:00 PM	Open Mix n Match Finals
11:00pm - 12:00am	Social Dancing
12:00 AM	Award Ceremony
12:00-2:00 AM	DJd Late Night Dance (end time pending)

Sunday Schedule

Classes: The Avalon Ballroom

11:30	Doors Open
12:00pm - 1:00pm	Class 1
1:15pm - 2:30pm	Class 2
2:45pm - 4:00 PM	Class 3
8:00pm - 12:00am	Farewell Dance at The Pearl

Heather Ballew

For two years she taught ballroom, latin, and swing dancing at World of Dance in Denver. A regular competitor at events around the country, Heather has performed and competed with Denver’s champion swing dance troupe, 23 Skidoo, and has been an instructor at Beantown Summer Camp, California Balboa Classic, All Balboa Weekend and Provence Swing Festival. She holds titles from Camp Jitterbug, International Lindy Hop Championships, Camp Hollywood, All Balboa Weekend and Canadian Swing Championships, but her proudest dance achievement to date has been organizing and growing a group of mighty fine dancers in her hometown. She is known for her personal investment in her students’ success and is a popular instructor in greater Denver for Lindy Hop and Balboa.

Cyle Dixon

Cyle will be joining Heather this year to offer one track of instruction all weekend long!

At 28 years old, Cyle Dixon is a proud Cleveland native and award-winning dancer who discovered his passion for artistic expression early in life. He often reflects on how he first learned to hear music from the soul while soul line dancing at barbecues and singing in church as a child. Cyle embarked on his dance journey at just thirteen, joining the Cleveland Junior Jitterbugs (CJJ). This formative experience ignited a lifelong love for Lindy Hop, inspiring him to compete in and explore various dance styles, as well as create choreography and soul line dances. Cyle's passion for dance has taken him across the world , where he has showcased his talent at numerous events, including Frankie 100, BeanTown Dance Camp, Herrang Dance Camp, ILHC, and Camp Hollywood etc. As a teacher, his primary goal is to spread love and honor the rich legacy of the art form created by his ancestors or as he calls them “melanated legends and icons”. If there is one lesson he wishes to impart to every student, it would be: “Feel the beat of the music from the depths of your soul and let your creativity and individuality shine outward.”

Gabriel Mervine Quartet

Our Saturday evening dance will feature live music with the Gabriel Mervine quartet brings pep to every step. Featuring joyous arrangements of tunes new and old. Please come sing and swing along!

DJ Miranda Whiting

Miranda’s love for jazz began at a young age listening to records and watching old movie musicals. Her early collection of jazz music helped her meet the need for DJs at her local dance scene in South Carolina, and it quickly fueled a passion for finding songs to inspire dancers to hit the floor. Since then, she has livened up dance venues from the Southeast to New England and now calls Colorado home. She has a knack for finding the feeling of the room and playing to it as if it was tailored for each individual dancer, and she can’t wait to do the same for you.

DJ Timothy Bentele

Timothy started learning and then teaching Lindy Hop during college, though they have been listening to and playing jazz for years before then. Experience with music, teaching, and a few brushes with performing arts helped him grow quickly through those first couple years of dancing, with a strong sense of rhythm doing a lot of heavy lifting. Since then Timothy has continued to learn, teach, and DJ. His dancing plays with how to keep the basics fresh and beautiful while staying rooted in the music, the partnership, and the moment. As a DJ, they are always looking for fresh music both new and old, and are excited to be back at ICSB this year.

Flying into Denver International Airport

The nearest major airport to Denver is the Denver International Airport (DIA). You can find deals at respective discount airfare sites or directly from your preferred airline. We suggest checking fares often and signing up for low fare alert services. Research shows that the ideal time to buy your airline tickets is generally about 54 days before travel. After 54 days, prices begin to rise and then shoot up 30 days before the flight. Remember to check out package discounts for hotels and car rentals, if you wish. Here are some sites you can use to find deals and set up price alerts:

www.southwest.com – www.farecast.com – www.orbitz.com –www.kayak.com – www.priceline.com – www.hotwire.com –www.travelocity.com

Getting to Boulder from DIA

There are several shuttle options: Boulder Shuttle, Denver Airport Transportation, Super Shuttle, and more! Here is a page by the university with more options: Transportation To And Around Boulder

Getting Around Boulder

Rideshare programs like Uber or Lyft are highly active in the area. We also have Car2GO, a convenient smart-car rental service providing over 400 2-person cars spread throughout Denver; just take it, drive it, and park it, within the designated city area (membership required).

RTD Buses – For public transportation, our RTD buses and light rail system are an effective and inexpensive method of getting around Denver. Check out the RTD website for a helpful Trip Planner and more details on Denver public transit.

Bird Scooters are an efficient/affordable option to get around downtown. App download required.
Lime Scooters are another app based scooter option to get around downtown. App download required.

Avalon Ballroom

Day classes (Saturday and Sunday) and Saturday evening dance will be at The Avalon Ballroom:

6185 Arapahoe Rd

Boulder, CO 80303

Sunday Farewell Dance: The Pearl

Meet us at The Pearl's weekly swing dance with a live band on Sunday night!

*Separate admission fee from the weekend event.

2195 California St

Denver, CO 80205

Denver Turnverein

Meet us on Friday night for the regular Colorado Swing Dance Club's swing dance night! Prelims will be held during this event.

1570 N Clarkson St

Denver, CO 80218

General Contest Info

There will be both Collegiate and Community level Mix & Matches, and an open Solo Charleston battle!

Prelims for the Mix & Matches will be Friday evening. You must have a full weekend or dance pass to enter. Finals for the Mix & Matches will be Saturday night.

Final for the Solo Charleston competition will be battle style on Friday evening. You must have a full weekend or dance pass to enter. *This contest has limited entry of 16 max competitors.

For all contests, you must have a full weekend or dance pass to compete in any contests.

You can either register online in advance or at the event. Each contest has an entry fee.

All contests are judged on timing, teamwork, and technique as well as authenticity and musicality. Placements will be 1st-3rd or winner takes all depending on the contest format. Win prize passes and merch for these awesome events!

Team Competition

All participants/performers within any particular competition team must be made up of registered students from each respective team’s university.

No more than 25% of a team’s choreography can be directly choreographed by an outside source (professional instructor, online performance, local swing club, etc.) However, gaining insight from experienced/professional dancers is allowed in the process of crafting your choreography. For example, bringing in someone to see your choreography and provide a few tips or pointers for stylistic choices, vocals, or particular adjustments for certain performers to “clean up” the choreography.

Air steps, aerials, lifts, and drops ARE allowed in a team performance.

No electro swing music.

Performances cannot be longer than 3.5 minutes.

Must consist of majority lindy hop based stylistic performance (elements of other jazz dance ok, ie. Charleston, shag, balboa, blues, etc)

No more than 12 performers allowed, not including alternates for competition teams.

No member of a competition team can have competed in more than 4 years of collegiate team battles.

Mix and Match

Collegiate Mix & Match participants must be currently enrolled in a university and have less than 4 year's of lindy hop dance experience.

Everyone else must compete in the Open/Community Mix & Match.

Finals will be to live music with a warm up, spotlights, and then all skate.

Solo Charleston

All levels, anyone come show us what you got, battle style. Judges vote at the end of each battle. The winner moves onto the next round, finals = the last two remaining.

Class Descriptions

Tune-Up

So you’ve learned the basics of Lindy Hop but want a way to level up? In this class, we’ll talk about the tips and tricks that make your basics look and feel amazing.

Go With the Flow

Lindy Hop feels best when it moves around the floor. We’ll take a deep dive into momentum and use that flow to play with new moves and movement.

A Hey Ho, A Here We Go!

Building on basic rhythms and putting it all together.

Frankie’s Moves

Classic moves inspired by the one and only—Frankie Manning.

Knock Knock—Who’s There?

Dancing with a partner is all about communication and taking turns. This class will explore the tools you need to become a stronger communicator.

Fun and Flash

Who doesn’t like fun, flashy moves? We know we do. Come learn some of our favorite things to do on the social floor.

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Sarah Bardo

General Manager

Bill Kucharski

Sound Manager

Caryn Carrasco

Executive Director & Founder

Felicia Bode

Volunteer Coordinator

Saturday Afternoon Power Hour

ICSB Social Power Hour Info:

We have an almost 2-hour break in classes Saturday so we can have a social hour in the park this year! We can't wait to learn & hang with you all!

Location: Arapaho Ridge Park - Arapahoe Ridge Park, Boulder, CO 80303

Pick up some food and meet us at the park!

Nearby Food Options:

Snarfs Sandwiches

Le Frigo Boulder Deli

Pica’s Boulder Mexican Taqueria

schedule