The road to ASARC 2026 has begun. Your training montage starts now.

Ryan Herbert
3 days ago
2 min read

August 14 -16 is closer than you think. Are you ready?

Picture this. A lone dancer. Empty studio. Determination in their eyes. A playlist that makes everything feel more cinematic than it probably is. The competition is weeks away. The mirror has become their best friend and harshest critic. The sequins are being...um...polished?

That's right. The road to ASARC 2026 has officially begun!

For the uninitiated

If you're new here, welcome. ASARC is the Australian Smooth & Rhythm Classic, the country's premiere home for American Style Smooth, Rhythm and Club dancing. We run Smooth (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz and Quickstep), Rhythm (Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Bolero and Mambo), and Club (Hustle, Salsa, Bachata, West Coast Swing, Merengue, Lindy and Samba), plus championship events for those who like to test their dancing prowess against the best. Whether you're chasing your first medal or defending a title, there's a place for you on our floor.

The Destination

Friday 14th – Sunday 16th August, 2026

Novotel Sydney International Airport

Three days. Australia's only dedicated Smooth and Rhythm competition. Dancers from Queensland, South Australia, the ACT, New South Wales, and New Zealand all converging on one floor. The biggest weekend on the calendar for anyone who calls these dances home.

The journey

Between now and August 14 there are lessons to take, practice sessions to lock in, and a whole lot of hours in front of a mirror doing things with your feet that probably look ridiculous to everyone who doesn't dance. That's fine. That's the process. Keep going.

Whether you're polishing your Bronze Waltz, preparing your first championship heat, or eyeing off the Jack & Jill title that got away from you last year, the work starts now. Or ideally, it started a few weeks ago. But now is fine too. We're not judging. (Well. The adjudicators will be. In August. Just so you know.)

Who's watching

When you step onto that floor in August, you'll be performing in front of one of the most exciting panels ASARC has ever assemble. Some familiar faces, and some brand spanking new ones. Each of them brings something different to the judging box, and collectively, they don't miss a thing.

That's both a warning and a compliment. Equally.

Not dancing? Come anyway

The spectator experience at ASARC is genuinely something. Three days of incredible dancing, a community atmosphere you can't manufacture, and the kind of electric energy that only a live competition floor can produce. Grab a ticket, bring your people, and prepare to be completely and utterly hooked.

Tickets are available at asarc.com.au/register

Already entered?

If you've already registered, excellent work. You're ahead of the curve, and the early bird gets to avoid the late fee, which is honestly reason enough.

If you haven't yet: registration is open now at asarc.com.au. The deadline is late July. Don't wait.

The road is long. The destination is worth it.

Five years of ASARC has taught us one thing above all else: the moments you carry away from this weekend outlast the nerves, the exhaustion, and every stumble along the way. The performances you nail, the connections you make, the memories you build, those stay with you.