Come away with us.

Let’s get lost in the magic of queer ballroom dance—the passion and dedication, dresses and fancy outfits. We’ll admire champion dancers and cheer on our friends in the novice divisions who have been working hard to perfect their routines.

Some of us are preparing to compete at the Gay Games in Spain in June, 2026. For them this will be our warm hometown send-off.

Be a part of the action!

We invite couples, teams, spectators and volunteers to help make this showcase unforgettable.

The event will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM at Lake Merritt Dance in Oakland.

We are so excited to spend this day with you!

Registration Info
Event Info

Meet the Dancers

  • V-26

    Formation Team

    San Francisco East Bay

  • Citabria and Emily

    International Standard

    Advanced Level

  • Izek and Sylvan

    International Standard

    Novice Level

  • Annelise and Nancy

    International Standard

    Novice Level

  • Susan and Andrew

    International Standard

    Novice Level

  • Vince and Taylor

    International Standard

    Advanced Level

  • Vima Vice Squad

    Formation Team

    San Francisco

  • & More

    Please register so we can add you to the list!

What is a Mock Competition?

This event will resemble a ballroom dance competition—there will be rounds, friendly judging, a supportive audience, and a variety of events—all packed into a tight schedule.

For some, this will be the big showcase at the end of a training season. For others, this will be an important step on the way to Worlds—The Gay Games in June!

It will be all the fun with, hopefully, a little less pressure.

Judges

We are excited to welcome veteran ballroom dancers, champions and judges to watch us dance. These judges will offer encouragement as well as helpful written feedback, which will be especially valuable to those who will go on to compete elsewhere.

Zoe Balfour

Zoe Balfour has run weekly then monthly dances and taught Queer partner dance in the Queer community since 1997. She competed in the Gay Games and international competitions starting in 2002 and was undefeated US Women’s Ballroom champion, and one of the top international couples competing for 8 years with Citabria. 

Turtle Brennen

Turtle Brennen is a former Ten Dance and Smooth dancer and holds five USA national titles. 

Melissa Saphir

Melissa Saphir taught ballroom dance from 2001 to 2020 and competed as a follower in International Standard at April Follies and same-sex competitions abroad from 2011 to 2019. She is highly certified (gold level in Smooth and Rhythm, silver in Standard, bronze in Latin) and has served as a Regional Examiner for Dance Vision. 

Register for the Event

Ballroom Couples:

Let’s have fun at this Mock Competition!

There are two competition levels: Advanced and Novice, and up to four dance styles: Standard, Smooth, Latin, and Rhythm. (No gender or age distinction.)

We get to enjoy a spacious dance floor, an additional practice room, dressing areas, and a wonderful experience for all your fans!

There will be a viewing round early in the event, and then a final round towards the end. Judges will observe and offer written feedback—our fans will cheer us on! Stick around to watch other dancers and enjoy the social dancing between sets.

Showdance & Argentine Tango:

Showdance couples: Prepare to dazzle us with your amazing choreography! We are excited to see your routine.

For those who dance Argentine Tango, we will have 3 songs: Tango, Milonga, Valz - ungraded—all levels.

Formation Teams:

You’ve been working hard—it’s time to show us what you got!

Spectators:

A cheering audience is a vital part of the experience!

It’ll be an action-packed afternoon with ballroom couples performing many different styles of dance in their amazing outfits, formation teams, celebrity judges, and a bit of social dancing and mingling between sets.

Some of these dancers have been preparing for many months to compete in the Gay Games in Spain in June and this event is our warm hometown send-off.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Dear Sponsor,

Your generous contribution helps us make this event possible. We want to give our dance community a really special experience and are setting our goals high.

A sponsor ticket includes entry to the event as a spectator. We will also mention your name, or any name, in the list of sponsors below. (Please fill out the form at check-out.)

If you would like to send your contributions offline or in a different manner, please email citabria@oaklandqueerdance.com.

Thank you for helping us get there!

Volunteer, more info, and questions:

Please email nancy@oaklandqueerdance.com.

We will need people to do a variety of things to help us run this event. Reach out to us and we will also be reaching out to you.

If you have questions about dances, levels, rules, venue, schedule, logistics, or anything at all, please ask!

Huge thanks to our generous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors

Lake Merritt Dance

Lake Merritt Dance Organizer's Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit that gives dance organizers and dancers a home for their communities in Oakland. lakemerrittdance.org

Nancy Quan

Citabria Phillips

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Turtle Brennen

Event Info:

Sample Schedule

1:30 PM - Doors open for registration & getting dressed

2:15 PM - Welcome and Opening Ceremony

2:30 PM - Intl. Standard - Advanced Level - Viewing

2:45 PM - Amer. Smooth - Advanced Level - Viewing

3:00 PM - Showdance or Team Performance

3:10 PM - Intl. Standard - Novice Level - Viewing

3:20 PM - Argentine Tango

3:30 PM - Amer. Smooth - Novice Level - Viewing

3:40 PM - Break & social dance

4:00 PM - Intl. Standard - Novice Level Group 1 - Finals

4:10 PM - Intl. Standard - Novice Level Group 2 - Finals

4:20 PM - Showdance or Team Performance

4:25 PM - Amer. Smooth - Novice Level - Finals

4:30 PM - Break & social dance

4:45 PM - A Presentation (Speech)

4:50 PM - Intl. Standard - Advanced Level - Finals

5:05 PM - Amer. Smooth - Advanced Level - Finals

5:20 PM - Formation Teams

5:40 PM - Closing remarks

6:30 PM - After party dinner, location TBD

The Venue

The event will take place at Lake Merritt Dance, 200 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA.

We are excited to enjoy this event in the main ballroom. We will also have access to a large room across the hall for some practice space, and another room down the hall for dressing areas.

The venue is wheelchair accessible via a ramp to another entrance.

A Non-Gendered Event

This event is a non-gendered event. There is no separation of gender in our competition rounds.

Some of us, however, are going to compete at the Gay Games and at other events where they will have categories such as women’s, men’s, and mixed, so we understand that these categories exist at some events.

Photography

We want to capture all the moments, so we are hiring photographers. Crease your collars, tidy your bangs, and don’t forget to smile!

We will share photos shortly after the event.

Feel free to take your own photos.

Social Dancing

Get up and dance! In between sets of performances, we will play a variety of music and ask you to get up and dance. Dance however you feel with whomever you like!

Do I have to be queer to attend?

This event is intended to showcase and encourage queer ballroom dancers in front of a warm audience. Anyone may be a spectator. Performers—teams and couples—should be mostly “queer”-identifying.

Code of Conduct & Release of Liability

Participants will be required to adhere to our code of conduct and sign a waiver when they register. Here is the wording, below.

Oakland Queer Dance Studio’s Code of Conduct

We seek to ensure that all those interested in participating in our community feel safe and welcome. We expect our members and event attendees to respect one another, including on social media. No form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment will be tolerated. We treat any concerns regarding these issues seriously and will review any brought to our attention promptly. For any questions or complaints, please contact us at nancy@oaklandqueerdance.com. We invite all to support our community, to dance, and to have fun.

Oakland Queer Dance Studio’s Release of Liability

I will participate in The April Affair, to be held on April 11, 2026. In consideration for the opportunity to participate, I voluntarily agree to assume all risks involved in my participation. I understand that if I voluntarily participate, I expose myself to risk of personal injury, illness, and/or death and property damage or loss. I also recognize that there are both foreseeable and unforeseeable risks of injury, illness, or death that may occur that Oakland Queer Dance Studio cannot anticipate. I release and hold harmless Oakland Queer Dance Studio, its officers, staff, and volunteers, from any and all liability, claims, costs, expenses, injuries and/or losses, that I may sustain as a result of my participation in the above event. I have carefully read, understood, and am fully informed about this event and am satisfied that I can safely participate in this event. I enter into this agreement freely and voluntarily.

Photography Release

Photographs and video footage will be taken throughout The April Affair by both attendees and event organizers. These may be used by Oakland Queer Dance Studio for marketing and publicity in our publications, website, and in social media. Please contact an event volunteer if you have any concerns, and they can introduce you to the event photographer.

About Oakland Queer Dance Studio

Oakland Queer Dance Studio was founded in 2024 with a purpose to support our queer country-western social dance community with regular and weekly partner dance classes. Many students have come through our doors leaving with a little more confidence, curiosity, and pride.

With the Gay Games coming back around this year, the organizers, Citabria and Nancy, have decided to bring along many of our social dancers on an adventure to train to compete in Ballroom Dance as well.

We are looking forward to sharing the floor with you!