In 2022, the competition evolved into an arts-based nonprofit, which allowed them to diversify funding streams and bring more events, other than the dance show, to the community.
The nonprofit will kick off the 2025-26 season with an Area College Fair, followed by Art That Bonds and the dance competition in February. The youth summit around next spring.
Area College Fair
Youth of all ages, especially those in seventh through twelfth grades, are invited to the college fair from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the John Legend Theater, 700 S. Limestone St., Suite A, Springfield.
Students will get admissions information, one-on-one guidance and activities such as music, prizes and dance. Through a partnership with Springfield City Schools, the College Credit Plus opportunities will also be highlighted at the event to help younger teens begin planning for college early.
The college fair will include Central State University, Clark State College, Sinclair Community College, Wilberforce University, Wittenberg University and Wright State University, but that list is expected to grow.
After the fair at 6:30 p.m., there will be a Greek Step and Stroll Show, which is being brought back after a five-year hiatus. It features at least seven Greek letter Divine Nine organizations who will showcase their art of stepping for a $2,000 cash prize.
“Despite the challenges nonprofits face in today’s economic and political climate, we remain steadfast in our mission,” Bailey said. “We ask you to ... help us spread the word so middle and high schoolers can explore college opportunities in a way that only Dance Stomp Shake can bring through education, energy and culture.”
Art That Bonds
This program, being held Feb. 10 at the Springfield Museum of Art, allows middle and STEM school students to create art centered around the theme, “What We Carry...What’s heavy that no one sees?” to allow them to explore and express the unseen emotional and material burdens that many young people carry daily.
“Through their work, we hope to spark conversations, empathy and healing around these hidden realities,” Bailey said.
Dance showcase and competition
The dance showcase and competition to be held Feb. 15 highlights creativity, teamwork and passion of young dancers while also fostering a sense of community and celebration. It will return to the Kuss Auditorium at the Clark State Performing Arts Center, located at 300 S. Fountain Ave. in Springfield, after being at the Dayton Masonic Temple the last two years.
“It feels like a true homecoming. Springfield is where Dance Stomp Shake began, and returning to the Kuss Auditorium allows us to reconnect with our roots while offering a premier cultural experience to the community,” Bailey said. “While Dayton was phenomenal, rising venue costs made it difficult to sustain.”
The loss of the CultureFest in Springfield “was the final straw” that compelled them to bring the event back to Springfield, Bailey said.
“We felt a responsibility to step in and help restore vibrancy to the city’s cultural calendar. The opportunity to return to Springfield was made possible by supportive partners, local sponsors and a shared commitment to keeping the arts alive and accessible here at home,” he said.
Credit: Brett Turner
Credit: Brett Turner
The 2026 lineup for the show is not yet solidified, but Bailey said it continues to receive strong interest from across the region and they hope to highlight local Springfield dance teams and school.
He said they “expect a wonderful show with an international array of dance styles — something that will expand our cultural reach in exciting ways.”
Prize details are also still being finalized but they “aim to create opportunities that both honor excellence and broaden exposure for all performers,” Bailey said.
In past years, the cultural event, held during Black History Month, has encompassed a full weekend, with a schools showcase, hip-hop workshop and freestyle battle, and the 3-hour competition featuring various dance genres.
This year, the showcase and competition had more than 800 attendees and 7,000 viewers through livestreaming, as well as more than 25 sponsors and donors with a $50,000 budget, with the showcase itself being their largest single production close to $30,000, Bailey said.
“The attendance number was lower than our normal 1,200 or so due specifically to the weekend’s snow storm that, though subsided, hurt our walk up sales and about 200 no shows,” he said.
The show had 1,148 attendees in 2024, compared to 1,241 in 2023, and had 21 sponsors and a $26,000 budget compared to $19,000 in 2023 and $14,000 in 2022.
When it started, the show was initially focused on hip-hop and Black Greek step teams, but expanded to include three levels of hip-hop dance (novice, intermediate, advanced) and introduced college and high school divisions and majorette-style Stand Battles.
Youth Summit
This event brings together students, speakers, mentors and professionals to create and environment where youth can network, share and grow through workshops on leadership, mental health, social justice and career readiness. Planning is in its early stages but more details will be announced next spring.
For more information, visit www.dancestompshake.org.
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