{"id":9497,"date":"2026-09-29T08:09:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T12:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/?p=9497"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:03:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:03:40","slug":"award-winning-dance-studio-in-apex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/blog\/mission-competition\/award-winning-dance-studio-in-apex\/","title":{"rendered":"Award-Winning Dance Studio in Apex, NC: FAWC 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9497\" class=\"elementor elementor-9497\" data-elementor-settings=\"{&quot;ha_cmc_init_switcher&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e58ce1a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6e58ce1a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f32c1a elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"2f32c1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_laptop&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__2f32c1a\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__2f32c1a\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__2f32c1a\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-377d5755 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"377d5755\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>The <\/span><b>Fred Astaire World Championships 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> took place in Las Vegas. Instructors, competitors, students, and ballroom teams came from all over the country. It was an exciting celebration of competitive ballroom dance. For anyone interested in competitive ballroom dancing, the event was a reminder of what <\/span><b>dedication, teamwork, preparation, and passion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can achieve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year\u2019s ballroom dance competition was especially exciting for our team from the dance studio in Apex, NC. <\/span><b>We proudly celebrated several student achievements, including five medals in the Rhythm Day category and five in Smooth Day.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2><b><br \/>What Is the Fred Astaire <\/b><b>Ballroom Dance Competition?<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Fred Astaire World Championships, or FAWC, <\/span><b>is a highlight of the year for dancers at Fred Astaire studios nationwide. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s a multi-day ballroom dance competition where students and instructors from across the country come together to <\/span><b>share their passion, challenge themselves, and celebrate what they\u2019ve learned.<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many students, these competitions are an exciting extension of their regular dance lessons. Rather than practicing just for personal improvement, they work toward a specific goal. They can focus on <\/span><b>choreography, musicality, technique, confidence, presentation, and performance quality.<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While winning a medal is certainly exciting, the competition is about more than the final result. <\/span><b>The preparation, friendships, teamwork, and personal growth that occur along the way are equally valuable.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-9498 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1-285x300.webp\" alt=\"Ballroom Dance Competition: A couple performs an elegant ballroom dance routine, with the woman in a flowing pink gown and the man in a black suit on a competition dance floor.\" width=\"416\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1-285x300.webp 285w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1-973x1024.webp 973w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1-768x808.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1-600x631.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Ballroom-Dance-Competition-1.webp 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 416px) 100vw, 416px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h3><b><br \/>Where Was FAWC 2026 Held?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Fred Astaire World Championships 2026 took place at the <\/span><b>Bellagio Hotel &amp; Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 27 to July 31. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This incredible location brought all the excitement and energy of Las Vegas right into the heart of the competition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The schedule was packed with multi-day competitions. There were both daytime and evening sessions, across a wide range of categories. The event offered more than heats, though. It also included special entertainment and social activities. Together, these made the championship feel like a complete dance experience.<\/span><\/p><h3><b><br \/>What Divisions Were Included?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the most exciting aspects of this event was the sheer variety of competition. FAWC 2026 offered something for nearly every kind of dancer, from beginners to elite professionals.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Competitors could participate in various levels and formats, including:<\/b><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bronze, Silver, and Gold divisions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">International Ballroom<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">International Latin<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">American Rhythm<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pro-Am dance competition<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Closed and Open Championships<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Single-dance competitions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multi-dance championships<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scholarship divisions<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cabaret<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Argentine Tango<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Country Western<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Solo performances<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Showcase performances<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Novelty performances<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nightclub divisions<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h2><b><br \/>Celebrating Five Medals for Fred Astaire Dance Studios \u2013 Apex<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">FAWC 2026 was a particularly memorable moment for our studio. Upon returning from Vegas, our studio had much to celebrate: <\/span><b>Apex dancers and their professional partners won an impressive 10 medals, including four 1st-place titles, three 2nd-place finishes, and three 3rd-place finishes,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> making FAWC 2026 a truly memorable ballroom dance competition for everyone involved.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex.webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-9499 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex-225x300.webp\" alt=\"Celebrating Five Medals for Fred Astaire Dance Studios \u2013 Apex: A smiling ballroom dance couple proudly displays their competition medals, celebrating their achievements with Fred Astaire Dance Studios \u2013 Apex.\" width=\"392\" height=\"523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex-1152x1536.webp 1152w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex-600x800.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Five-Medals-for-Fred-Astaire-Dance-Studios-\u2013-Apex.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h3><b><br \/>Five Medals on Rhythm Day<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rhythm Day at FAWC was a particularly exciting part of the competition for the Apex team. The dancers brought <\/span><b>energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to the dance floor and ended the day with five medals in the Rhythm category.<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a joyful, fun, and memorable experience and a fantastic opportunity for our dancers to showcase what they had been working on during their lessons and competition preparation.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Special congratulations go to Jenifer, who earned an impressive 1st-place finish at the Fred Astaire World Championships, as well as a 3rd-place finish.<\/b><\/p><p><b>Congratulations also to Scott &amp; Diana, who earned two second-place finishes at the FAWC and a 3rd-place finish.<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Together, these results earned five medals and gave our studio another reason to celebrate. For the dancers, these places represent much more than numbers on a score sheet. Each performance reflects preparation, practice, training, and the courage to get on the floor and perform in a championship environment.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day.webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-9500 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day-225x300.webp\" alt=\"Five Medals on Rhythm Day: A smiling ballroom dance couple proudly displays their five competition medals, celebrating their achievements at Rhythm Day, with the woman wearing a sparkling teal dress and the man dressed in black.\" width=\"380\" height=\"507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day-1152x1536.webp 1152w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day-600x800.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Five-Medals-on-Rhythm-Day.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h3><b><br \/>Celebrating Success on Smooth Day<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our team\u2019s achievements continued during Smooth Day, adding even more impressive results to the studio\u2019s medal collection.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Christine Johnson<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> earned:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1st Place \u2013 World Championship Bronze Closed<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2nd Place \u2013 Bronze Closed<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><b>Jennifer Scott also had an outstanding competition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, earning:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1st Place \u2013 World Championships Bronze Closed<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1st Place \u2013 World Championships Bronze Closed<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3rd Place \u2013 Bronze Closed<\/span><\/span><p>\u00a0<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-9501 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day-225x300.webp\" alt=\"Celebrating Success on Smooth Day: Four ballroom dancers proudly celebrate their achievements on stage, showing off their competition medals in front of the Smooth Day event backdrop.\" width=\"401\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day-1152x1536.webp 1152w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day-600x800.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/287\/2026\/09\/Celebrating-Success-on-Smooth-Day.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><\/a><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>For everyone at Fred Astaire Dance Studios &#8211; Apex, these achievements are a source of immense pride. They show what students can achieve when they combine dedication, consistent practice, professional instruction, and a genuine enjoyment of dance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Curious about the energy and excitement at the championship? Check out our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fadsapexnc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Instagram profile<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to get a real feel for the atmosphere.<\/span><\/p><h2><b><br \/>Start Your Dance Journey in Apex, NC<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This championship showed us how exciting ballroom dancing can be. But the biggest win isn&#8217;t just the number of medals; it&#8217;s what they represent: dedication, teamwork, confidence, and readiness.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fred Astaire Dance Studios &#8211; Apex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, we&#8217;re proud to be part of a studio community that shows up, puts in the work, and celebrates every step of the journey. FAWC 2026 raised the bar for what our dancers can accomplish, and we&#8217;re excited to see what next year brings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fred Astaire World Championships 2026 took place in Las Vegas. Instructors, competitors, students, and ballroom teams came from all over the country. It was an exciting celebration of competitive ballroom dance. For anyone interested in competitive ballroom dancing, the event was a reminder of what dedication, teamwork, preparation, and passion can achieve. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":461,"featured_media":9502,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mission-competition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/461"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/apex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}