International Lindy Hop Championships

What International Lindy Hop Championships does

International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) event organization that produces the recognized world championship for Lindy Hop and related swing dance styles, serving a global community of dancers from novice to elite level. Operated as a restricted fund administered by Harlem Swings (Federal Tax ID: 82-3959763), the organization delivers an annual World Finals event along with regional qualifiers in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and North America plus a Virtual qualifier. Customer segments include Lindy Hop and Jazz Dancers (primary), Youth and Junior Dancers, and Swing Dance Enthusiasts, all served via direct registration rather than enterprise sales channels.

The flagship product is the World Finals, scheduled for July 2-5, 2026 in Montréal, Canada following a historical base in New York City, featuring 10+ competition divisions (Draw, Solo Jazz, Strictly, NORMAlizer, Classic, Team, and 5v5 Continental Battle), instruction across Foundation through Intensive levels, and live music from the ILHC All-Star Band led by Naomi Uyama, Danny Jonokuchi, and Michael Gamble. The product portfolio also includes the watch.ilhc.com streaming platform streaming 25 live contests per event, the Legacy Series video archive documenting original Lindy Hop dancers, a Youth Program established in August 2011 honoring a commitment to Norma Miller, the Swing Dance Museum initiative, and cultural programming around each event. Digital infrastructure comprises ilhc.com and regional subdomains (europe, latinamerica, asia.ilhc.com), third-party registration via DancePlace, RP-Scoring for competition management and tabulation, and Zeffy for donation processing.

ILHC generates revenue through tiered Full Weekend Passes (priced $259-$302 USD with a $360 USD Patron Pass), per-division competition entry fees ($22-$100 USD), virtual streaming subscriptions ($30-$45 USD), and tax-deductible donations underwriting mission-aligned programs. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with reliance on the global Lindy Hop community, regional partner organizers (e.g., Lindy Riot, Minor Swing), and direct email/website funnels rather than paid performance marketing. The cultural mission — preserving Lindy Hop heritage and supporting youth and African American dancer participation — distinguishes the organization commercially from a generic event operator.

Name

International Lindy Hop Championships

Legal name

International Lindy Hop Championships

Website

https://ilhc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) event organization running the International Lindy Hop Championships and annual World Finals, serving the global swing dance community through competitions, classes, and regional qualifiers across four continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Passes: Weekend passes for the World Finals event providing access to classes, social dancing, competitions, and cultural activities. Tiered pricing structure with early-bird and regular rates in CAD and USD.
2. Competition Entry Fees: Fees charged separately from event passes for participation in various competition divisions including Draw, Jazz, Strictly, NORMAlizer, Classic, and Team contests.
3. Donations and Patron Passes: Tax-deductible donations under 501(c)(3) structure supporting youth programs, legacy commitments, swing dance museum, and African American dancer attendance opportunities. Patron passes offer elevated contribution levels.
4. Virtual Streaming Passes: Online viewing passes for live-streamed events and recorded classes, with tiered options for full weekend, contests-only, or classes-only access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ILHC organizes and operates the annual International Lindy Hop World Finals championship and a series of regional qualifier events across Europe, Latin America, Asia, North America, and a Virtual circuit. The flagship event delivers multi-tier competitions (Draw, Solo Jazz, Strictly, NORMAlizer, Classic, Team, 5vs5 Battle), dance classes at four skill levels, live music from the ILHC All-Star Band, social dancing, and cultural programming centered on Lindy Hop's Harlem heritage.

Product overview

International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC) operates a portfolio of dance event products centered on its annual World Finals championship. The core product is the World Finals event featuring multi-level competitions (Draw, Jazz, Strictly, NORMAlizer, Classic, Team, and 5vs5 Battle divisions), dance classes at Foundation through Intensive levels, and live music from the ILHC All-Star Band. Supporting the World Finals are five regional qualifier events (Europe, Latin America, Asia, North America, and Virtual) that allow dancers worldwide to advance. Additional products include Watch ILHC for online streaming, the Legacy Series video archive documenting dance history, cultural activities programming, a Youth Program with scholarships, and the Swing Dance Museum initiative. The organization uses RP-Scoring for competition management. ILHC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization managed under Harlem Swings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ILHC World Finals Flagship annual Lindy Hop championship event featuring multi-tier competitions, dance classes at Foundation through Intensive levels, live music from the ILHC All-Star Band, social dancing, and cultural programming. The 2026 edition is held in Montréal from July 2-5.
• ILHC Europe Qualifier Regional qualification event for Lindy Hop dancers in Europe to compete for spots at the World Finals.
• ILHC Latin America Qualifier Regional qualification event for Lindy Hop dancers in Latin America, including countries such as Brazil and Argentina, with 11 competition divisions and qualifying spots for the World Finals.
• ILHC Asia Qualifier Regional qualification event for Lindy Hop dancers in Asia, with the 2025 edition hosted in Seoul, Korea on February 14-16.
• ILHC North American Qualifier (Minor Swing) Regional qualification event for North American Lindy Hop dancers hosted by Minor Swing at Atomic Ballroom.
• ILHC Virtual Qualifier Virtual qualification competition allowing dancers worldwide to compete online for advancement to the World Finals.
• Watch ILHC Virtual Streaming Online streaming platform offering live broadcasts of ILHC contests and recorded videos of classes. Passes available for full weekend ($45), contests only ($30), or classes only ($35) tiers.
• ILHC Competition Divisions Multiple competition categories including Draw Contests (Novice/Advanced/All-Star/Invitational), Jazz Contests, Strictly Contests, NORMAlizer, Classic Contest, Team Contests, and 5vs5 Continental Battle, each with separate entry fees.
• ILHC Dance Classes Dance instruction at multiple levels (Foundation, Open, Challenge, Intensive) covering Lindy Hop, solo jazz, and related dance forms taught by international instructors during the World Finals event.
• Legacy Series Video Archive Video archive series featuring interviews with original Lindy Hop dancers (Frankie Manning, Sugar Sullivan, Dawn Hampton, Norma Miller) documenting the history of the dance form, part of the Swing Dance Museum initiative.
• ILHC Youth Program Youth program supporting young Lindy Hop dancers with contests (ages 9 and under, 10-12, 13 and over), workshops, and scholarships for disadvantaged youth.
• ILHC All-Star Band The official ILHC live music ensemble featuring bandleaders Naomi Uyama, Danny Jonokuchi, and Michael Gamble, performing at World Finals events.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harlem SwingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILHC is a restricted fund administered by Harlem Swings, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS. Harlem Swings provides the organizational structure and nonprofit status enabling tax-deductible donations. Federal Tax ID: 82-3959763.
• Houston Swing Dance Society (HSDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ILHC on the Legacy Series project to develop archival information and video footage of original Lindy Hop movement. HSDS and SwingBud Films initially sponsored 'The Project' in 2005-2006 to interview legacy Lindy Hoppers.
• SwingBud FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored the Legacy Series project with Houston Swing Dance Society to capture interviews and video footage of original Lindy Hop dancers for archival and documentary purposes.
• Productions Jazz JamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Montreal production company partnering with ILHC for the 2026 World Finals event in Montreal, providing local organizational expertise.
• Lindy RiotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILHC Latin America organizer providing event production expertise for the regional qualifier event in Buenos Aires.
• Swing City House BandminorOthersLocal Argentine swing band providing live music for ILHC Latin America events, representing community music support.
• Minor SwingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost of North American Qualifier for ILHC at Atomic Ballroom location, managing registration and event logistics for US-based qualifying competitions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lindyfest: Annual Lindy Hop festival and competition held in Houston, Texas, run by the Houston Swing Dance Society — the same organization that co-founded ILHC's Legacy Series archival project. Directly comparable target community, event format, and historical lineage.
• Yehoodi: Long-running online community, news hub, and event calendar serving the swing dance community worldwide. Closely related platform serving the same ILHC target audience with complementary event discovery and cultural content rather than direct event production.
• Herräng Dance Camp: Premier annual swing dance camp held in Herräng, Sweden since 1982, offering multi-week Lindy Hop, Balboa, and jazz dance classes, competitions, and social dancing. The most internationally comparable event to ILHC for the global Lindy Hop community, competing for the same elite dancers, instructors, and cultural cachet.
• US Open Swing Dance Championships: Long-running annual swing dance competition held in the United States featuring multiple judged divisions across Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and other styles. Directly comparable competitive format and target dancer community to ILHC's World Finals.
• Camp Hollywood: Annual swing dance camp held in Los Angeles featuring Lindy Hop, Balboa, and jazz dance instruction plus competitions. Comparable event format, premium instructor lineup, and target dancer demographic to ILHC's World Finals.
• SwingDiego: Annual San Diego-based swing dance weekend featuring competitions, classes, and social dancing. Directly comparable event format and target dancer demographic to ILHC's regional qualifier offerings on the West Coast.
• Bal-mania: Annual Balboa-focused swing dance event held in California, part of the broader swing dance competitive circuit. Comparable event format with overlapping dancer community and instructor pool, though specializing in the Balboa substyle rather than Lindy Hop.

Broad incumbents

• American Dance Festival: One of the largest modern dance festivals in the United States, operating since 1934 and offering workshops and performances across multiple dance styles. Operates at broader institutional scale in the dance event space but with less specialization in the swing/Lindy Hop cultural niche ILHC dominates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lindyhopchamps
• Xx.com/ilhctweets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intergenerational-learning-ctr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Lindy Hop Championships