Connection is King! Experience inspirational workshops, mind-blowing social dancing, connection with community, all while on vacation in one of the most amazing neighborhoods in the country! The Embarcadero on San Diego Bay!
Experience Ultra
Get ready for ULTRA Connection! Three days of inspirational workshops, amazing social dancing, fun competitions, creativity and community! The stage is set! Experience San Diego's waterfront with stunning views, beautiful weather and our epic food and beverage scene all within walking distance!
Elevate your dancing with 3 days of leveled workshops taught by some of the top teachers in West Coast Swing! Be prepared to be inspired!
You can 'Take' the class at your level or 'Experience' classes that you don't automatically qualify for up to one level up.
Read MoreConnection is King! Connect with dancers from all over the world to the best of Westie fire from our curated DJ line up of some of the best in the world!
We beleive that social dancing is the magic that connects all of us. We will set the stage, the vibes and the music... you bring the smiles, the connection, the warmth! Let's create an ULTRA creative experience!
We're a WSDC Trial event! That means we'll have points our very first year! Let's go!!!
Our divisions:
Join in the fun with these divisions to connect in a low pressure atmosphere!
(any combo of the above)
All ULTRA Jack & Jill: This is our All American style Jack & Jill Improv division. No levels, just dancers!
Experience the stunning San Diego waterfront! Our venue at the Wyndham Bayside is steps away from the scenic Embarcadero boardwalk, the famous dining scene in Little Italy, and Seaport Village. Plus, the weather in San Diego in January is consistently the best in the country!
Explore SDWe are dedicated to fostering a warm, safe, and inclusive environment. ULTRA Westie Fest is built on connection, respect, and community. Hate and bigotry will not be allowed. We want everyone to feel welcome and safe on and off the floor!
Read PoliciesExclusive Allstar/Champion level closed-door classes. These unique workshops are designed to allow our top-tier teachers and dancers to become students, learn from each other, and let their hair down in class. Please note: No 'Experiencing' or 'Auditing' is permitted for these classes.
We are planning something extra fun to wrap up our inaugural weekend. More info coming soon!
Connection is King
Community is Love
Knowledge is Power
Let's Go SD
Get a sneak peek at our weekend schedule! Stay tuned for more details and exciting additions to come.
Check in and pick up passes and new ULTRA Merch at our Reg Desk in the Pacific Ballroom Foyer! If the ballroom is ready, we'll have some social dancing happening, or take a walk along the waterfront, or up 2 blocks to Little Italy!
Get your Body and Mind ready for the weekend with the one and only San Diego Legend Brandi Guild! This is an All Levels Class designed to be part dance, part mind setting exercise!
An inspiring workshop designed for all dance levels to elevate WCS mechanics and styling.
Welcome to the inaugural ULTRA Westie Fest! Join us for staff introductions and opening announcements.
High-energy improv competition spotlighting our top division competitors.
WSDC Registry Novice Jack & Jill preliminary rounds.
WSDC Registry Masters Jack & Jill preliminary rounds.
Hit the floor to the best of Westie fire from our premier curated DJ lineup!
WSDC Registry Intermediate Jack & Jill preliminary rounds.
WSDC Registry Sophisticated Jack & Jill preliminary rounds.
WSDC Registry Advanced Jack & Jill preliminary rounds.
Saturday and Sunday schedules are being finalized. Check back soon for workshops, socials, and final highlights!
ULTRA Westie Fest takes place on the scenic waterfront of San Diego. We have secured premium ballroom spaces at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside, featuring stunning harbor views and walking access to the city's best attractions.
Wyndham San Diego Bayside
1355 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101
Located directly on the San Diego Bay, offering stunning waterfront views, easy access to the Embarcadero, and walking distance to the historic Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy.
Special group pricing of $199 / night is available for all festival attendees.
Discounted parking rate of $25 / night is available for all ULTRA Westie Fest attendees staying at the hotel in our room block.
Call 800-996-3426. Mention the 2027 ULTRA Westie Dance Fest and provide Group Code: 272801ULTR.
Getting to ULTRA Westie Fest is incredibly convenient whether you are flying in or traveling locally.
Only 1.5 miles from the hotel! A short 5-minute rideshare or taxi ride gets you straight to the venue.
Traveling from Los Angeles, Orange County, or North County San Diego? The train station is just 3 blocks away! Take the train directly to the Santa Fe Depot station—no parking or driving needed!
Check out the epic San Diego waterfront view and see where all the ULTRA magic happens!
7 years in the making! Bringing a world class West Coast Swing Festival to San Diego has been a dream, a journey and a burden of love that is finally coming to life!
In 2020, the vibrant community of West Coast Swing in San Diego felt a sudden void. Following the final Swing Diego convention, the community was hungry for a new home. Meech, fueled by his experience as an Event Director for TAP, envisioned a grand revival. He secured a hotel, signed the contracts, and began collaborating with the WSDC board to launch ULTRA Westie Fest. But just as the vision began to take shape, the universe intervened, and the world fell silent under the weight of a global pandemic.
In an effort to keep building community while quarantining, ULTRA Westie Fest ran in April 2020 as Virtual Westie Fest! We hosted one of the most successful totally virtual dance events in our genre! We had classes, social dancing, DJ Battles, and discussions!
By 2023, as the dance floor lights began to flicker back to life, the community started digging out from the pandemic's shadow. Meech stepped in to support San Diego Dance Festival (SDDF), a modest Country & West Coast Swing convention struggling to find its footing after losing its original venue due to the pandemic. In a strategic move to preserve San Diego's historical dance legacy, he worked with the WSDC Board to officially claim May—the month once synonymous with Swing Diego—as the future home for the event.
The journey faced a unique hurdle in 2024. With San Diego hotels booked solid, the SDDF needed to run to maintain its sanctioning. In a down-to-the-wire effort, Meech helped coordinate the event at the TAP hotel in Orange County. Recognizing the irony of a "San Diego" festival held in OC, they strategically rebranded to "ULTRA by San Diego Dance Festival," a bridge toward his ultimate dream: the birth of ULTRA Westie Fest.
A temporary setback arrived in 2025. Due to personal reasons, the ownership of SDDF decided to go on hiatus, and the event subsequently lost its WSDC sanctioning. The momentum seemed to stall, but the passion for bringing a premier event back to the San Diego waterfront remained undiminished.
2026 became the year of ultimate perseverance. When Meech petitioned to reinstate the sanctioning, he discovered that the traditional May dates were no longer viable due to current time and distance rules for new sanctioned events. With the ultimate dream guiding him, he worked tirelessly with the WSDC Board to find a new window. The pieces finally fell into place for the end of January—a time when San Diego's weather is nothing short of epic. In a stroke of luck, the very hotel Meech had always dreamed of for this event miraculously became available.
Now, we finally bring the vision to life. From January 29th to 31st, 2027, ULTRA Westie Fest will be hosted on the San Diego waterfront! It is more than just a convention; it is a dream for the community come to life and a long-awaited homecoming for West Coast Swing in the city we love. We can't wait to see you on the floor!
Dancer, Teacher, DJ, Event Director with a passion of growing this dance he loves! Dreaming to bring San Diego an event the community can call home!
An amazing line up of instructors, judges, DJs, and management to bring you the best experience possible!
Elevate your technique, connection, and musicality with our structured workshop paths. We design our curriculum to be inspiring and challenging for all experience levels.
We believe in challenging ourselves while respecting the learning environment of others. You can either **Take** a workshop at your level, or **Experience** a workshop up to one level higher than you qualify for.
To 'Experience' a higher class: you must bring your own partner, stay out of the general rotation, and defer your questions to the students who qualify for the class.
Workshops for Everyone at levels that help achieve their ULTRA Level Up! Workshop levels help teachers plan classes that push each level!
*If you do not qualify you can still Experience classes one level up. (excluding Master Classes). Or you can have your regular teacher email us at ULTRAwestiefest@gmail.com with their sign off for you to 'Take' a class above your level. (excluding Master Classes).
To maximize your dancing time and remove unnecessary stress, **we will not host level placement auditions**.
Students should use their WSDC Level to guide them to the correct level. That said, we are very aware there are amazing dancers out there who do not compete! If you don't compete but know that your level is higher than the All Levels classes, we feel that it's likely that to attain that higher level you likely have a regular teacher that helped you gain those skills. Please have them email us at ULTRAwestiefest@gmail.com and we'll work with them to get you into the level that will best create an inspiring learning environment!
ULTRA Westie Fest is a WSDC Trial Event! This means registry points will be awarded for WSDC divisions in our very first year. Read below for rules and formatting guidelines.
All Jack & Jill divisions are run strictly according to World Swing Dance Council rules and guidelines. Competitors accumulate points towards their official WSDC registry profile.
| Division | Entry Requirements | Points Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | Fewer than 16 Novice points. | WSDC Registry Points |
| Intermediate | 16+ Novice points, or fewer than 30 Intermediate points. | WSDC Registry Points |
| Advanced | 30+ Intermediate points, or fewer than 45 Advanced points. | WSDC Registry Points |
| All Star | 45+ Advanced points. | WSDC Registry Points |
| Champions | WSDC Champion level status. | WSDC Registry Points |
| Sophisticated | Dancers aged 35 years or older. | WSDC Registry Points |
| Masters | Dancers aged 50 years or older. | WSDC Registry Points |
In addittion to our WSDC registry divisions we host a number of FUN divisions! No points, but bragging rights are eternal!
| Division | Eligibility & Pairings | Rules & Format |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Swing B | Novice & Intermediate dancers. Any combo allowed. | Improvised West Coast Swing to music selected by our amazing DJ line up. No choreography, real lead & follow. Sign up with the partner of your choice! Any combo of Novice or Intermediate Qualified Dancers. |
| Strictly Swing A | Intermediate & Advanced dancers. Any combo allowed. | Improvised West Coast Swing to music selected by our amazing DJ line up. No choreography, real lead & follow. Sign up with the partner of your choice! Any combo of Intermediate or Advanced Qualified Dancers. |
| Allstar/Champs Strictly Swing | All-Star & Champion dancers. Any combo allowed. | Improvised West Coast Swing to music selected by our amazing DJ line up. No choreography, real lead & follow. Sign up with the partner of your choice! Any combo of Allstar and/or Champion Qualified Dancers. |
| All ULTRA Jack & Jill | Open to all dancers of any level. | Out "All American" style division. Partners are randomly assigned. No levels, just dancers doing real improv West Coast Swing at all levels! |
Competitions will be judged by our panel of amazing judges! Managed by our Head Judge: Tracy Wang!
All competitors must possess a weekend pass and check in at least 30 minutes before their division starts. Good sportsmanship is mandatory at all times on and off the competitive floor.
Make a holiday out of your festival weekend! Wyndham San Diego Bayside is perfectly positioned in the heart of San Diego's famous waterfront, steps from culture, history, and dining.
Stroll down the Embarcadero boardwalk, located directly outside the hotel lobby. Visit historic ships at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, tour the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier museum, or take a scenic ferry ride to Coronado Island.
Located just a few blocks from the hotel, Little Italy is a chic pedestrian-friendly hub full of top-tier Italian restaurants, cozy cafes, craft breweries, boutique shops, and a famous Saturday farmers market.
Explore the historic heart of downtown San Diego. Known for its Victorian-era architecture, live music spots, rooftop bars, and world-class dining options, the Gaslamp is only a short rideshare from the venue.
We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment. By attending ULTRA Westie Fest, you agree to uphold this culture and adhere to the Code of Conduct, Safety Policies, and Waivers detailed below.
Behavior: We expect respectful conduct that ensures the reasonable safety, inclusion, and happiness of all attendees.
Right to Refuse Service: We reserve the right to deny entry or revoke attendance for anyone who poses a risk to our community’s safety, comfort, or harmony.
Notice of Attendance Requirement: If you have been banned from any other WSDC Event, you are required to reach out to us before attending. Failure to do so may result in being asked to leave without reimbursement.
Individuals with a history of predatory behavior, those previously banned from Austin Rocks, The After Party, or ULTRA Westie Fest, those with past convictions for sexual misconduct, or those on the sexual offender registry are not permitted to attend. If this applies to you, please do not show up unannounced; you will be asked to leave. You can contact us in advance via email to discuss.
Be respectful of everyone on the floor. Apologize if you bump into or hurt someone. Adjust your dancing to ensure safety. Be mindful of slotting. Do not back up onto the floor blindly; use your eyes to navigate to free space.
Always respect personal boundaries regarding dance holds, styling, and dips. If you are unsure of someone's comfort level, ask first. If asked to stop—verbally or non-verbally—do so immediately.
You have the right to say "no" to a dance, and you must respect others' right to do the same. You may stop a dance at any time without explanation if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
Alcohol and substances can impede judgment, especially in picking up on non-verbal cues. Those deemed too intoxicated may be asked to exit the space for the night, day, or weekend.
We are an inclusive community with strict rules against physical or verbal harassment, bigotry, or threats; especially based on identity or appearance. Our standards extend to digital spaces—online harassment of staff or attendees is grounds for removal from the event.
Reporting: If you witness or experience issues, please report it immediately. Contact our Management Team, shift DJ, or Event Director. All reports will be handled confidentially and respectfully.
Consequences: Anyone asked to stop problematic behavior must comply immediately. Organizers reserve the right to issue warnings, formal warnings, or execute immediate removal from the venue for the weekend without refund, as well as notify security or law enforcement if necessary.
Assumption of Risk: By attending, you acknowledge that COVID-19 and other communicable diseases are highly contagious and spread through person-to-person contact. You voluntarily assume all risks—including illness, injury, disability, or death—associated with participation. ULTRA Westie Fest, Soul Studios LLC, and all affiliates are released from any and all liability or claims arising from your attendance.
Health Requirement: Do not attend or enter the venue if, within 14 days of the event, you have experienced symptoms of illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.) or received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
Liability & Conduct Waiver: You agree to hold harmless the event organizers, staff, and volunteers from any claims or expenses related to your participation. Violation of health or safety policies may result in removal without refund and a temporary or permanent ban from future events.
Media Release: You grant the event permission to use any photographs or videos taken of you during the event for promotional and marketing purposes.
Have questions about tickets, schedules, or hotel bookings? Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you shortly.