34 Years of Celebrating
Young Dancers
A not-for-profit festival rooted in the West Gippsland community, giving young performers a stage to shine since 1991.
OUR STORY
Started Small. Built by Community.
For over 34 years, the West Gippsland Dance Festival has been giving young dancers the stage they deserve.
What started as a small community event in 1991 has grown into one of regional Victoria's most loved performing arts festivals, bringing together hundreds of dancers, families, studios, and supporters every September at the West Gippsland Arts Centre.
We've run 33 festivals, 2026 will be year 34, across more than three decades. We missed a year along the way, and COVID took 2020 from us, but every other year, without fail, the West Gippsland Arts Centre has come alive with young dancers from across Victoria.
We're proudly not-for-profit, run entirely by a volunteer committee who love this festival just as much as the kids who compete in it.
WHAT WE’RE ABOUT
More Than a Competition
West Gippsland Dance Festival is about what happens when a community comes together to celebrate young people doing something they love.
A Stage for Every Dancer
All styles, all skill levels, all welcome. If you love dance, there's a place for you here.
Community First
This festival exists because of the families, teachers, and volunteers who show up for it every single year.
Rooted in Regional VIC
Proudly based in West Gippsland, keeping the performing arts alive for young people in our region.
OUR PEOPLE
Run by Volunteers Who Love Dance
West Gippsland Dance Festival is entirely run by a dedicated volunteer committee. No paid staff, no corporate structure. Just passionate people from the West Gippsland community who give their time to make this festival happen every year.
If you'd like to get involved, we'd love to hear from you.
Regional kids deserve the same opportunities to perform and grow as anyone else. That's why we started this, and it's still why we do it.
West Gippsland Dance Festival
Want to be part of it?
Whether you're a dancer, a studio, a sponsor, or just someone who loves live performance, there's a place for you at WGDF.