AACE replaced the The National Advanced and Challenge Convention (NACC) which had is origin based off the Nationals. When the Nationals refused to add a new hall for those dancers who danced at the highest challenge levels, the dancers took it upon themselves to provide what they wanted and had late night after parties after the Nationals dancing was over. They arranged for a couple of the National callers to call for them for a couple of hours. This idea took off and soon, there were more couples interested in participating than there was room or hours in the late-night/early morning to accommodate them all. Thus, the NACC was born: a new convention that took place a week before the Nationals. AACE took over when Ed Foote put NACC to rest back in 2000, and kept the same dates that all the dancers had been used to.