Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
Mission Fusion has an all levels/intermediate class before each dance.
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Our goal is to provide quality instruction that creates a fun and interactive learning enviroment. You are welcome to come solo or with friends. Either way Mission Fusion classes are a great way to learn Fusion dance as well as meet new dance partners.
Group Classes
MFC 2025 Teachers & Classes
Instructors listed in alphabetical order of awesomeness...
Check out Class descriptions here
A'lan Abruzzo
As a dance instructor, A'lan specializes in close-embrace dance and has honed his skills in the realms of Blues, Fusion, Tango, and Micro. A celebrated figure in the national fusion scene, he frequently travels across the US to teach dance and DJ for events. A'lan's classes place a strong emphasis on connection, consent, safety, clear communication, and fostering shared experiences.
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Ally Yancey
Ally began their love affair with DJing Fusion at house parties in 2007, and has been obsessed ever since. From local weekly venues in PDX to exchanges along the West Coast and throughout Europe, they have found a satisfaction behind the DJ booth that's become quite special to them.
They are a sucker for juicy rhythms and dirty beats, and are always seeking to find just the right song that, in a moment, can turn dancers into wild things—roaring their terrible roars and gnashing their terrible teeth and rolling their terrible eyes and showing their terrible claws.
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Carter Nelson
A partner dancer at heart, Carter has been Fusion dancing for over a decade, and both teaching and DJ’ing for nearly as long. Drawing heavily from Blues and Tango, he strives for a smooth and effortless movement aesthetic.
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Emily Webb
In 1996 Emily Webb began her love affair with partner dance. Through the years Emily has studied Tango, Swing, Salsa, Blues, and Fusion dance with some the top instructors in the world. Today Tango and Fusion remain Emily's greatest dance loves.
Thousands of students across the US and Canada have benefited from Emily's dynamic and interactive teaching style. Emily's adaptability to student needs, knowledge of body mechanics, and specialized drills create high impact learning for students of all levels. Through her years of teaching experience Emily has learned to make even the most complex movements simple and build them from the ground up. This means you will not only look good while you dance, but feel great to your partners too!
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Imaan & Sharon Taghavi
Imaan Taghavi is an international partner dance instructor, choreographer, director, and pioneer based in Oakland, CA. He is a Brazilian Zouk World Vice Champion with Ashe Jordan and a Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Omni Movement, which is on a mission to build the world’s best social dancers. He is also widely regarded for his breadth and depth of knowledge in multiple partner dance forms including zouk, salsa, bachata, kizomba, and west coast swing. His mentors and coaches include the CoboBrothers Dance Company, Evelyn Magyari, Joe Ferreira (aka the Rio Dancer), Paulo and Luisa, and many more.
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When Sharon first discovered Zouk in 2016, she knew that she had found 'her dance'. She is currently an instructor at the renowned The Omni Movement school in Oakland. She enjoys infusing other modalities such as Bellydance and Yoga into her zouk technique. As a Somatic Relationship Coach, Sharon believes that if we desire, Zouk can act as a portal to wellness and personal transformation.​
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Jeannie Lin
Jeannie Lin is an internationally recognized dance instructor based in Los Angeles who has extensive movement knowledge rooted in over 30 different dance disciplines including gymnastics, ballet, competitive ballroom & latin, argentine tango, modern dance, hustle, west coast swing, and salsa. She graduated with high honors at the Ballroom Dance Teacher’s College where she started developing her unique and effective style for teaching partner dancing. Her career has led her to teach impactful workshops all over the globe in 30+ cities across 12 countries, throughout the US, Europe, Canada, and the UK.
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Lessa Lamb & Ren Enby
Lessa has been studying and performing various forms of dance for most of her life. In her continuous discovery of partner dance, she has found that her best, most creative, and most satisfying series of movements come when she stops thinking about what she's doing, and just allows the dance, the music, the connection, to flow through her. In this conduit-like state, she finds serenity. It is the experience of these feelings that she strives to impart to as many people as she possibly can.
Straight out of San Francisco, Ren (she/they) has a dance education mixing elements of West Coast Swing, Tango, Blues, Kizomba Hip Hop and Zouk.
Having traveled across a dozen states, and several countries teaching, dancing , djing, and organizing, the Fusion community has become a home and sanctuary for her authentic expression as a trans fem, and lover of movement. ​​​​​
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Vanessa Yxcea
Vanessa Yxcea's fusion dance journey began in 2009 in the San Francisco Bay Area. She hosted fusion dances, classes, and festivals in Dallas, TX from 2017-2020. Her favorite qualities of fusion dancing are playfulness, expansion, and diversity of technique.​
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Class Descriptions
FRIDAY CONNECTIONS - Lower Hall
Meet 'n Greet Connection Games with Rose (8 - 9pm)​
Welcome to MFC! Join us for an hour of playful solo and partnered activities that will allow us to dive right into warming up our bodies and opening up our hearts for a wonderful weekend together. No matter if this is your first time at MFC or if you're a veteran who has attended every campout, this is a great opportunity to get to know each other and get the party started with some silly shenanigans.​​​​​​​​
FRIDAY CONNECTIONS - Upper Hall
Speed Friending (9 - 10pm)​
New to the event or just want to meet more folks? Let the connection begin! We're warming up the weekend with a mix of speed friending and group activities to help you discover common threads and spark meaningful connections with friends old and new. Come as you are—leave a little more connected. 💚
SATURDAY CONNECTIONS - Upper Hall
A Conversation on Community w/ Ale Vientós Del Valle 4:30 - 5:30pm
What It Is and How We Make It Up... This workshop explores the relationships that shape our dance community. Together, we’ll map the diverse groups in our ecosystem, reflect on how they interact, and hear perspectives we might not usually encounter. Through guided discussion and reflection, we'll examine how individual actions affect collective dynamics—and how we can co-create spaces that support a thriving, inclusive community.
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SATURDAY - Lower Hall
Conservation of Motion, AKA: The Water Glass Class with Lessa (12:45 - 1:45pm)​
The class uses cups of water held by the students while they move to emphasize the different ways they might be starting, stopping, and moving through their dance. In the past this curriculum has emphasized smoothness in how movement is occurring, and how we can create a less jarring experience with our partners, but I have some really cool ideas about implementing more staccato movements while still trying not to slosh the water! I'm excited to play with these ideas.
ALL-LEVELS
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Pouring Weight: Nuanced Weight Sharing with Lessa & Ren (2 - 3pm)​
This workshop focuses on a more advanced version of weight sharing we like to call "pouring weight". Just as it sounds the idea here is to help dancers develop a more nuanced sharing of their weight. By "pouring" your weight incrementally through movement as opposed to tossing or lifting your weight all at once we can accomplish a whole new variety of techniques. Think glides, dips or even small lifts that can be performed while traveling in your dance. If %100 of weight sharing is a lift and %50 is a perfect counter balance, then what can we do at %10-%40 or %60-%90 range?
* You can consider this an intermediate and higher class. It's recommended you have solid comprehension of your own balance, tone matching, and can dance comfortably in both close embrace and open.
INTERMEDIATE
Zouk Undulations for Fusion Dancers with Imaan & Sharon (3:15 - 4:15pm)
The class uses cups of water held by the students while they move to emphasize the different ways they might be starting, stopping, and moving through their dance. In the past this curriculum has emphasized smoothness in how movement is occurring, and how we can create a less jarring experience with our partners, but I have some really cool ideas about implementing more staccato movements while still trying not to slosh the water! I'm excited to play with these ideas.
ALL-LEVELS
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What Box? with Vanessa (4:30 - 5:30pm)
What is limiting the expansion and creativity of our dance? What makes us feel stuck, trapped, or "boxed in" to our old habits? This is a small group feedback class! In groups of 4, we will acknowledge and examine the boxes that confine our creative potential. Each dancer will share what "box" they're constructing (or deconstructing), and the other group members will offer feedback on how they can reach their goals, and rotate! Let's help each other unbox our greatest dances, so we can all “Dance Outside The Box!”
(Note: it may be helpful to choose your group of 4 before class if you wish to work on advanced or specific content)
ALL-LEVELS​​​​​​
SATURDAY - Upper Hall
Intro to Zouk Head Movement with Imaan & Sharon (12:45 - 1:45pm)
Learn the foundations of safe head movement from Brazilian Zouk and how to adapt it for Fusion. We’ll cover technique and connection, giving you tools to enter, explore, and exit foundational applications of head movement with control and confidence.
ALL-LEVELS
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International Musicality with Imaan & Sharon (2 - 3pm)
How is your movement related to the music? This class will explore applications of musicality to a selection of international music diving into topics such as phrasing, accents, and fills, helping you respond more creatively and intentionally in your Fusion dancing.
INTERMEDIATE
Legs of Fusion Fire: Igniting Partner Leg Connection with Jeannie & Emily (3:15 - 4:15pm)
Experience the fiery energy of Tango leg movements in a Fusion context, where the true beauty lies in fluid body mechanics and seamless coordination between partners. Once you understand the intricate relationship between your axis, your legs and your partner, you will unlock the secrets to effortlessly connected leg movements. Join us to ignite the Fusion floor with dynamic leg hooks and flairs that will take your dance to new heights of expression and fire.* You already confidently lead/follow single axis movement.
* You have solid balance, core and use of tone matching.
ADVANCED
SUNDAY - Lower Hall
SwitchCraft Patterns with Vanessa (12:45 - 1:45pm)
In this intermediate level switch class, expect to learn several patterns for Lead-to-Follow (LtF) and Follow-to-Lead (FtL) switching. LtF patterns may include: PROF, Ax, Olé, Open/ Closed Shoulder Weave, and Fruit Loops. FtL patterns may include: Nah (+variations), Pi Tau Pi (+variations), Duck & Roll (+variations), and Tuck Swoosh (+varitions). Any patterns we don't cover in class, you can cover in a private or semi-private lesson!
* Comfortable dancing lead and follow roles, comfortable switching roles during a dance.
INTERMEDIATE
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Pivotal Rotational Momentum with Jeannie & Carter (2 - 3pm)
Pivoting with a partner can create some of the most dynamic forms of rotational momentum in your fusion dancing and open up a world of innovative possibility. In this class, we’ll be combining the stretchy elasticity of swing with the stealthy whip-like pivots of tango to explore initiating rotation from a standstill, understanding your axis in relation to your partner, and playing with it all while traveling.
* Should have a solid awareness of your own axis and be comfortable standing and balancing on one leg. The ability to pivot on one foot and turn 180 degrees without losing balance.
ADVANCED
Spin & Turn Like Woah with Ally (3:15 - 4:15pm)
This class will dive into improving our balance and smoothing out those tricksy turns so you can fly down a line and stop on a dime. Come practice the delicate balance of unleashing momentum and harnessing control. Building on that technique we will also add some flavor, playing with fun styling and adding pizzazz.
ALL-LEVELS ABOVE NOVICE
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The Feline Fluidity Experience: A Pleasure & Attunement Dance Playshop with Jeannie & A'lan (4:30 - 5:30pm)
Step into a world of playful movement and embodied connection as we explore dance through the lens of your inner feline. This interactive playshop invites you to tap into pleasure, attunement, and self-expression in a lighthearted and deeply enriching way. Through guided prompts, you'll cultivate trust, refine nonverbal communication, and explore how movement can convey emotion, desire, and connection. Whether you're purring with delight, playfully pawing at new interactions, or luxuriating in stillness, this experience will help you deepen your awareness of yourself and your dance partners.
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Expect a welcoming, playful atmosphere where curiosity and creativity take center stage. Come ready to dance from beginning to end as we explore and embrace the pleasure of connection in ways that feel both intuitive and meaningful. And bring your cat ears … costumes welcome!
ALL-LEVELS​​​​​​
SUNDAY - Upper Hall
Head-to-Toe Dancer Self-Care with Emily (12:45 - 1:45pm)
Do you have tight shoulders? Sore feet? Or maybe you're just tired all over. This class will release tension, give your feet the love they deserve and hit the energy reset button on your body. We will work a series of movement exercises (which you can also do at home) to stretch and align your body so you can dance at your best all night long.
Based on the participants, this class is a bit different each time I teach it and will always give your body the self-care it needs to keep dancing at your best.
ALL-LEVELS
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Poetry In Motion with Vanessa (2 - 3pm)
In this class we will co-create a fusion of spoken word poetry and social dance. We take turns as poets, dancers, and audience. The poet will act as the director of a scene, and invite attendees to participate as dancers (solo, partnered, or group) or audience members; video recording allowable by request. Are you a poet? Please bring your original work and let’s bring it to life! Not a poet, but want to direct a scene? Consider memorizing or reciting your favorite song lyrics, a famous quote, or a passage from a beloved book (about 15 seconds to 3 minutes in recitation length).
ALL-LEVELS
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Partnered Fusion Foot Work Lessa & Ren (3:15 - 4:15pm)
In this workshop, we're taking all your favorite parts of the music and putting them directly into your—and your partner’s—feet. We'll explore how to lead and follow complex, improvised footwork that you can co-create together. That includes things like call and response, sharing balance while traveling across the floor, adjusting your frame to focus on the feet, and using every part of your foot to communicate a clear or creative idea.
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To get the most out of this class, you should have 3+ years of partnered dance experience with strong body awareness, or equivalent training that includes complex footwork and shared momentum. This class moves fast and assumes you're comfortable improvising within a lead-follow framework.
ADVANCED