Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
Mission Fusion has an all levels/intermediate class before each dance.
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 2026 Teachers & Classes
Instructors listed in alphabetical order of awesomeness...
Check out Class descriptions here
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. Carter loves to DJ all flavors of electronic music, steady grooves, and the ooey gooey melty.
TBD Tango fusion topic
I’ll be developing one or two class ideas to incorporate what I’m currently learning from Tango in Buenos Aires this winter. You’ll just have to trust me.
David Accurso
David Accurso is a passionate social dancer and instructor with a deep, interdisciplinary understanding of movement. With a degree in Dance and Comparative Movement from Evergreen State College, his teaching is informed by years of study in Fusion, Lindy Hop, Blues, Zouk, Salsa, Bachata, Argentine Tango, and more. David has honed his teaching skills by teaching weekly since 2007, sharing his love of dance across the U.S. and internationally. His classes are dynamic, fun, and designed to empower dancers of all levels. Get ready to move, connect, and experience the magic of dance! David is the founder and creative director of OlyDance in Olympia, WA, USA.
Eliza Wilder
Eliza found partner dancing at 16, when she was lucky enough to start Lindy Hop, Blues and this new thing called “Fusion” around the same time. For the last 15 years, she had continued to dance and study all three, folding in Charleston, Balboa, Vernacular Jazz, Juke Blues, Struttin’, Drag Blues, traditional African Dances from Benin and Guinea, Micro Fusion, sprinkled with a little House and Tango.
Her work is built on a foundation of training in Ballet, Modern and Broadway Jazz from childhood and. BFA in Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts, with 25 years of performance experience and 10+ years of choreography.
She is currently training in WCS and deepening her Lindy Hop practice.
Learn the science of improvised connection with Lucas Weismann — a dancer and DJ who's spent nearly three decades seeking the universal theory that makes partner dance possible, regardless of your background or style.
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!
Jaclyn Rising
Jaclyn Rising is a Colorado native and true “Jac-of-all-trades” in the dance world. With over two decades of experience and a background spanning more than 15 different dance styles — including belly dance, ballroom, Latin, swing, blues, tango, and more — Jaclyn brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to the floor. Since 2019, she has been teaching both solo and partnered dance in northern Colorado, while also performing, organizing, and growing the local fusion dance community.
As a fusion instructor, Jaclyn specializes in blending techniques, movements, and musical influences from multiple genres into one cohesive partnered experience. Her classes explore how to draw from each dancer’s toolbox to create dynamic, adaptable, and musically driven partnerships on the social floor.
Jana Matthews
Jana Matthews began her dance training in San Antonio, at the young age of four. She has a BFA in dance from West Texas A&M University and over fifteen years of teaching experience. A versatile dancer, Jana has trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, acro, contact improv, salsa, bachata, zouk, kizomba, west coast swing, and more. Jana also has considerable professional experience performing as a dancer and/or Magician’s assistant on stages across the US and on Disney cruise lines.
Lucas Weismann
Since 1996, Lucas has immersed himself in the mechanics of improvisational dance. From Lindy Hop and Balboa to Blues and Fusion, he brings a unique analytical approach to understanding universal dance principles — the core of what makes improvisation work with anyone, cross-genre fluency from swing traditions to modern fusion, musical depth connecting disparate genres with purpose and flow, and living tradition showcasing how blues, funk, and jazz evolve today.
Whether you're exploring fusion for the first time or seeking to understand the fundamental threads that connect all partner dances, Lucas's approach will transform how you move and connect. This isn't about learning steps. It's about uncovering the underlying principles that make dancing with a stranger feel like a conversation you've been having your whole life.
Ren Enby
Straight out of San Francisco, I have a Fusion flavor mixing elements of West Coast Swing, Tango, Blues, Kizomba Hip Hop and Zouk.
I've traveled across a dozen states, and several countries teaching, organizing and dancing Fusion. This community is my home and teaching is how I show my love for it. I'm excited to be here with y'all.
Sammie Anne McKibben
Sammie Anne McKibben fell in love with fusion hard and fast on the historic wood floors of the Firehouse 5 in Sacramento, CA. They are multifaceted in all areas; biracial, genderfluid and a true switch lead-follow. They are an avid collector of dances from blues to tango to burlesque. Sammie Anne aims to build conversational bridges through fusion dance; to foster connection, community and creative expression amongst those whose shared language begins with the beat.
Taylor Kinney
Taylor started her dance journey over twenty years ago as a competitive ballroom dancer, where she placed as 2x world champion in Rhythm styles before competing as a professional and placing as a finalist in the Star Dance Tour. Diving into the improvisational and expressive world of Salsa and Bachata, Taylor served as the co-director of the Stanford Salseros, directed a solo Latin Fusion performance team (“Moxie”), launched and co-directed the Bay Area chapter of the Daniel & Desiree bachata performance team, taught and choreographed with Hector Reyes for the MamboNova salsa dance company, and danced for the Afro-Modern Salsa dance company “Afinkao”. Ultimately, her journey led her to discover Brazilian Zouk… and the rest was history. Taylor co-founded the “Sotaki” Brazilian Zouk dance school with Tom Lev in Houston, where she spent three years helping to grow a dance community that prioritized playfulness, inclusivity, curiosity, and present connection. Now Taylor is back, based in the SF Bay Area, where you’ll usually find her enjoying goofy shenanigans or blissed-out hugs on the dance floor after teaching at Omni dance school or B2Z.
Class Descriptions
FRIDAY - Lower Hall
Dance Games & Connection w/ David — ALL LEVELS
Welcome, campers! This interactive class is your official icebreaker, designed to help you loosen up, meet people, start dancing, and step into the night fully warmed up and ready to groove.
FRIDAY - Upper Hall 1
Friendship Fusion w/ Parthiv — ALL LEVELS
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 - Lower Hall
Cross-Training: Blending Styles w/ David — ALL LEVELS
Step outside a single style and into possibility. Drawing from bachata, balboa, zouk, and tango, we’ll explore how different rhythms, frames, and qualities of movement live in the body and how blending them can deepen connection and expand your range as a dancer.
Leans and Dips w/ Jana — INTERMEDIATE
A class on weight sharing! Where is my center? Where is my partner's center? How can we share a center of weight? These are all things we will navigate in this class. We will learn the technique of how to hold ourselves and our partners to create fun, safe weight sharing. We’ll go over different entries into a variety of leans and dips that you can add to your dance repertoire!
Fusion Rides - Single Foot Axis play w/ Ren — INTERMEDIATE+
A ride is a dance move where one partner rotates on a single axis while the other partner travels around them supporting their balance. You have no doubt seen rides in dances like West Coast Swing, Zouk (Commonly called counter balances) and Tango (most similar to colgadas). They're very cool moves that can look impressive and intimidating when you first see them on the dance floor, but can feel extremely rewarding, and create a sensation of flow and grace in your dance when mastered. We’ll be covering the fundamentals of counterbalancing, and axis control to get to the point where everyone can make up their own Ride to show off on the floor.
Prerequisites: 4–5+ years of social dance experience and solid proficiency in at least one partner dance, including comfort with counterbalance and axis control. Unsure if you meet the prereqs? Check with Ren.
Flight School: Traveling in Close Embrace w/ Taylor — INTERMEDIATE
Let’s take flight! Using the flow of Brazilian Zouk, we’ll build the skills to connect and travel in close embrace. As we play with variations on a step called Viradinha, we’ll explore how we can maintain quality of touch and present connection while traveling across the floor.
SATURDAY - Upper Hall 1
Whips and Chains w/ Ren — INTERMEDIATE+ TO ADVANCED
Sorry to disappoint, but it’s not what you think. Whips are what Lindy Hop's swing outs transformed into within WCS. They feel different, but use a similar foundation of movement. They are fun, and can be fast, slow, bouncy, smooth, groovy or whatever dance texture you wanna give it. I learned them from WCS originally, but we see the same fundamental idea of “whipping” the Followers momentum in Lindy Hop, Zouk, Blues, and a bunch of other dances. The best part is that because these are momentum based techniques, we can easily chain them into other moves, like turns, rides, leg displacements etc.. We're basically deep diving into a build your own whip workshop by learning the fundamentals, and adding in our favorite moves.
Prerequisites: 5+ years of experience in momentum-based partner dances (e.g., Swing, Zouk, Hustle) with a solid foundation in momentum, elasticity, and open connection. Unsure if you meet the prereqs? Check with Ren.
Dancing to (all of) the Music w/ Taylor — ALL LEVELS
How do we go beyond dancing to the beat and take creative inspiration from all the rhythms and textures present in a song? In this workshop we’ll play with common rhythms from afro-latin influenced dances like Salsa, Bachata, Chachacha, and Brazilian Zouk to learn to isolate and express different rhythms in a song. We’ll build our listening skills, take a dive into fundamentals of music theory, and then learn how to translate what we hear into partnered movement.
Belly to Belly: Bringing Belly Dance into a Partnership w/ Jaclyn — ALL LEVELS
Step into the art of belly dance and discover how it transforms your partner dancing. This class explores advanced isolations, undulations, and polyrhythms—helping you unlock new layers of control, texture, and expression in your movement.
Dive into techniques like muscle control, body axis, and the contrast between sharp hits and smooth, flowing motion. Then bring it all to life by weaving these concepts into partner work. Perfect for dancers looking to expand their range, with applications in Zouk, Blues, fusion, solo movement, and beyond.
SUNDAY - Lower Hall
Ride the Song w/ David — ALL LEVELS
Step inside the music. We’ll explore how different elements of rhythm, melody, dynamics, and texture translate into movement, from sharp accents to smooth flow. Learn to respond instead of plan, take musical risks, and let the song carry you somewhere unexpected.
The 3/4 compromise w/ Lucas & Eliza — ALL LEVELS
12/8 and 3/4 and 6/8 and flowing, lilting and twirling like flakes when its snowing trav’ling the dance floor like birds on the wing these are a few of my favorite things…
Sexy Sovereign Solostyling + Sound Journey w/ Lisara — ALL LEVELS
Step onto the partner dance floor without leaving yourself behind. Sexy & Sovereign Solo Styling is a multidimensional embodied journey where you root your dance in your own body, breath, voice, and Eros. Experience live-channeled sound healing, guided solo exploration, playful movement textures, and spacious partner encounters with live-performed music as you practice being your own safe ground while staying fully present with others. Explore Self-Seduced movement that feels genuinely sexy and authentic in *your* body and discover how sovereignty creates more freedom, magnetism, and artistry in partnership. Instead of losing yourself to lead or follow, feel what it’s like to stay on your own axis as you listen, respond, and co-create from self-trust in connection to the floor. In this experience of alive sound, rhythm, interconnectedness, structure and flow, expect a sensual, expansive, spiritual (if you choose), and deeply affirming experience that opens new pathways of presence, play, and erotic intelligence as sovereign artistic expression in community.
Draw the Eye, Drop the Jaw, Hold the Crowd w/ Sammie — ALL LEVELS
What makes a moment powerful? How do we find balance in play and pause? Where does that intangible quality of emotional connection enter in to make a dance feel like MORE? Sammie Anne draws from their experience in solo dance and particularly burlesque to create moments that linger and strengthen the bond with the audience– whether it be one-on-one with a single partner or a roaring crowd. In this class you’ll learn to capture attention, build anticipation and deliver lasting impact through connection. Connection to self and the character you embody, connection to the music and the emotional tone set, and connection to those you invite in to witness your creative expression. Please bring a jacket or outer layer that you can remove as part of our exercise and experimentation.
SUNDAY - Upper Hall 1
Tango Fusion w/ Carter & Emily — ADVANCED
This advanced tango fusion class explores the dynamic interplay between colgadas and ganchos through balance, elasticity, and connection. We’ll break down the mechanics of off-axis suspension and rebounding leg actions, with a special focus on developing the follower’s free leg—cultivating clarity, control, and dynamic range beyond typical fusion training. Expect detailed technique, high-level lead/follow refinement, and movement that feels both rooted and like flying.
Prerequisites: Strong, consistent technique in counterbalance/off-axis movement, clean pivots, and precise weight transfers. You are able to maintain your own axis and share weight with control. Unsure if you meet the prereqs? Check with Emily or Carter.
How to Trick Out Your Dips w/ Ren — ADVANCED
Yep, that thing they tell you not to do on the Fusion Dance Floor I'm going to teach you. Why, because if we learn how to do it safely and look cool as hell at the same time then who could say no to us? One of the dances that have my favorite dip techniques is West Coast Swing. When it comes to dips they're often on another level. You can expect this class to show you techniques that emphasize musicality and empower the follower to not just choose how and when they want to be dipped, but to embellish and play in the dip itself.
Prerequisites: Advanced dancers (7+ years) with strong, safe dip technique and the strength/control to support and receive dips (e.g., comfortable in squat-based movement). Unsure if you meet the prereqs? Check with Ren..
A little (Zouk-y) Yumminess w/ Taylor — INTERMEDIATE
Get ready for some really, REALLY good hugs. Together we’ll explore how Brazilian Zouk uses grounding and elasticity to invite a comfortable connection flowing in and out of close embrace. We will play with variations of a Zouk step called Gostosinho (Portuguese for “a little yummy”) as a way to build skills for a comfy and present connection that can translate across dance styles.
Salsa Rueda w/ Dobrimir— ALL-LEVELS