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
Heather Powers and Ben O’Neal
Ben and Heather have been dancing together both competitively and socially for over decade. Their West Coast Swing competitions have become legendary for their ability to fuse their classical training and love for partner dancing. Ben and Heather have a reputation for their creative and inspirational performance both on the competitive dance floor as well as late-night social dancing. Their improvisational performances are seamless and look choreographed. They love dancing with people of all dance backgrounds and abilities, creating moments of true beauty. They are well known for their signature big hair that matches their big smiles.
Malik Delgado
Malik Delgado of Guapacha Dance Company. As a student of street art expression and culture Malik’s journey has led him to immerse himself into many styles of Afro American and Latino Street dances such as B-Boying, Rock dance, Strutting/Boogaloo to Mambo. Malik is currently a Instructor of Modern and Sensual Bachata at Vitalidad Movement Arts Center in Portland, Oregon..He has studied American Style Ballroom, Salsa On 2, Afro Cuban Modern and Folk Lore, Afro latin Jazz/ contemporary. He has trained with schools like Fred Astaire, Salsamania, Couture Dance Alliance, SMC Dance Company in New York City, founded by world renowned artist Sekou Mcmiller, Alexis Zanety ( Afro Cuban modern). He one day hopes to open his own Movement Arts Dance School, helping others pursue Cultural Education in the arts. The world needs dance, it has always been a huge part of our history and identity.
Mark Carpenter
In most of my classes/instructing, teaching is about taking people from where they are to where I want them to be. This means knowing where they are to begin with, what I want them to look/feel/move like, and what it'll take for them to get there. I'm very goal-focused in my teaching, and am usually more about imparting skills than "expanding hearts and minds". I want to bring high-level concepts and frameworks to the fusion scene, shaping the way we _think_ about fusion, not just how we _dance_ it.
Andrew Smith
Andrew draws upon 19 years of experience teaching internationally in many dances to inspire and challenge his students. He draws influences from Blues, Lindy Hop, Tango, House, African, and Lyrical dances, then combining them all together in Fusion. He brings a balanced focus to technique, connection, and play in order to create a safe and fun learning environment. He loves tea, dark chocolate, and skiing. Visit www.andrewsmithdance.com for more info.
Kelly Howard
Kelly started partner dancing with Seattle's Lindy Hop and Blues scenes around 2005. Kelly joined the circus in 2010 and became a circus instructor for flying trapeze while performing professionally doing adagio acro. With their background in hip-hop, modern/jazz, and acro, Kelly naturally attached to the Fusion dance movement, combining different styles of dance to musically express whatever song is playing. She's been teaching partner dancing on and off since 2009, primarily focused in lindy-hop, blues and fusion. Kelly has taught classes and workshops around the globe in 14 countries, including prime US exchanges like the Fusion Exchange and Seattle Fusion Festival. Their teaching style is inclusive, holistic, and creative.
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!
Eleanor Chen
Eleanor Chen is has been facilitating group workshops on social justice, anti-racism, and community since 2018. She created and ran Fusion Discussion in Portland, OR and the SF bay area to support the fusion scene in having productive conversations and greater individual awareness. In addition to privately consulting various leaders and teams, Eleanor has led workshops at fusion events such as Mile High Fusion, Portland Underground Exchange, Champagne & Roses, and European Micro Fantasia. Eleanor is completing a master's degree in Transformative Social Change to bolster her compassionate and intuitive methods with knowledge and skills from the world's history of civil activism. Her facilitation approach is grounded in emergent strategy, transformative justice, autonomy, and trust.
Angel Kim Spicer
Portland-based dancer, performer, and all-around chaos gremlin, Angel cavorts up, down, and across the US dancing, performing, teaching, organizing, producing, DJing, and generally raising hell. Their movement vocabulary includes an eclectic mix of ballet, jazz funk, contemporary, heels, street and club styles, hip-hop, pole, chair, twerk, floorwork, burlesque, acrobatics, and various partner dance styles including west coast swing, zouk, blues, fusion, and micro. You can keep up with whatever havoc they’re currently wreaking at @AngelKimSpicer.
Matt Johnson
Having tried every partner dance he's come across in his 18 years of dancing, Matt brings a rich breadth of experience and knowledge to his teaching. From the technical skills of crowded westie halls to the pure energy and momentum of spinning contradance lines, he is always curious to explore the nuances of communication and push the boundaries of what can be created on the dance floor.
Eliza Wilder
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 studying Afrobeats (Ghana), Amapiano (South Africa) and WCS.
Ben LaCara
Ben has been dancing and DJing fusion for 14 years. He’s started a weekly venue in a new city and helped run 3 different recurring events. He knows the value of music being both accessible AND interesting and strives for both in all his sets. He's excited to connect with the space, the music and with all of you.
Class Descriptions - more coming soon
Dance Games - Andrew Smith
Dance Games: Come join for games, connection, and play! Dance games are a wonderful way to meet others while practicing useful dance skills. Think of them like technique exercises with some silliness sprinkled in.
All Levels
West Coast Swing for Fusion - Heather Powers & Ben O’Neal
In this workshop we will use connection, frame and movement concepts from West Coast Swing to create inspired moments in our fusion dance.
Intermediate
Heather Powers & Ben O’Neal - Heather Powers & Ben O’Neal
Single Axis Turns & Spins: In this workshop, we will take a deep dive into turn technique for leaders, followers, and solo dancers allowing us to play more freely as we spin like a top.
Advanced
So You Think You Know Music(ality)? - Mark Carpenter
So You Think You Know Music(ality)? How can some dancers predict what a song is going to do before they hear it? Magic. Also musicianship. Join us for a deep (deep) dive into musicality for the non-musician, taught by musicians. Using a historical cultural lens to guide us, we'll look at rhythm and song structure, building from the ground up.
All Levels
Oh, So That's Fusion!? (alternatively) So You Think You Can Fusion - Mark Carpenter
We'll play songs, you tell us how you'd dance to them. Then teach each other the dances you've made up. This fun, guided, experimental class, will get you thinking about the music you listen to each night differently. Through the power of friendship .. or something
All Levels
Afro Latin Fusion - Malik Delgado
A guided exploration into the core foundations of the Afro Latin groove, feeling that’s rooted in the rhythmic traditions of the music. Together we’ll explore the sensations of a rhythmic experience, and ground inside the flow and pulse within Afro Latin fusion body movements and steps by diving into the core foundations of son, Guaguanco, pachanga, y cha cha cha. Welcome to the Afro Latin Fusion experience.
All Levels
The Art of Solo Dancing - Malik Delgado
Solo dancing can be a juicy and liberating experience. In this class you will be learning foundational patterns and solo techniques to incorporate into your partner work. The goal is to give you, the dancer, a way to communicate with a call and response with the music and your partner. With foundation we learn to adapt and create from a place of intention, thusly pushing your dance and you’re into unexplored areas of connection and creativity. We will use Hip hop party styles, house foundations, salsa/Popping basics to express these ideas.
All Levels
MiCrunk: Dancing Small to Big Music - Angel Kim Spicer
Have exciting and tiny micro dances to high-energy music and bangers! Learn how to dance micro to *any* song, keeping movements small without losing its intensity, impact, or excitement. We’ll explore elements of musicality, control, creativity, tone, texture, emotion, and intention.
Intermediate +
Dance Dialogues - Andrew Smith & Kelly Howard
Here we will discover how to create dialogue within a dance, where both lead and follow contribute equally without switching or breaking the lead/follow dynamic. Come to create dynamic conversations with your partner as you inspire each other to move and play.
Intermediate +
Acro - Kelly Howard
Four letters, many meanings. In this class we will focus on conditioning, proper technique, and offer suggestions for a safe practice that will last a lifetime. We will practice L-basing, Adagio, and Sport Akrobatiks. Come prepared to have fun, be safe, and work hard. Remember, "In circus we don't practice until we get it right, we practice until we cannot get it wrong."
Bring a yoga mat and/or towel.
All Levels
Uplift Your Dance - Emily Webb & Ben LaCara
Expand your dynamic range and dance flow with lifts and weight sharing made for the social dance floor - ie safe for you, your partner, and dancers around you.
*Follows will create lightness and safe landings
*Leaders will learn how to strengthen their base.
Advanced
Micro Feet - Eliza Wilder & Matt Johnson
Micro is more than just isolations! Learn variations of Tango ochos, Balboa circles and Drag Blues slides with entrances and exits so you can plug them directly into your Fusion toolbox, in order to add spice and dynamic variation to your tiny dances.
Community Discussion - Eleanor Chen
Join your resident long-time community facilitator for an opportunity to reflect on the values, culture, and practices within the fusion scene. Connect with folks you haven’t met yet, have meaningful conversations off the dance floor, and consider how you can build and shape the fusion community at MFC and beyond.
Dancing Into Oneness: Blindfold Edition - Emily Webb
Not a class... A total body, heart and soul immersion dance experience.
It takes two to know one.
Trust, love and connection. Want more of that? Come dance through a journey of self-discovery, deep listening, and heart opening movement. In this experience you will find profound levels of connection to yourself, your partner and everyone around you. Get ready to expand and enter a world of dancing bliss.
Blindfolds are optional, but highly encouraged!
All levels
Blindfolds provided or BYOB