Classes
The Academy offers students a unique learning journey that builds over time with progressive levels.
Each level contains tracks that are 3 months long. You can join us during any month but you will need to complete all classes in a track and take a brief assessment with an instructor in order to join the next level.
Assessments happen during practicas and ensure you have the foundational prerequisites needed to succeed at the next level. Already experienced? Contact us for a placement assessment!
Our classes are all 4 weeks long (we don’t run on 5th Wednesdays), and drop ins are welcome for the 1st & 2nd week of every month. After that point, we close our classes to support the progression of material for students.
L1: Foundations
Learn essential movement patterns from all of our systems, develop lead/follow communication skills, and gain the practical confidence to participate in fusion dance socials!
month A
Learn a step-touch basic with variations, simple turns, and core techniques that allow you to lead and follow while interpreting the music.
month B
Learn how to walk with a partner using cross-body leads, promenades, inside turns, and variations of the step-touch basic, while learning core techniques that allow you to lead and follow while interpreting the music.
Month C
Learn core techniques that allow you to lead and follow while interpreting the music, like transitioning from partnered closed to open position, rhythmic variations, loaded turns, and a simple dip.
L2: Baystyle
Baystyle is a fusion dialect born in the Bay in the late 2000s. With roots in Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango, and Blues, it combines elements from our groove & momentum systems. This style offers dancers the ability to interpret modern music with dynamism and playfulness in partnered movement.
Learn to dance to slow tempo music by playing with rhythmic variations of quicks and slows. Expand your vocabulary with ochos and slides, and sequences that model how to combine what you’ve learned into a Baystyle dance.
Month A
Month B
Learn to dance to medium tempo music by exploring conversational partner dance principles. Familiarize yourself with pulse variations, delayed triples, chasses, and sequences that model combining what you’ve learned into a Baystyle dance.
Month C
Learn to dance to fast tempo music by familiarizing yourself with stretch / compression lead-and-follow concepts. Expand your vocabulary with passes, pushes, slingshots, and sequences that model how to combine what you’ve learned into a Baystyle dance.
L2: smoothstepping
Smoothstepping is a fusion dialect with roots in Argentine Tango and Ballroomin’ Blues and combines elements from our walking and momentum systems. This style offers dancers the ability to interpret historical and modern music with subtlety and elegance.
Month A
Familiarize yourself with core techniques by combining walking & momentum system principles. Learn pieces of the boxstep and combine them with momentum moves like grapevines, merry-go-rounds, and rides to create Smoothstepping sequences.
Month B
Familiarize yourself with core patterns and techniques like the foundational boxstep and close-embrace partnered dance position. Learn how to combine the box step with momentum moves like the ping-pong send-out combo to create Smoothstepping sequences.
Month C
Familiarize yourself with foundational movements like the chasse, promenade, and zigzag while honing your boxstep technique. Learn sequences that model how to combine what you’ve learned into a Smoothstepping dance and build your ability to travel in close embrace.
L3: FUsion
Fusion is a dance form that combines elements from many partnered dances. In this track, you will be introduced to and refine the skills needed to fuse dances with fidelity and artistry and truly partner dance to any music by expanding your musicality, vocabulary, and dance knowledge.
MONTH A - Musicality
Develop tools to embody common rhythms heard on the Fusion floor and increase your ability to interpret and express all kinds of music. The specific focus explored within this theme is teacher dependent, so check out our social media to learn what’s happening this month!
MONTH B - vocabulary
Explore new vocabulary variations of Academy core moves that emerge from various partner dance influences to increase your possibilities for expression and artistry. The specific focus explored within this theme is teacher dependent, so check out our social media to learn what’s happening this month!
MONTH C - Build A Dance
Explore the theory behind effectively fusing movements and concepts from various influences and learn tools to build the dance you and your partner want to create, together. The specific focus explored within this theme is teacher dependent, so check out our social media to learn what’s happening this month!
L3: electives
A well rounded fusion dancer is confident in a wide range of styles, dancing to a wide range of music. Increase your flexibility in classes uniquely tailored to Level 3 Academy students, with a focus on immediately-applicable knowledge, vocabulary, and musicality from (established or emerging) (partnered or solo) single-genre dances. Check out our schedule page to see what’s on the roster this semester!
practicas
Integrate all the new material you’ve learned with your peers in our weekly open practica. Ask on-call instructors for feedback on a move, socialize with other students, or grab an assessment slot.
Our Approach
Fusion dance is a creative partner dance that blends movements and techniques from multiple dance styles—swing, blues, tango, contemporary, and more. It’s an amazing dance, but is uniquely challenging to learn since mixing dances requires in-depth and pre-existing knowledge.
At the Academy, we’ve developed a unique curricula incorporating movements and techniques from many partnered dance styles to support student’s growth into well rounded and adaptable fusion dancers. In each track, you’ll explore concepts, movements, and techniques from our 3 “systems”: Groove, Momentum, and Walking. Within each system live a selection of dances which we pull inspiration from to create our curriculum for each class.
Groove
Groove is a partner dance system used by Blues dances and latin dances like salsa. These dances emphasize rhythmic embodiment and musical interpretation, inviting partners to play with pattern and conversational improvisation in their movement. This system uses body isolations and pulse to create deep connection with the music's rhythm and texture.
Momentum
Momentum is a partner dance system used by Swing dances and zouk, among others. These dances emphasize momentum to generate and channel energy through the body, partnership, and space. This system uses stretch and compression to create dynamic motion in partnership.
Walking
Walking is a partner dance system used by dances like Argentine Tango, Ballroomin’ Blues, Kizomba, and Urban Kiz. These dances emphasize progressive partnership traveling around the dance floor to interpret the music in a graceful and playful way. This system uses synchronized movements and precise footwork to create dynamic and flowing dances.