CLASS GOALS
- To create a fun, safe, challenging, and welcoming dance learning environment.
- To improve the quality of dance in our community by providing diverse lessons at different levels.
- To give dancers of different backgrounds and commitment-levels appropriate options for learning.
- To encourage lead / follow equality and gender neutrality in dance roles.
CLASS EXPECTATIONS
That all participants will:
- Be respectful of instructors and participants in classes.
- Appropriately self-regulate for class levels, pace, commitment to dance learning, and material.
- Dance safely with partners as well as with the room.
We Value Everyone
We want to emphasize that everybody brings something of value to the dance floor. Our goal is to have classes that are both fun and challenging. We do not have auditions and we expect all attendees to honestly and appropriately self-regulate. Keep in mind that your selection should not serve to hold back more experienced and committed attendees who are willing and able to learn quickly and competently. It’s more about efficiency and respect for others; not a value judgment.
What Class Level Should I Take?
We plan to have at least one “All Levels” and at least one “Intermediate/ Intensive Level” class per class block. Please read the descriptions below to determine which classes are appropriate for you. Keep in mind that you may be “advanced” in one dance but a “beginner” in another.
White/All Levels Classes: “All Levels” classes are designed for the casual class-goer. This person is typically a mid-level to experienced dancer. This person has a fairly good general dance foundation, but may be slower at picking up the material, particularly choreography. These classes are aimed great general concepts that every dancer should learn and at having fun and being encouraging, while learning two to four moves or concepts.
Green/Fundamentals Classes: “Fundamentals” classes are designed for intermediate dancers of one style to learn the fundamental skills or concepts of a new style of dance. These classes move at a faster pace than Beginners classes, since they are geared for learned dancers.
Blue/Intermediate Classes: “Intermediate” classes are designed to fall between Fundamentals classes and Intensive classes and are intended for the dancer seeking to move to the next level of dancing knowledge and proficiency within their field of dance or one similar. They are not intended for a dancer with minimal experience, but might provide a strong challenge that they can achieve by the end of the class. Intermediate classes will explore various technical aspects of dance and will tend to be more conceptually focused than “moves” or “patterns” based classes. While these classes will be fun and entertaining, this will not be a primary focus of the class since instructors will have concrete outcomes that they wish their students to learn.
Red/Intensive Classes: “Intensive” classes are designed for the experienced dancer who regularly focuses on dance learning/improvement. This person has shown a strong commitment to dance learning and takes it seriously, and has the skills to back it up. A mid-level dancer with strong formal training and background, looking for a challenge, and committed to keeping up, would also be an appropriate student. Great dedication and experience is expected. Expect to learn a lot of new information rapidly and receive frank, possibly public, feedback as you learn. These classes are aimed at learning a lot of new, very challenging material in a short time. Instructors will have high expectations of your abilities and dedication, and will not slow down to re-teach commonly-accepted basic or pre-requisite material. If you find that you cannot keep up, we encourage you to find a class during the same time period that better suits your abilities.
What Can I Expect from the FX Practica?
FX now offers guided practice sessions, or “Practicas,” for All-Access and Dance-Only pass holders. A single, one hour Practica session will be held each night from 9-10PM and will have a specific focus such as Tango, West Coast Swing, or Fusion. Practicas are a great opportunity to reinforce what you’ve learned during the day or what you’re having trouble with in a safe and supportive environment. FX instructors will be on hand to freely offer you advice and give you feedback. You do not need to have a partner to attend and benefit from an FX Practica!
Do I Have the Necessary Skills and Experience to Attend the Fusion Exchange?
Most FX attendees consider themselves intermediate or advanced in some type of dance or movement. You are not required to be an advanced dancer and we do not hold auditions. There is no minimum level of dance from any particular style of dance required, but most of our attendees have been dancing for quite a while and our classes cater to those with experience in one or more dance forms.
Our community is very welcoming, but the Fusion Exchange is not designed for beginners. The material taught assumes that basic lead-follow skills are already known by the student. Inexperienced dancers will probably be uncomfortable with the pace of classes or the commonly expected baseline of dance knowledge on the social dance floor. So, think about how comfortable you are on the dance floor in improvising and dancing to challenging music and with people who’ve been dancing for many years. If this doesn’t scare you, then you’re fusion-ready!