Flagging Lesson w/ Instructor Chad Eckman - 4:30pm SHARP
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Chad Eckman will be our instructor for the first hour of Flag Alley this year! His amazing flagging is widely admired, so we are sure that this is a lesson you will not want to miss! He will be coming all the way from West Hollywood to share his skills with us at DNA Lounge, Thursday, July 23rd, from 4:30pm until 5:45pm.
Chad has a lesson planned for flaggers with some flagging experience, so please read the lesson description (below) carefully.
There is already a Facebook Event for Flag Alley, but if you are planning to attend Chad's lesson, you are encouraged to reply "Going" to this event so we can plan properly.
Please note that this is a 60-minute class that goes from 4:45pm until 5:45. This is a structured class where Chad builds again and again on material he teaches throughout the 60 minutes of his class, so please plan to be here at 4:30pm SHARP to check in with the instructor and do a short warmup with him. This will also allow you to get the maximum value from his class, and to minimize disruption to other students.
Immediately after Chad's lesson, we will turn off the overhead lights, bring up the blacklights, and our DJ will start spinning for over 3 hours of flagging!
Lesson Description:
Flagging as Partner Dance
An intermediate-focused workshop (beginners welcome) that explores flagging as a dance between you and the flags. Drawing from the fundamentals of poi spinning and partner dance, we'll explore how your body and the flags can move together as dance partners rather than as separate elements.
Starting with foundational patterns such as the two-beat weave and Spanish dancer, we'll learn how to build more complex movements, transition smoothly between patterns, and incorporate turns, travel, and body movement into our flagging. Along the way, we'll discuss ways to develop your own style and approach to flagging while providing tools and frameworks to help you grow as a flagger—and dance!
DNA Lounge
375 11th St, San Francisco, CA
Thursday, July 23
4:30-10pm 21+ with photo ID
Advance Tickets: $10+$3 Service Fee https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/07-23a.html
Day of/Door: $20+$6 Service Fee
4:30pm SHARP Instructor Chad Eckman
6pm-10pm DJ Gregg Sueyoshi
9pm Flagging Showcase
Ticket price covers the entire evening: both the lesson and open flagging.
We are able to keep the ticket price low this year due to generous donations from Larry Krobath, Jack Gerard, and Craig Arnold. On behalf of everyone, thank you, thank you for your support of the community!! You are awesome!
We are not anticipating net revenues; however, if there is a profit it will be donated to the National AIDS Memorial.
PARKING: There is metered parking on Harrison which MAY end at 6pm but READ THE SIGNS CAREFULLY as this has been changing. Costco is at 11th and Harrison and offers $25 flat fee parking.
TRANSIT: From the Van Ness Muni station, walk south 10 minutes (almost 4 blocks). The 9 Muni line is also an option.
Our Instructor:
Chad Eckman is a flow artist and flag maker based in Los Angeles. He was first introduced to flagging in 2017 at Flagging in the Park on a date, and was instantly hooked. What began as a moment of joy quickly evolved into a deep passion for flow and the self-expression that flagging allows. He draws from the many dance styles he’s explored over the years, including west coast swing, two-step, ballroom, and ballet. He has also spent time studying poi, translating its movement vocabulary into his flagging practice—together shaping a dynamic and expressive style that is uniquely his own.
Deeply inspired by the flagging communities that welcomed him, Chad began dyeing and sewing his own flags as a way to give back and help grow the community in Los Angeles. Through teaching, he hopes to create the same kind of inclusive, uplifting space that first drew him in—where people can explore movement freely, connect with others, and experience the joy of flow.
Daniel G. Van Olst (aka hugmonster)
Chad has a lesson planned for flaggers with some flagging experience, so please read the lesson description (below) carefully.
There is already a Facebook Event for Flag Alley, but if you are planning to attend Chad's lesson, you are encouraged to reply "Going" to this event so we can plan properly.
Please note that this is a 60-minute class that goes from 4:45pm until 5:45. This is a structured class where Chad builds again and again on material he teaches throughout the 60 minutes of his class, so please plan to be here at 4:30pm SHARP to check in with the instructor and do a short warmup with him. This will also allow you to get the maximum value from his class, and to minimize disruption to other students.
Immediately after Chad's lesson, we will turn off the overhead lights, bring up the blacklights, and our DJ will start spinning for over 3 hours of flagging!
Lesson Description:
Flagging as Partner Dance
An intermediate-focused workshop (beginners welcome) that explores flagging as a dance between you and the flags. Drawing from the fundamentals of poi spinning and partner dance, we'll explore how your body and the flags can move together as dance partners rather than as separate elements.
Starting with foundational patterns such as the two-beat weave and Spanish dancer, we'll learn how to build more complex movements, transition smoothly between patterns, and incorporate turns, travel, and body movement into our flagging. Along the way, we'll discuss ways to develop your own style and approach to flagging while providing tools and frameworks to help you grow as a flagger—and dance!
DNA Lounge
375 11th St, San Francisco, CA
Thursday, July 23
4:30-10pm 21+ with photo ID
Advance Tickets: $10+$3 Service Fee https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/07-23a.html
Day of/Door: $20+$6 Service Fee
4:30pm SHARP Instructor Chad Eckman
6pm-10pm DJ Gregg Sueyoshi
9pm Flagging Showcase
Ticket price covers the entire evening: both the lesson and open flagging.
We are able to keep the ticket price low this year due to generous donations from Larry Krobath, Jack Gerard, and Craig Arnold. On behalf of everyone, thank you, thank you for your support of the community!! You are awesome!
We are not anticipating net revenues; however, if there is a profit it will be donated to the National AIDS Memorial.
PARKING: There is metered parking on Harrison which MAY end at 6pm but READ THE SIGNS CAREFULLY as this has been changing. Costco is at 11th and Harrison and offers $25 flat fee parking.
TRANSIT: From the Van Ness Muni station, walk south 10 minutes (almost 4 blocks). The 9 Muni line is also an option.
Our Instructor:
Chad Eckman is a flow artist and flag maker based in Los Angeles. He was first introduced to flagging in 2017 at Flagging in the Park on a date, and was instantly hooked. What began as a moment of joy quickly evolved into a deep passion for flow and the self-expression that flagging allows. He draws from the many dance styles he’s explored over the years, including west coast swing, two-step, ballroom, and ballet. He has also spent time studying poi, translating its movement vocabulary into his flagging practice—together shaping a dynamic and expressive style that is uniquely his own.
Deeply inspired by the flagging communities that welcomed him, Chad began dyeing and sewing his own flags as a way to give back and help grow the community in Los Angeles. Through teaching, he hopes to create the same kind of inclusive, uplifting space that first drew him in—where people can explore movement freely, connect with others, and experience the joy of flow.
Daniel G. Van Olst (aka hugmonster)
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Where is it happening?
DNA Lounge, 375 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103-4313, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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