Santa Cruz Fusion Dance Tasting

Name: Santa Cruz Fusion Dance Tasting
Start: 2025-04-26T13:45:00-07:00
End: 2025-04-26T23:00:00-07:00
Location: Pacific Arts Complex

Schedule

Sat Apr 26 2025 at 01:45 pm to 11:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Pacific Arts Complex | Santa Cruz, CA

Calling all dancers in Santa Cruz and surrounding areas to join us for a Fusion Dance Tasting! Our community has so many people with a passion for movement, music, and connection with others and we would love to bring Fusion Dance into the mix. Fusion is a lead-follow improvised partner dance that is based in blues and draws inspiration from all other partner dances. Whether you are an experienced dancer who is interested in learning new styles and blending them with your practice or if you have never experienced partner dancing before and want a wonderful foundation and starting place.... this is a perfect event for anyone Fusion-curious.
To introduce you to all that Fusion can be, we have invited 4 amazing and diverse instructors to create this fusion sampling... bite sized glimpses into the different flavors of fusion. Each instructor will be teaching a one-hour workshop in the first part of the day. After a short break we will round out this dance feast with a beginner lesson perfect for first time dancers, 3 hours of social dancing, light refreshments, and many opportunities to connect with yourself, great music, and other dancers.

***** TICKET DETAILS***** *****VENMO @SCFusion *****
We want to include as many people as we can so pricing will be sliding scale. Send an amount that is comfortable for you through Venmo to reserve your spot! Please include which of the following passes you want to purchase and how many in the description of your venmo payment. If we still have capacity on the day of the event we will also sell tickets at the door and will accept cash or venmo. We will update this page if we sell out.
--> Full Day Passes (all workshops and social) $40-$80
--> Drop In Single Workshop $10-$20
--> Social Only $15-$25
***** VOLUNTEERING *****
There are a few free full day passes set aside for people who are interested in volunteering to set up, work the door, or tear down. Please send us a personal message to inquire.
***** SCHEDULE *****
1:45PM
BETTER TOGETHER W/ LUCAS WEISMANN
Tasting Notes: Smooth and Complex
In this vintage you will learn to savor the feeling of connection. Experience the gooeyness of what we call the squish, that magical feeling of finding connection with your partner. Squish will be found in new and unexpected places. Move together as smooth as branches gently swaying in the wind.
2:45PM
PERSONAL FLAVOR W/ JESS SWEENEY
Tasting Notes: Bold and Spicy
This lesson is a celebration of individuality, expressing the music in your own unique style. While fusion is a partnered dance there is plenty of room to express yourself. Jess and her partner Greg Cox will use west coast swing as a base and add some flavor from burlesque and latin to add the perfect amount of spice.
3:45PM
VIVACIOUS FUN W/ STEVE YANG
Tasting Notes: Vibrant and Zesty
Sure to tantalize all your senses, Steve will be serving up a class on dancing big, loud, and with enthusiasm. Using Lindy Hop and solo jazz as a base, we will use Taichi energy to see how expanding our energy outwards affects our solo and partner dancing. These moves are juicy and effervescent.
4:45PM
SUBTLE NUANCES W/ SHIRA COLEMAN
Tasting Notes: Delicate and Decadent
A refined and understated style, micro fusion zooms in on what makes fusion so delicious. Rather than focusing on the external look of our dance, Shira will guide us through an exploration of the soft, intimate nuances that bring depth and attunement to the dance.
6:00PM
BREAK TO GRAB DINNER, RELAX, AND DIGEST THE AFTERNOONS SESSIONS
7:00PM
SIMPLE GROOVES W/ KRISTA RIGSBEE
Tasting Notes: Refreshing and Light
As a palate cleanser we will serve up an introductory lesson to welcome folks who have never danced before as well as warm up and reinvigorate our bodies before social dancing begins. It will be a simple aperitif that brings everyone back together.
8:00-11:00PM
SOCIAL DANCING
Tasting Notes: Sweet and Full Bodied
Finally we will bring it all together and indulge in a banquet of sweet and rhythmic delights. The social dance is your chance to savor all the elements you've learned throughout the day. With multiple DJ sets bringing variety and creativity, each dance is a bite sized opportunity for connection and musicality.