Mark Carpenter

Look who is getting ready for our fusion weekend in Brussels next month 😍 This time the classes and parties will be afro-latin infuuuused🔥 You can still join us, all information can be found in our linktree!😘

We’re coming up to our last moments to register for the Berlin Convergence Lab: May 25-29, 2026. It’s a training for experienced dancers working on combining dance forms. It’s going to be a small group with lots of individualized attention. Send a pm if you have questions, otherwise 🔗 in bio for info. . #partnerdance #fusiondance #fusionpartnerdance #danceteacher

A little about Smoothstepping … Began in early 2000’s as a mix between ballroom blues, tango, and other ballroom dances. It’s danced to a ton of different types of music, and it gets us out and about, moving across the dance floor. Join us for the NYC Convergence Lab before @motleyhue.events to learn a little more about it. We’ll also touch on it briefly in our Berlin Convergence Lab. @flouerdances & @themarkcarpenter . #partnerdance #fusiondance #fusionpartnerdance #socialdance #danceteacher

Getting down in a short and sweet demo with @themarkcarpenter at Shades 🎶 Mon Démon by Odelly @odelly_music #partnerdance #fusionpartnerdance #fusiondance #fusiondancer #tangofusion

@themarkcarpenter and Andrew Girardeau in a fully improvised fusion partner dance video filmed and produced by @fusiondanceacademysf

Part 1: What are the fusion dances Micro & Throwdown? At the NYC Convergence Lab we’ll be teaching four dance styles that have emerged from the fusion community, by fusion dancers. In Part 2 we describe the beautiful but lesser known Lyrical & Smoothstepping dances Come join us! Instructors: @flouerdances & @themarkcarpenter NYC Convergence Lab June 16-19, 2026 Before Motley Hue Festival: June 19-22 Details: FlouerDances.com/nycconvergence . #fusiondance #fusionpartnerdance #danceteacher #partnerdance

We have been working on something amazing and we’re really excited to finally share it with you all. Last year, a few dozen Academy teachers, students, and friends came together to create a series of 17 professionally filmed and edited dance videos aiming to capture the essence of a fusion social dance floor. After many many hours of training, coaching, and logistical efforts, we are more than thrilled to have the opportunity to share these special videos with you, our wider community over the next couple of months. We were so lucky to have Ren Enby, who worked as a professional videographer in LA and SD apply her background to produce this series of videos, alongside a small army of other folks behind the scenes. A special thanks to our lovely setting, The Oak Grove, for hosting two late night filming sessions filled with last minute costume alterations, a tight schedule, wonderful dancers, and lots of fun. Look out for these videos on Facebook, Instagram, and our new Fusion Dance Academy Youtube Channel. Our goal is to post one featured couple per week until they are all out in the world. #fusiondance

Mark and Taylor will be teaching Crossdancing: The Definitive Guide to Blending Dances, and Dancing to (all of) the Music! About Mark Carpenter: Mark is an internationally acclaimed Fusion dance instructor, DJ, and event organizer and has been helping shape the global fusion scene for more than a decade. Based in the SF Bay Area, he founded the Fusion Dance Academy in 2023 and has studied multiple dance styles, including Lindy Hop, Blues, Tango, and many more. Mark’s innovative approach to teaching and his fluency in two languages have made him a sought-after instructor and facilitator worldwide. He has worked on countless events and projects (including &ATJ, Fireside Fusion, Fusion Teacher Trainings with Flouer Evelyn), continuing to push the boundaries of what partner dancing is and can be. He stands at the forefront of defining and evolving Fusion as an artform and movement, inspiring dancers across the globe with his creativity and expertise. About Taylor Kinney: Taylor is a dance teacher, artist, and community builder with ~20 years of experience studying and teaching a variety of partner dance styles including Brazilian Zouk, Salsa, Bachata, and Ballroom… and she loves finding playful ways to fuse across dance languages. Now based in the SF Bay Area, she has performed around the world, co-directed multiple dance companies, co-founded Houston Sotaki Brazilian Zouk dance school with Tom Lev, and now co-leads the Zouk education program for Omni Dance School. Known for bridging technical depth with creative play, Taylor’s classes invite dancers to deepen their connection to their own bodies, their partners and the music.

Do you have an idea of what fusion partner dancing is? Does this fit your mold, or break it? (More on that below!) The two of us, Mark & Flouer, will be collaborating on many projects this spring 💜 Our two weeklong intensives are called The Convergence Labs, and we’ll be doing two different themes- one in Berlin and the other in NYC. Registration is open for everything below: Full tour schedule: ✺ Zürich Flüesli - May 8-10 ✺ Fusionauts’ Quest Masterclasses - May 22-24 ✺ The Berlin Convergence Lab - May 25-29 ✺ The NYC ConvergenceLab - June 16-19 ✺ Motley Hue Fusion NYC - June 19-21 Great, but what about this dance? The style in this video is a fusion of many things, but draws heavily upon the “Fusion Dialect” of Smoothstepping. Smoothstepping is an “old school” combination of ballrooming blues, tango, slow jazz, and other ballroom styles. One of the original fusion forms from “back in the day”, we’ve never stopped dancing it and now we’re making it “new school”. 🎓 It utilizes progressive traveling and momentum accordion partner mechanics, and is an amazing way to introduce traveling technique into your dance coming directly from the fusion world. …. Performance - Hi-Fi Fusion, Fall 2024 in Seattle @flouerdances & @themarkcarpenter . . #danceteacherlife #fusiondance #fusionpartnerdance #socialdance Performance at Hi-Fi Fusion in Seattle, Fall 2024. @flouerdances & @themarkcarpenter

Curious what we got up to in L3: Lyrical this month? Catch a peek into Elliot & Marks instructor demo 👀

What Is The NYC Convergence Lab? The NYC Convergence Lab is a four day intensive dance training taking place June 15-19 before Motley Hue in NYC, New York. Theme… Fusion Dialects: Emerging Styles Born On The Dance Floor Fusion Dialects puts language, and tools, to something you’ve likely already felt on the fusion floor: over the past 25 years, distinct ways of dancing have quietly taken shape within our community. In this lab, we’ll explore four of those dialects—Lyrical, Smoothstepping, Throwdown, and Microfusion. Why? ✨ Honor our history as a fusion community 🛠 Learn core techniques (Groove, Accordion, Progressive, Flow) directly through fusion—without needing to borrow from another dance form. 🗺 Name what we’re already doing so we can grow the community, pass on the knowledge, and dance with more freedom and coherence on the floor. Registration is open 🎉 . . #fusiondance #fusionpartnerdance #danceteacher #learntodance

Our teachers for RCFF! 😍 @jeannieinmotion @b.e.n_jam_in @heatherpowersdance @themarkcarpenter @taylor_dancecat @freedombodydance @anvious More details on classes and about teachers coming soon! Link to create your own frame in bio!