THE NYC CONVERGENCE LAB
Fusion Dialects:
Emerging styles born on the dance floor.
New York City, USA
June 17-19, 2026
with
Flouer Evelyn &
Mark Carpenter
What is this thing?
The NYC Convergence Lab is an intensive workshop before the fusion dance festival Motley Hue in NYC, New York. It’s meant for experienced dancers.
We now have a new structure!
We have:
- A two day intensive workshop on Thursday & Friday
- A special “Mentorship Day” on Wednesday – open for up to 6 registrants (3 spots left!)
- You can make your own schedule: Each workshop session on Thurs & Fri is available for individual registration.
What is the structure of the intensive?
Thursday & Friday Workshop Intensive:
In each class we will dive deep into one of the “Fusion Dialects” that Mark and Flouer have been dancing and researching.
We will learn the main elements of each style, explore the parameters surrounding it (what makes the style a style), and spend time developing the unique techniques, rhythms & vocabulary involved in that dialect.
Wednesday Mentoring Day:
You’ll spend the day in an intimate mentoring format — private lessons and small group work with up to 6 people.
The morning is dedicated to formal private lessons and practicing in the studio.
We’ll take a lunch break and reconvene in the afternoon for a mix of activities that might include a practica in the park, mentoring on scene building or teaching, deep dinner conversations, and/or going out to a social dance together.
You’ll also get time to work with your peers through exercises designed to help you create and explore concepts together.
What is the theme of this intensive?
FUSION DIALECTS: Emerging styles born on the dance floor.
- We want to honour our history in the fusion community.
- We want to give you a way to learn techniques from our four historical mode categories (Groove, Accordion, Progressive, and Flow) through the world of fusion, rather than going to another dance form to get them.
- We want to give names to the techniques we are already doing so we can grow our community and pass on the knowledge to new people.
Why should I take this training?
Your Instructors:
Flouer & Mark
Mark and Flouer are an intercontinental teaching team known for pairing deep care with serious craft. They have been teaching together at festivals since 2018, and launched their Fusion Teacher Training in 2024. Together, they’re a powerful duo—blending different yet complementary teaching styles to offer multiple pathways into partner dance. Grounded in a shared value system and ethics around dance theory, culture, and community, they balance rigor with play as they help dancers expand both technique and creative voice.
Flouer—from New York City and now based in Italy—is equally recognized internationally for both Blues Dance & Fusion Dance. She has an MFA in contemporary and decades of experience across other partnered and solo forms. Dancing “fusion” since 1999 and teaching internationally since 2011, she’s known for her warm, academically rigorous approach that gives dancers clear structure for improvisation and self-discovery.
Mark—based in SF, California—is an internationally acclaimed Fusion instructor, DJ, and event organizer who has helped shape the global scene for more than a decade. He founded the Fusion Dance Academy and created events like & All That Jazz, the SLO Exchange, and Fireside Fusion, drawing from styles like Lindy Hop, Blues, and Tango to make the impossible look easy—and the easy look impossible.
Where will we be learning?
Our cozy home studio in Brooklyn...
We have graciously been able to book a beautiful home studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn for the week.
With a nice wooden floor and cozy atmosphere, we’ll have a nice home to land in during our trainings. You can pick up your lunch at restaurants nearby, or use the minimal kitchen facilities to prepare something during lunch hours.
There is also the option for a few people to sleep in the studio for a nightly fee, provided they bring their own bedding. Enquire for details about hosting options on your application or a follow up email.
Address and more details given out upon registration.
What is Motley Hue Fusion?
A fusion dance festival with workshops, great parties, and awesome venues in Brooklyn, NY.
We are partnering with the Motley Hue festival, taking place the weekend after The Convergence Lab. Three nights of fabulous parties at great venues in Brooklyn, and leveled intensive classes.
All information can be found at the link below, and more to be updated soon!
You are guaranteed a full weekend dance only or full class pass with your registration to the Convergence Lab.
Registration for the festival opens at the same time as for the Lab: February 24th, noon EST.
What dancers have said...
Lucerne, Switzerland
Their frameworks for understanding fusion and breaking down pedagogy are both accessible and inspiring, and will change the way you think about your dance forever (in the best ways possible!)! It is clear that they deeply love what they do, and their passion for teaching is infections."
Portland, Oregon
Greenville, South Carolina
Is this Convergence Lab for me?
Do I need to know the dialects already?
No. You don’t need prior experience in Lyrical, Smoothstepping, Throwdown, Microfusion (or any other specific style) to join.
We will teach you how to recognize dialects, understand what makes them work, and practice shifting your choices—so you can move between flavors on purpose instead of by accident.
What you do need: enough partner dance experience that you can learn quickly, experiment without panicking, and stay curious when something feels unfamiliar.
Do I need to be a fusion dancer already?
No. You don’t have to identify as “a fusion dancer” to get a ton out of this lab.
If you’re an experienced dancer in another codified partner dance form—and you’re open minded, experimental, and hungry to understand how we create different “languages” inside fusion dance—this is for you.
This lab is for you if…
You’re an experienced partner dancer who wants to level up your stylistic range and your ability to make clear, intentional choices.
You have experience learning in a classroom environment with patterns, technique, and co-creating with your peers.
You want to actually change the way you’re dancing—not just do the same habits with new music.
You love being a dance nerd, and you’re open to exploring new movement textures—even if they’re not your comfort zone at first.
You enjoy a collaborative, research-style environment. We’ll treat you like a fellow investigator: asking questions, comparing notes, and learning from each other.
Who is it not for?
You’re brand new to partner dance (roughly 1–2 years total experience). This will be far too much information at once.
You’re not open to feedback—or to being a beginner again when a new technique or aesthetic asks something different of your body.
You’re not interested in a collaborative learning environment (discussion, experimentation, and peer learning are part of the lab).
You prefer learning through a small amount of material with lots of integration time (for example: a few hours a day plus social dancing). That learning style is great! But it’s not this intensive.
*If you’re unsure, reach out. We’re happy to help you figure out whether this is the right fit.
How do I register?
- Have a link to your partner dance video ready first.
- If you’re not part of a past Fusion Teacher Training (FTT) program, or already accepted into The Conservatory Track, you’ll need to include it in the form.
- Please upload the video onto a platform like youtube (make it unlisted, not private), or send us a generated link from icloud or other photo platforms.
- Once you have your video link, it will only take a few minutes to fill out our form.
- Registration is open.
REGISTRATION
Registration Options:
Mentored Intensive
Wednesday Mentorship Day + Thursday & Friday Workshop
Two Day Intensive Workshop
All classes Thursday & Friday
*One day workshop & Single classes also available
Workshop Prices:
Full Experience: Mentorship Day + Intensive Workshop
Intensive Workshop: Thursday & Friday
One Day Workshop: Either Thursday OR Friday
Individual Classes
Financial support
Participation at Motley Hue
Every participant for the full mentorship intensive has a $100 discount to the pass they choose for participating in the weekend.
WHAT ARE THE CONVERGENCE LABS?
The Convergence Labs are dance intensives hosted by Flouer Evelyn and Mark Carpenter, separate from our Fusion Teacher Trainings.
These intensives are created as a space for deep study around a specific theme in the world of fusion dance.
For 2026 NYC, our theme is Fusion Dialects
CONVERGENCE:
Many things coming together
Convergence happens when separate elements—ideas, trends, disciplines, or processes—gradually align or merge to creating something new or more coherent.
It’s not only a nod to our definition of fusion (mixing dance forms), but bringing together dancers from different cultures and traditions, and Mark & Flouer being able to offer you a beautiful mixture of dance training pedagogies from both of their worlds.
Convergence is a place where your “usual way” of dancing gets to evolve.
LAB:
A place to learn and experiment
Lab means we’re not only here to give you a lot of information, we’re here to test, explore, and refine.
You’ll get clear instruction, technique, and vocabulary, and you’ll also get structured time to work with peers in guided, co-creative environments where experimentation is the point.
This is for dancers who want integration: depth, clarity, and the time to make the work your own.
Different from Festival Workshops
In our festival workshops we often share a lot of technical content quickly. In The Convergence Lab, we have the time to go deep.
You’ll have space to:
- Learn specific tools and techniques you can immediately apply.
- Practice with dancers at a similar level, so you can stay challenged without rushing.
- Develop your personal style while expanding your range.
- Try new ideas in a supported container, with feedback and iteration