THE NYC CONVERGENCE LAB

Fusion Dialects:

Emerging styles born on the dance floor.

New York City, USA
June 16-19, 2026

with
Flouer Evelyn &
Mark Carpenter

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

THE NYC CONVERGENCE LAB

June 16-19, 2026

Before Motley Hue Fusion Festival

REGISTRATION OPENS FEBRUARY 24TH

What is this thing?

The NYC Convergence Lab is a four day intensive dance training taking place before the fusion dance festival Motley Hue in NYC, New York. It’s meant for experienced dancers and has a video audition to attend.

What is the theme of this intensive?

FUSION DIALECTS: Emerging styles born on the dance floor.
Fusion Dialects is us putting words (and tools) to something you’ve probably already felt on the fusion floor: there are distinct ways of dancing that have grown up inside our community. Of course we love the spontaneous world of two dancers trained differently coming together, but there are also actual styles—shared languages—that people have developed socially in the fusion world over the last 25 years.

In this lab we’re going to work with four of those dialects, which we have named: Lyrical, Smoothstepping, Throwdown, and Microfusion. They’re born from our community’s long-running creative mixing of lindy hop, blues, and tango, and they took shape as we started dancing to newer kinds of electronic music—especially the genres that were (at first) still pretty blues and jazz adjacent.

Our reasons for focusing on these dialects of fusion are multi-dimensional:
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.
You’ll leave with new material to play with, and a clearer map of what’s already evolving on the fusion floor—so you can both participate freely in the dances that are happening on the fusion floor, as well as blend with more freedom and coherence.

Why should I take this training?

✨You want to learn (or even teach) these dialects for their own sake—because your curious, or because you already know and love them.

✨You are looking for a practical way to train core fusion skills, and you want to up your fusion game.

✨You feel like there’s more to fusion than what you can get locally from specific dance forms.

✨You want dedicated time to making fusion feel a little less like guesswork and more artfully crafted.

✨You want to spend a week working with peers at your skill level.

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.

Ready to join us?

What is the structure of the intensive?

What will we actually do?
Each day, you’ll participate in six hours of classes, learning directly from Flouer & Mark, as well as working closely with your peers.
The first hour of every day is working on solo and partnered preparatory techniques for that day’s learning.
We’ll explore specific techniques, rhythms and vocabulary from dances that Mark and Flouer participate in, then work on layering and mixing these elements.
You’ll also get time to work with your peers through exercises designed to help you create and explore concepts together.

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.

MOTLEY HUE FESTIVAL

What dancers have said...

"This was a week full of fusion dance insights for me - very intensive, but also very playful and fun. Flouer and Mark are a perfect team that complements each other well. They made the week an extremely moving and inspiring experience. Thank you so much!"

- Tina
Lucerne, Switzerland

"Flouer and Mark are deeply knowledgeable - both in theory and embodied practice - and they love to share their expertise.
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."

- Bea Martino
Portland, Oregon

"This was more than a training. It was a space where we all softened, showed up, stretched, stumbled, created, and came home to ourselves; together. I learned so much."

- Kière Joi
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.

Sign me up! (in February)

How much does it cost?

Core Intensive

Includes the intensive workshop, Tuesday–Friday.
Investment: $450

Mentored Intensive

Available for a limited number of people: We’ve noticed that people look for private lessons during and/or after our intensives, so we’re making it easier to choose that option. This package includes two private lessons at a discounted rate (normally $90/hour), in addition to the full intensive.

Package investment: $570

Private lessons are arranged directly between you and the instructor(s) of your choice. Lessons can be taken during the week or online afterwards. Due to time constrictions, there are only a few of these packages available.

Financial support

If you need financial assistance, we offer work-study positions and low-income options. You can indicate your needs and interests on the registration form.

Participation at Motley Hue

Every participant has a $100 discount to any pass they choose for participating in the weekend.
They are also guaranteed to have access to the tier that they financially need, regardless if it is sold out or not.

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, 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

REGISTER HERE

Registration Options:

Core Intensive
Weeklong Convergence Lab Intensive

Mentored Intensive
Weeklong Convergence Lab Intensive + two discounted lessons

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