The CityInMotion Podcast

Brittany Wood is a San Diego–based fusion and Argentine tango dancer, teacher, and DJ. She was first introduced to partner dancing as a kid growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area when her oldest brother took her to a Lindy Hop dance in Golden Gate Park. From that moment, she was hooked. Several years later starting in 2009, she eagerly sought out every swing dance opportunity she could find, building a lifelong love of social dance. In 2012, while starting college, Brittany discovered Fusion and Blues dancing at house parties and fell in love with the depth of connection, creativity, and presence they offered. Her curiosity and passion for learning eventually led her to explore West Coast Swing and Urban Kiz before finding a deeper focus in Argentine tango. Today, Brittany is an active member of both the fusion and Argentine tango communities. She is passionate about teaching, DJing, and cultivating welcoming spaces for queer tango and fusion dancers in San Diego. Dancing both roles, she believes that learning to lead and follow helps dancers develop greater empathy, versatility, musicality, and connection. At the heart of Brittany's dancing, teaching, and DJing is a deep commitment to community. She strives to create environments where people feel safe, valued, included, and free to express themselves through movement and connection. She is equally committed to her own growth as a dancer, embracing continuous learning and seeking opportunities to deepen her understanding of movement, partnership, and the art of social dance.

Shaheed Qaasim, a Los Angeles-based West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, blues, and fusion dance teacher, DJ, choreographer, competitor, and enthusiastic student. I’ve been partner dancing since 2004, and my journey has taken me across the country teaching, learning, and building community through dance. Fusion holds a special place in my heart, it invites us to move beyond genre and instead connect through intention, creativity, and presence. As a teacher, I focus on helping students develop a deep understanding of connection and movement, and I’m passionate about guiding people toward finding their own voice on the dance floor. My goal is always to help dancers show up authentically, joyfully, and respectfully; with themselves, their partners, and their communities. I care deeply about community building because I believe partner dancing is more than artistic expression, it’s a powerful tool for connection and healing. That’s why I encourage organizers and dancers alike to move with purpose, awareness, and care for the spaces we’re co-creating. I’m constantly reconnecting with my own love of dance and expanding my movement vocabulary through styles like Kizomba, Bachata, and hip-hop. I’m honored to be part of City in Motion, an event that reflects the diversity, depth, and joy of fusion. Let’s move together. recorded May 6, 2024

Falina is just a fusion dancer who’s trying to be helpful. She’s slowly (very slowly) become more involved in her home scene of Los Angeles after moving there from Sacramento over a decade ago, and now DJs, volunteers, and occasionally teaches. Mostly, she overthinks things—dance included.Recorded: Feb 25, 2024

Flouer Evelyn is a partner dance instructor & Embodiment Coach from New York City, currently based in Turin, Italy. Although she was around back in 1999 during the beginning of the "fusion/blues/swing" era, she's been formally teaching what we call Fusion today since 2011. She has an MFA in dance and a background in Blues, Lindy, Contemporary, Latin Ballroom, ballet, and ice skating, among others. At this point she has performed and taught all over the globe, and won plenty of partner dance competitions in various styles. And sure, all of those are important experiences, but what matters most is that in the classroom Flouer has a warm, encouraging way to help people learn to move their bodies and connect with others. In Fusion, Flouer brings her fascination for how the systems of different partner dances fit together, offering simple ways to give structure and context to the concept of “free partner dancing”. She is known for her values of artistry and personal expression, complimented by her ability to break down any movement into incredibly specific detail. Using imagery, anatomy, rhythm, cultural context and embodiment concepts, she will help you become the master of your own dance from the ground up. https://flouerdances.com “The reason to master technique is so the body does not prevent the soul from expressing itself” – la Meri

Kaisha Trzaska began dancing at the age of eight with private ballet and tap instruction, later branching out into a wide range of styles. She spent years immersing herself in the study of dance and the body—exploring ballroom, salsa, tango, jazz/contemporary, and especially cultural dances such as Flamenco, Bollywood, Irish, and Tahitian, which remain particular favorites.She has performed in numerous musical theater productions and with dance groups across Southern California and New York. Her passion for the arts also led her to study cello and music for many years, deepening her connection to rhythm, nuance, and expression.In 2021, Kaisha discovered Fusion dance—a style that weaves together her diverse curiosities into a uniquely expressive form that deeply resonates with her. In 2023, she co-hosted and coordinated Entangled Fusion, a monthly Fusion dance event in Altadena, alongside Sandeep Ananthu.Recorded: Feb 25, 2024

Tony Sciscio (He/Him) fell in love with the Fusion scene in 2011, and has since invested ridiculous amounts of his time and travel around the US to co-build the Fusion community, attend its epic events, and support the vibes and magic it creates (through some organizing, but mainly DJing and volunteering). He still continues to invest every inch of his dancing soul to Fusion to this day, making sure that fun is always present in some way.

As a teacher, Ted Maddry has helped thousands of students improve their dancing and sometimes even their lives. In his classes, he will challenge you to develop dance technique, experiment and take risks in your dancing all the while maintaining a comfortable & entertaining classroom environment. Ted has also started and run weekly dance events in Seattle and San Francisco, as well as Camp Blues. His passion is inspiring people to engage more fully, as dancers and in their lives.

Andrew Sutton has been teaching Fusion since before it had a name & is widely regarded as one of the founders of the movement. He was the creative director for the Fusion Exchanges & introduced the idea of Fusion-as-priority (originally referred to as Fusion-as-philosophy). He’s also a vice World Lindy Hop Champion, thanks to world-class teachers, including Olympic & MLB/NFL coaches.Having taught in over 236 cities across 38 countries, Andrew’s mission is to help dancers & instructors elevate their craft. His Dance Ninjas methodology empowers teachers worldwide, helping them grow thriving dance communities. His clients have doubled their scene sizes in under 90 days, gone from 0 to 40 students in a month, earned over $1 million in 3 years & learned how to have non-stop amazing dances multiple nights in a row.Andrew believes teachers are the lifeblood of dance. Whether you want to make every Fusion dance extraordinary or build a thriving dance scene, Andrew is here to help you succeed.

Hi my name is Ren. I'm a traveling Fusion dancer, instructor and organizer based between San Diego and San Francisco. As a trans fem dancer I love the Fusion scene. I love the queerness, the affection for one another, and the unique study and and somatic approach we bring to movement. I found dance late in life and have been obsessed with it over the last 6 to 7 years having traveled to 10 states, and 5 countries in just the last 2. I travel In pursuit of a holistic understanding of Fusion dance and the community I've come to love. It has been a literal dance journey that has changed my life. Currently my background is in a dozen different sprinkles of West Coast Swing, Blues, Tango, Zouk and Kizomba.