Diving in Deep: What to Expect From Your First (Or Next!) Live Fusion Festival
Several Stygians just returned from The Brightening Fusion Festival in Las Vegas, and if I’m being quite honest I have major FOMO and am a little bitter at how much of a blast they seemed to be having last weekend. (I spent Brightening weekend organizing my Tupperware cabinet and deep cleaning the bathrooms, though, so I bet they’re pretty jealous of me too).
In between bleaching grout and trying to figure out why none of our soup bowls had matching lids anymore, I reflected on how the festival scene had changed so radically since the pre-2020 Before Times. In the late 2010s you could easily attend a fusion festival per month and still have several left to try the following year. Once we made it out of the pandemic, many of those festivals had unfortunately decided to end their run and opportunities for in-person training and community were significantly more scarce.
It took a while for in-person events to start popping back up, so it’s entirely possible that you have been dancing for several years and have never had the opportunity to attend one (or you were a regular attendee but haven’t felt comfortable getting back to it after COVID). If it’s been a minute (or never!) since you’ve stepped foot inside a fusion festival, it may seem daunting to commit to going. It’s definitely a financial commitment as well as a leap of faith to dance publicly in front of dozens of other dancers on top of the travel logistics and other planning details that sometimes make vacations feel like work.
Here are some tips to help with taking the plunge into attending fusion festivals:
1. Arrive Prepared—Physically and Mentally
Fusion festivals often feature long workshop days, late-night shows, and plenty of social dancing. Prepare your body with conditioning, mobility work, and rest in the weeks leading up to the event. Pack essentials: layers for warming up, snacks, water, notebooks and pens, Ibuprofen, and any other self-care items that make you feel safe and ready to dance. If you have physical or health limitations or feel like an accommodation would help you enjoy class more, don’t be afraid to approach the production team with requests. As an event producer I can assure you there’s never been a request that I thought was silly or unnecessary.
2. Watch Some Game Film
Maybe you’re attending a festival to work with a specific instructor, or maybe you’re going to try something new. If you aren’t familiar with the instructors’ styles and teaching specialties it never hurts to watch their past performances or review any online classes they’ve shared to get a feel for their teaching style, their dance technique, and what might be expected of students. The more prepared you are going into workshops the more your brain can relax and absorb the information.
3. Take Breaks and Know Your Body
It’s super tempting to dance as hard as you can, try all the cool tricks, and put your full energy into every workshop, but being aware of how you’re feeling and honoring when it’s time to soften up or take a break is essential during festival weekends. Prioritize safe technique over intensity, especially in layering or floorwork classes. Film instruction (if permitted), sit down and take notes if you’re feeling exhausted or starting to hurt, and give yourself grace if you need to sit a workshop out. Being honest with yourself regarding your physical condition and energy levels will help sustain you for future festivals.
4. Connect with the Community
As a mega-introvert, this is probably one of the toughest tips for me to embrace, but it’s incredibly important. If you feel comfortable, try to introduce yourself to one new person in each workshop. If you’re attending a festival alone, see if you can roomshare with other dancers to save money and have roomies to hang out with. If there are post-show haflas or drum circles and you have the energy to attend, definitely consider staying for a while. The unofficial gatherings are typically where serious memories are made and lifelong friendships are forged. Collect social media handles from people willing to share them and stay in touch! You’ll have a built-in community of festival buddies wherever you go.
5. Reflect and Integrate After the Festival
Your dance doesn’t end when the festival does. If your energy and mood is low after returning home (which is completely normal!) use that time to review your workshop notes and organize your thoughts. Choose two or three concepts to integrate into your regular practice rather than overwhelming yourself with everything at once. Festivals can be creatively transformative, but only if you intentionally apply what you’ve learned.
Ultimately, a successful fusion dance festival experience isn’t about being the most advanced dancer in the room, the hardest partier, or the best performer at the showcase. It’s about taking a leap of faith and being open to new and challenging experiences and forming unique personal connections. Hopefully as in-person festivals start to become more common again, you’ll find your perfect home-away-from-home and a whole new group of dance besties to enjoy the experiences with for years to come.
If you’re interested in rolling up to a dance festival with some ready to go dance friends, give the Stygian Collective a try! We not only support one another virtually through our online community, but we regularly organize in-person collaborations, travel to festivals together, and celebrate all things dark fusion with our newly in-person Ascension event in April! We take every opportunity to dance together–both in-person and virtually–and we’d love to include you in our fun!
