Dance Fight 2022
Transform how you move. Have way too much fun doing it!
Dance Fight is a two-day movement intensive for sword fighters. This unique event is all about transforming how you use your body, no matter what weapon art you practice. We’ve brought together six top instructors and asked them to share their secrets to moving well — and you’ll get to train with every one of them!
September 24th -25, 2022
Pip Moyer Recreation Center, Annapolis, MD
page navigation
instructors
schedule
policies & FAQ
Instructors
Join our amazing lineup of teachers from across North America for one heck of a weekend!
Some of them will help you polish core skills like body literacy and communication. Some will expose you to new movement arts, from ballet to capoeira. All of them will give you a new perspective on how you move and help you become a better fighter.
Click on the photos below to learn more about our team.
Austin Historical Weapons Guild, Austin, TX
Guild of the Silent Sword, Austin, TX
Valkyrie WMAA, Vancouver, Canada
Kajaswords, Vancouver, Canada
Capital Kunst des Fechtens, Arlington, VA
Maryland Kunst des Fechtens, Columbia, MD
Schedule
Each day, you’ll take three two-hour classes with three different instructors, with plenty of rest in between. There will also be daily open floor time to let you play with adding what you’ve just learned to your swordplay.
You will be assigned to one of three groups at the start of the event. You will stay with your group throughout the weekend and rotate through all six classes together. This structure will allow everyone to take all of the classes, while keeping class sizes small enough to ensure a great learning experience.
Saturday, September 24, 2022
| Activity | Time | Marlene – Body Fluency | Jon – Deception | Christian – Ballroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 8:30am – 9:00am | |||
| Class 1 | 9:00am – 11:00am | GROUP A | GROUP C | GROUP B |
| BREAK | 11:00am – 11:30am | |||
| Class 2 | 11:30am – 1:30pm | GROUP B | GROUP A | GROUP C |
| LUNCH | 1:30pm – 2:30pm | |||
| Class 4 | 2:30pm – 4:30pm | GROUP C | GROUP B | GROUP A |
| Playtime | 4:30pm – 6:00pm |
Sunday, September 25, 2022
| Activity | Time | Anna – Ballet | Da’Mon – Nsanga | Kajetan – Blues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | 9:00am – 11:00am | GROUP A | GROUP C | GROUP B |
| BREAK | 11:00am – 11:30am | |||
| Class 2 | 11:30am – 1:30pm | GROUP B | GROUP A | GROUP C |
| LUNCH | 1:30pm – 2:30pm | |||
| Class 4 | 2:30pm – 4:30pm | GROUP C | GROUP B | GROUP A |
| Playtime | 4:30pm – 6:00pm |
Policies and faq
Code of Conduct
All Dance Fight attendees, including students, instructors, and staff, must abide by the following rules:
1. Treat each other with respect and patience.
This is an interdisciplinary event and every attendee—regardless of experience—is likely to find themself outside their comfort zone at some point this weekend.
When others struggle, treat them how you would like to be treated when it’s you’re turn to be the Confused Newbie. This includes respecting their boundaries and letting them adjust movements to suit their body. Shaming anyone for sitting out or for asking for accommodation is considered harassment and will result in disciplinary action.
2. Take care of yourself.
You are responsible for your safety and are the best authority on your own physical and psychological limits. You are encouraged to tell your instructor and/or training partner(s) about any injuries, disabilities, or other risk factors that may affect your training. If an activity feels unsafe or like it’s harming you, you may stop at any time.
All activities are opt-in: you can choose if, and to what extent, you participate in a class. There will be space to sit/stand and watch available during all classes. You can take a break whenever you need it.
3. Keep each other safe.
You are expected to care for your training partners’ safety in addition to your own. If you behave in a manner that endangers or harms others, you will be asked to stop, and may be subject to disciplinary action.
Calibrate your level of resistance, force, and aggression to an appropriate level for your training partner and the current activity. If in doubt, ask your partner what they expect, or check with your instructor.
4. Let everyone learn.
Dance Fight is focused on building soft skills that are difficult to learn by rote. You will spend a lot of time experimenting, problem solving, making mistakes, and reflecting. These are essential parts of the learning process and everyone deserves the opportunity to try figuring things out for themselves.
Resist the temptation to explain things to others or feed them the “right” answers when they get stuck. Never mock someone for making a mistake. Ask others if they want feedback before you give it to them.
5. Respect the event space.
We are guests at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center, and must follow all of the center’s rules. Clean up after yourself, abide by any posted signs, and only use equipment and facilities that have been designated for our use. If you’re not sure if something is off-limits, ask any of our event staff.
6. Take care of your training gear.
You are responsible for the storage, transport, and maintenance of your personal training gear. Instructors and staff may inspect gear being used during Dance Fight at any time. If any piece of your gear is deemed unsafe, you may not use that item until it has been sufficiently repaired, modified, or replaced, and cleared for use by the person who originally inspected it.
If you borrow a training weapon or other gear, you must return it at the end of the activity it was loaned for, in the condition in which you received it (excluding normal wear and tear). Do not remove any borrowed gear from the event premises.
7. Don’t be a dick.
Discriminatory behaviour and harassment is prohibited, and will result in disciplinary action. This includes—but is not limited to—discrimination based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic or religious background, and ability; as well as verbal, physical, and sexual harassment.
Deliberate or ongoing misgendering (using incorrect pronouns or inappropriate gendered terms such as “woman”, “boy”, etc. for another person) is considered harassment and will result in disciplinary action.
8. Play sober.
You may not participate in classes or open floor while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
If you see someone violating the above rules, or if anything happens during Dance Fight that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please let us know as soon as possible. Issues can be reported to:
- your instructor (if you’re currently in a class)
- Christian Buettner or Kajetan Sadowski (anytime)
- any Dance Fight staff member
Any disciplinary action taken will depend on the nature, severity, and context of the behaviour that has been reported. At minimum, any inappropriate behaviour will be stopped as soon as it is noticed, and the perpetrator will be told how to correct the issue and expected to do so immediately. They may also be removed from class, moved to a different group, or banned from the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a beginner. Is this event for me?
Yes! All are welcome at Dance Fight regardless of experience, ability, or preferred weapon. We will be covering topics as wide-ranging as ballet, capoeira, ballroom dance, and longsword, and we expect that everyone will encounter at least one class where they are totally new to the material. All of our classes are designed to be beginner-friendly, and you don’t need any prior experience to have a great experience.
How do your ticket prices work?
Dance Fight is priced on a sliding scale in order to make it more financially accessible while still allowing us to compensate our instructors fairly. There are three different ticket prices:
- Accessible rate: $120
- Standard rate: $150
- Generous rate: $200
You are welcome to pay whichever rate makes the most sense to you. Thank you for helping make Dance Fight happen!
What measures are you taking to prevent COVID-19 transmission?
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, you are required to be fully vaccinated to attend Dance Fight. Masks are not required, but are encouraged.
Proof of vaccination must be shown on the day of the event. It can also be uploaded to your TidyHQ account.
Full vaccination is defined as having gotten the full regimen of shots (two doses of Pfizer/Moderna/AstraZeneca or one dose of Johnson & Johnson) plus at least one booster. Valid proof of vaccination includes any government-issued card or confirmation document. Pictures/scans of documents will also be accepted.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Kajetan Sadowski.
What should I wear?
Bring comfortable clothes that let you use your full range of movement. You’ll be moving in all kinds of new ways, so stretch fabric may be a good choice. Avoid cotton if you tend to sweat a lot, and feel free to bring a change of clothes to swap into on a break.
For footwear, comfort is also the first priority. All classes will be held on hardwood gymnasium floors. Dance shoes, sneakers/running shoes, and barefoot shoes are all appropriate.
What gear should I bring?
Make sure to bring a water bottle, lunch, snacks (if you tend to get hungry between meals), and any medications you might need over the course of each day.
If you would like to do any sword fighting during the Playtime open floor slots, bring your training weapon and any safety equipment you usually wear for sparring. Our minimum requirements for all weapons are: mask/helmet; rigid throat and back of neck protection.
You are welcome to wear more protection for your own comfort and peace of mind. There will be plastic “Tubes That Go Bonk” available for those traveling without weapons or safety gear who would still like to get some fighting in.
All classes will have loaner gear available. If you would like to bring your own, here’s what you will need for each class:
- Body Fluency Through Movement – no gear required
- Playful Communication and Deception – safety glasses or fencing mask (optional)
- Ballroom Dancing for Power and Control – any two-handed training sword
- Ballet For Swordfighters – TBA
- Nsanga: Battlefield Capoeira – training knife, kali/escrima stick, 4ft staff
- Blues Dancing for Fun and Profit – your choice of training sword
What’s the deal with “Group A/Group B/Group C” on the schedule?
When you arrive for Dance Fight, you will be assigned to one of three groups: A, B, or C. Your group will determine what order you take classes in.
For example, if you are assigned to Group A, you’ll be in Marlene’s class in the Class 1 slot on Saturday morning, whereas if you’re in Group B, you’ll be with Christian at that time.
You will stay with your group throughout the whole weekend. This means that you’ll have a small cohort of fellow students you’ll get comfortable with as you train together, and you’ll get the benefit of smaller class sizes while still getting to work with every instructor.
If you end up liking this model as much as we do, you can thank the fine folks at London Longsword Academy—we’ve modeled it off how they run their annual “Two Days of the Blade” event.
What’s “Playtime”?
The Playtime block on the schedule is, well, playtime! This is your opportunity to play around with the new skills and movement patterns you’ve learned over the course of the day. You can use this time for sparring or playing with a partner, solo movement, group problem solving or idea-swapping, or anything else you’d like to do.
Participation in this block is entirely optional and you are welcome to treat it as social time or naptime.
If you plan on doing any fighting, please make sure to bring your own training weapon, and sufficient safety gear to fight with it without risking injury. We will have plastic “Tubes That Go Bonk” available for anyone who wants to fight and doesn’t have a weapon or gear. These are very lightweight and safe to use with no additional safety equipment.