About Kaleidoscope

We run a monthly fusion night in Bristol, as well as larger fusion festivals around Europe.

We aim to be inclusive and open to feedback on where we’re not doing well enough. We want to do better than wider society, particularly for minorities and underprivileged groups. As an all-queer core team, we have some ideas on where to begin.

Why fusion? 

We love fusion for it's focus on connection and improvisation. More than that though, because it's a living dance we get to create it as we dance, rather than sticking to a preset aesthetic or set of movements. That means the room for creativity and expression is limitless! 

What that means for you, is that it's really easy to get started - most folks can have fun on the social floor after just one lesson, or learn on the go if you're feeling confident. You can learn enough to have fun dances quickly, but if you want to push it, the scope for technicality and progression is infinite!

For us, fusion is more than a dance. It's also a way of living the future we want to build. That means it's queer, it's feminist, and we don't want anyone left behind.

Meet your organisers

Siân - Kaleidoscope's creator

For me, Kaleidoscope is about joy. About feeling sweatily, vibrantly alive and connected and lifted up by community.  Dancing is where I find sanctuary, where I celebrate the good days and find my way through the bad ones.

It's also about the future I want to build. One a little less filled with heteronormativity, rigid expectations, oppressive gender roles and unspoken assumptions about what it means to agree to something - even within a dance. 

I get excited about connection, about pleasure, and about how much better our worlds get when we have access to joy. Our joy matters. Your joy matters. 

Ian - Kaleidoscope XXL co-organiser

It's pretty much Ian's fault that Siân is a fusion dancer. And an organiser, now we think of it. They were touring around Europe on only-slightly-on-fire schoolbuses as part of a team throwing fusion events way before Kaleidoscope came along.

A music nerd to their soul, Ian has performed at fusion festivals across Europe and America with the Battery Powered Blues Band, and was one of the main DJs and organisers for Disco Ball, the now-legendary series of extremely hecking punk-yet-wholesome underground dance parties thrown in and around Bristol! Fitting then that they take the reins on all things music at Kaleidoscope XXL - our fusion mega-weekender. 

Lauren - Microscope mastermind

Our co-organiser for Microscope, Lauren's dance journey has been a far-ranging, heady tour through the worlds of west coast swing, tango, blues, latin dances and zouk.

Her first fusion weekends were in the US, where she met and fell in love with micro. It was like someone gave a name to This Thing that was already part of her dancing - and a doorway into exploring more.

Microscope - Bristol's smallest fusion weekend - started when Lauren said the magic words "cosy micro weekend" and our eyes met across the table. It's also a straight-up excuse for her to have more micro on her doorstep.

Our next event

16 March - 21 March

Camp Kaleidoscope 2025 - fusion residential

Starts, 15:00

Welcome to Kaleidoscope Fusion