Meet the Team
Teachers
Alain Andrieux:
Alain is a dance nerd with a background in many styles (Salsa, Tango, Blues, Funk, Contact, Zouk, Kizomba, etc) who teaches Blues in London and Fusion internationally. He continuously studies new forms of dance (including Micro-ey ones) in order to enrich his fusion dancing and share reusable ideas and concepts with fellow dancers. He likes creating a fun class atmosphere conducive to learning precise technique without too much brain-frying (he does enough of that to himself!)
Tina:
Having pioneered the development of Brazilian Zouk in the north of UK, and co-founding LATINO EUPHORIA, Tina is an internationally recognized Brazilian Zouk Instructor based in Manchester. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Tina has played a key role in promoting and developing several Latin dance styles in Manchester and the North. Her classes are well known for their quality, attention to detail, and expert instruction. Tina is also a qualified UKA Licentiate & Adjudicator, offers weekly classes, specialist workshops, and works as a mentor to dancers across the globe and actively works to promote the global growth of Brazilian Zouk.
Teddy Ivanova:
Born in Bulgaria, Teddy's dance journey began with Ballroom and Ballet. Her passion for Salsa (Cuban & Crossbody) and Bachata was ignited in her home country. Learning from the best, she excelled both competing and performing. Arriving in Manchester, Teddy continued her love of dance. Collaborating with various teachers, she taught Salsa, Bachata, and Brazilian Zouk (which she showcases across UK festivals). She shares her dance knowledge passionately teaching various classes in Manchester, including Bachata Fusion and Styling classes, and believes that dance provides a beautiful escape, connecting us with music and partners, promoting happiness and fitness. She believes everyone can dance, and we all should dance for at least 5 minutes each day!
Frankie Porter:
Frankie gave up dancing at the age of four, when she was cast as the Ugly Duckling for a ballet recital and was so offended she quit on the spot.
She was lured back in 2011 when she began a heated affair with Argentine tango, and has since fallen for blues, fusion, hiphop and micro. (She still hasn’t been back to ballet).
Malcolm White:
Malcolm loves to fully engage with the music, finding every movement and isolation the music draws him into. He's super excited to share this all with you and the for magic it will create on the dance floor.
Melissa Davy:
Melissa has always loved dancing. During her student days you’d more likely find her on the dancefloor than by the bar. She then discovered partner dancing, with Blues and Fusion becoming her favourites.
With a first class degree and masters in education, she has always been interested in how people learn best. Through several years of teaching dance, she wants to share the creativity and sense of fun that each dance brings.
Skye:
Skye is a passionate dancer, cuddler and qualified psychologist. Skye loves bringing people together to help them connect to themselves, to one another, to music, to space and spirit. Skye has a background in Fusion, Contact Improv, Swing, Tango, Embodied Consent and Boundary Work, Visualisation and Relaxation techniques, and all things silly and wholesome.
DJs
Iris B-p:
Iris (DJ Spacekitty) has been in love with fusion for more than a decade and one of their passions is spending hours on their laptop trying to find the best songs to move to and connect with. Slow trap, dubstep, chillstep and middle eastern sonorities inspire them most and a 100% micro set is their guilty pleasure.
Alain Andrieux:
Based in London, Alain is an experienced DJ of several styles including Micro, and has been invited to Fusion festivals in North America and all over Europe. A big fan of Electronica, he strives for eclectic blends in rhythms and musical styles, for instance combining relaxing world music, intense neo-classical and emotional chilled-out beats in his improvised sets. Feel to chat with him about music before or after his sets!
Sree:
Fusing the the cleverness of a thousand owls with the kindness/daftness of several moonlit pixies, Sree takes the joy of Alpaca hugs and channels them into epic DJ sets which she's performed all over the UK and parts of Europe. Dancing to fusion music for several years, Sree loves finding new music and exploring the range, creativity and space that fusion music offers to dancers.
Rachel:
Fueled by dark lipstick, litres of Pepsi Max and high levels of anxiety, Rachel (she/her) loves to play deep dark aesthetic fusion. She craves that syncopated bassy music that entices you to isolate. Her greatest compliment was being told her DJ set was "inconveniently horny". Please ask her to dance!
Malcolm White:
Malcolm (DJ Malcolmius) is VERY excited to DJ for the third time at MMFX. The delicate balancing act of keeping dance energy high while selecting the best micro tracks is an exciting challenge! Playing tunes for many years at amazing fusion events such as ICE Bear, Double-shot, EBI, Hummingbird Blues and IRN-Blues has given him the experience to select the right tunes to keep everyone hyped for dancing.
Wiebke Sickel:
DJ Spicy Ginger (she/her) loves many things: Glitter, Comics, Science – and Fusion! Her music collection is equally diverse and combines different styles of music into a well-seasoned feast for your ears – and bodies. She likes to spice up her sets with a variation of energy levels and emotions that allow you as a dancer to explore all those connections, too. Spicy Ginger believes deeply that the connection between DJs and dancers is the final ingredient to a successful night. Also, she's a nerd, so there will be songs with a nerdy connection
Kalina Malesza:
Kalina is very excited about being invited back to DJ at MMFX again! She started her journey as a dancer with Balfolk 7 years ago, then discovered blues and smoothly turned to fusion, witnessing its rise in the Polish dance scene. With not many Fusion DJs present at the time, she started taking matters into her own hands and discovered to love it 😊 As a DJ (as well as a dancer), she likes to play with songs having diverse dynamics, changes, pauses, various emotions. She tries to choose tunes that are both stimulating and diversified.
Lauren Southey:
Hailing from Bristol, Lauren is a lover of all things micro-fusion - dancing it, DJing it, and creating spaces where it can happen! Her favourite DJ challenge is making room for dreamy, deeply-connected, precision-micro moments, whilst still bringing all the juicy party vibes. The music she likes to play is informed by her dance-life, landing somewhere between ballet class and queer rave, with stops including west coast swing, blues, and zouk along the way. She’s thrilled to have been invited back to DJ at MMFX 2024 after loving it last year!
Care Team Lead
Skye:
Feeling welcomed, safe and cared for is so important. Festivals offer us an opportunity to experience a whole rainbow of emotions from joy, to overwhelming gratitude, to grief. So, if things just get a little much, we are here to help. We offer a confidential space for active listening, silent company, consensual hugs, and conflict resolution. Any time you see one of our care team members wear their Rainbow Bandana (daytime) / Glow Bracelets (evening) they are ready to help. Please don't be shy.
Organiser
Michael Cox:
The first two MMFX brought so much joy, and so many lovely Mmm...fx feels, that Mike couldn't wait to start planning the third!
Mike is genuinely overjoyed and so deeply moved by the enthusiasm and support from everyone who wants to be a part of this ongoing journey 💖
Still powered by love and cuddles, Mike adores micro fusion and can't wait to continue sharing a space of warmth and dreamy connections with you all.
Disclaimer: Team members are subject to change in case of illness or any unforeseen events that affect their attendance.