Safe Spaces Partner:

Changeling Spaces

This year we have partnered with Changeling Spaces, an access initiative in the social dance community led by Fen Lastra and Jaesic Wade. They are assisting us with redesigning event policies, and how we respond to needs and issues at the event.

If you have an access or safety related need, concern, or question, you can reach them by getting in touch with them on site.

You are also welcome to approach other event volunteers if you need help, but access issues will be transferred to Changeling Spaces. You can see their intervention policy here.

If you have a complaint specifically about Changeling Spaces, you should reach out to the core NWBF organizer team.

About the team

Since its founding in 2023, Changeling Spaces has provided comprehensive support to Blues Muse, Steel City Blues, Red Hot Blues and BBQ, Austin Fusion Festival, Uncaged Fusion Festival, QT Fusion Festival, Rochester Afro-Latin Dance Festival, and many more. Their mission is to provide a pro-active, multi-faceted, restorative approach to access in our communities, and to make access sustainable for local and national scenes.


  • Co-founder Fen Kennedy is a full-time dance professor and the winner of the 2024 National Dance Education Organization’s award for outstanding dance teaching in Higher Education. Their research on inclusive pedagogy has been published in the Journal of Dance Education, Dance Education in Practice, and various anthologies. They have taught classes at HiFi Fusion, Uncaged Fusion, Fae Fusion, Totality Fusion, and many more, and in 2024 they led two highly competitive fusion teaching residencies in Seattle and San Francisco. In their home state of Alabama, they run a free monthly queer dance class in partnership with the Magic City Acceptance Center.


  • Co-founder Jaesic Wade is a nationally renowned partner dance instructor and DJ, professional jazz singer, and DEI practitioner and life coach based out of Rochester, NY. 

Changeling Spaces believes that every dance community should have their own values and access structures. To support that, they have a free folder of policy documents, attendee agreements and implementation guides online that anyone can use to learn more about their work.

They are so excited to be joining the team at Northwest Balboa Festival this year, and can’t wait to meet you all - please ask them to dance!