Max ArriazaNoise in the distance, a thick mist coats the air and your face as you walk along the park’s wet grass. As you get closer and follow the electric noise, you find a light-up concrete pad and a group of dancers in a circle.
Is it a sacrifice?
No, these dancers almost float across the pad; they are embodying the music’s rhythm with their footwork, gliding and flowing with their entire bodies. They are not a coven, pagan worshippers or a secret society: it’s the OC Shufflers, a group of energetic dancers who all share a passion for dance.
Every Tuesday, OC Shufflers have been hosting shuffling meets in Costa Mesa, bringing together dancers of all ages and levels. They have live music and DJs like DJ Fern, and they even had a violinist one night to dance to. “Initially, it was just me, Pricilla and Belle, and we saw Fern pop up and told him to stop by our meetup!” said Emily Ortego, one of three founders, and now they have grown to a group of around 30 dancers.
“Flow hard, coast easy” is the motto of the OC Shufflers, created out of the need for a place to move. Three friends, Belle Kolik, Emily Ortego and Priscilla Butaya joined together and created a community of ravers who all want to dance.
With rave and festival prices increasing, the OC Shufflers wanted something local and more accessible, without any cover charges or skyrocketing ticket prices. “We don’t want cost to be the reason people don’t try it out when it’s beneficial for the body and soul,” said Butaya.
North America’s biggest music festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, costs $469.99, and that’s just the ticket. Attendees also need to pay for travel, stay and food as well as other costs that come up along the way, which all add up. “We wanted the meetups to be free, and we want them to stay free because we don’t feel like people should have to pay to dance in a public space,” said Kolik. “The meetup events are free so that anyone who is interested in shuffling can have access to it,” said Butaya.
OC Shufflers wanted to provide a third space for those searching for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect; otherwise known as “PLUR,” a guiding philosophy of raving. “To be able to apply PLUR to every situation in life, not just raves, means internal peace,” said DJ Fern.
Shuffling was popularized in the United States in 2011 by LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” a smash hit that shot the dance style into the mainstream. The dance style was further pushed by social media; it’s now seen with light-up shoes and reflective phat pants.
Shuffling or “rocking” originated in Melbourne, Australia, through the ‘90s rave scene, where ravers would influence each other, creating styles and dance moves. Shuffling is a dance style characterised by its fast footwork with moves like the running man. PHD, or pure hard dance, is recognized as one of the originators, being an early rave brand in Melbourne that still hosts events today.
The OC Shufflers host learning sessions and teach dancers of all levels how to shuffle. They just announced their new workshop, “The Flow Upgrade,” consisting of four classes covering Melbourne shuffling, choreography, cutting shapes and hardstyle shuffling.
At their events, a display of many different dance styles is shown off as dancers combine Melbourne, flow, hardstyle and DnB shuffling styles. They embrace every shuffling style on their dance floor. They’ll start hosting the workshops on Jan. 31, 2026.
“We are not hosting a class, we are just bringing a speaker, pressing play, and vibing out!” said Kolik.
