What is Fusion Dance?

"It depends" is the short, and most correct, answer!

Last night a dear non-belly dancer friend and I went to see a variety show celebrating the menstrual cycle at the Visual Arts Collective. It was a bar-setting show for the local Boise scene in that the vast majority of the collaborators were edgy professionals in their respective genre pushing forth an artistic statement. The styles included burlesque, belly-dance, modern, pole, flamenco, and more.  One of the numbers involved quite a few different dancers coming together in what was a cloth representation of a womb. It was fun and I love the concept.  

Many of the dancers in this show were pushing their styles and combining many different genres into what could be called Fusion dance.  This is a loaded term in belly dance world as fusion grew from Tribal Dance to Tribal Fusion to "fuse belly dance with whatever you want" dance.  After my trip to LA for the Arab Dance Seminar, I make a point to keep my personal dance as authentic to me as possible... I love keeping things true to the roots just as much as I love exploring the fusion space where someone combines the moves, aesthetic, music and or feel of several genres together.  Fusion can be authentic, if intent and care are present. I think this propels dance forward and creates a future for folkloric movement that may not have existed otherwise.  Is Fusion the gateway drug to the past for the audience or is it the evolution of past movement styles... or both?  Or neither?  I'm not a philosopher. 

Above: Ballet "Fusion" with Seranata Orchestra
Below: Tribal X with Myra Krein at the Art of Bellydance at the  Sapphire Room

What I am is a dancer that has experience in multiple genres of art and I like to think that Fusion isn't limited to just dance but open to all art forms.  Last summer while I participated in the site-specific play, small matters, I combined movement with theatre in urban spaces that blurred the lines between dance, theatre, reality, and absurdity.  I like these grey areas and I think artists need to seek them out in order to grow and speak through art. When a dancer speaks, it takes my breath away.  When a singer makes paints or molds something gently as she performs, it is incredible.  These moments are Fusion to me, too. 

Last night during one point in the show, my friend turned to me and asked, "was that any good?" about a specific number.  I am not an expert in all forms of dance, but in this case I was well versed in the style. Instead of saying yes or no, I asked her, "Did you feel like it was good? Did it evoke a feeling within you?"  Not everything is "good" for everyone. Not every "fusion" works for everyone - but I still believe that intent, artistry, and professionalism can be present even if the art form is a bit inaccessible itself. 

We may have different styles, tastes, desires, and dreams, but I do think that the only thing Fusion really needs to be is a labor of love by someone who has poured their heart into their art and is making strong choices on how to portray their message.  If "Fusion" doesn't have that, then I'm not really sure it's anything at all.  

To learn more about Migration Theory and what small matters was, click here (also, for some excellent photos of me jumping around)