SamanthaFortunata

I have to add in my own two cents on fusion.
I think that we need to remember that dance styles and traditions are based in a cultural, social, historical, political, and of course artistic and aesthetic context. I think that fusion is one of the hardest things to do because you really need to understand the traditions before you can blend them. As one of my old painting teachers used to say 'You have to be able to draw well before you can go abstract.'
Now this is not to say that we must be total purists, and that one can never have fun and mix things up. Tahia Carioca got her name because of her mixing it up with popular Latin and Brazilian steps! So make it creative and funky!
I just have an issue with fusion being a label given as an excuse for not really knowing what to do. Fusion gets a bad rap for that, bad art is bad art. Also you can mix elements without create a fusion.

That's my opinion.
Samantha

TribalDancer

A lot of fusionists do so because one form of dance inspires thoughts and ideas in them that are not commonly found in that dance, and which they are moved to try and share. Or becuase they are doing two different kinds of dance, or participating in two kinds of arts, and they are finding common threads between them that they feel would be enhanced by featuring them side-by-side or by juxtaposing them with one another.

That doesn't mean we fusionists are always that thoughtful or that successful. BUt those are some reasons why!

Shamsa

i agree with you. the dance should stay traditional!

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a belly dancer is a queen, and queens never go on the floor.

sedoniaraqs

I have been in something of a fusion mood lately, so I can offer my perspective.

The occasions I have pondered doing some kind of fusion of my own creation have been inspired by a particular piece of fusion music that reaches out to me in some way. Of course, I generally am not privy to what inspired the musicians. A piece of world fusion music that has been niggling the back of my mind for a while is "Falahi D'Espana" on the album Lahadat by Kairo by Night. I may choreograph a dance for my dance troupe. If it ever comes to fruition, we would of course bill it as world fusion dance, not oriental dance.

Above, I say "of my own creation" to differentiate from fusion forms that have its own evolution and cultural history to it, such as vintage oriental in the US. I do like this style and have recently been inspired to begin work on a vintage oriental routine to perform. But again, the music inspires me -- I picked up "The magic of John Bilezikijian" and have been quite taken with it.

Sedonia

Aisha Azar

Dear Sedonia,
I would LOVE to do a fusion piece to the music "She Left Home" originally by Djam and Fam. I have recently done fusion work to "Zourouni" by ancient Future and Georges Lammam. It's one of my favorite songs ever.
Regards,
A'isha

Farasha Hanem

When I was in 5th grade, we did a unit in Social Studies about Hawaii, and at the end of the unit, our class had its own "luau" (sp?). The girls in our class learned how to do a hula dance, and our teacher emphasized to us that hula is telling a story with the hands; I can still remember the story and the choreography. Hula dancing is beautiful, and bellydance is beautiful, but I found the two clips at the beginning of this topic to be a bit, well, um, boring (sorry, sorry). oO;

Your posts brought back some pleasant memories, Brea.

nicknack

Fusion should never have too much thought put into it, otherwise it will become just a little dull. It should be something done out of love for two (or more) forms of dance, not as a marketing oppurtunity. The best fusion I've seen has come from two forms that are closely related, or two forms of dance that hold equal importance to the one who is fusing them. My ultimate fusion is flamenco and bellydance, when it's done right, it's magical.

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Cause I'm not here to let you down. But the costume makes the clown.

Brea

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Yasmine Bint Al Nubia

One of my teachers, Madame Dahmia, dances both Polynesian dances and Oreintal dances. She never fuses the two!!! She has taught us the cultural differences etween the two..and even though there are some common movements to both dances...she feels the music and moods are quite different.

I enjoyed watching the videos...they were beautiful and expressive dancers.
Yasmine

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jenc

Bellydancing and hula are not only based on different concepts, but are too similar in the minds of the unitiated (including me until I read Brea's posts) too do anything but a disservice to both by fusing