Fusion Dance

Fusion Dance takes the same kind of serious turn away from the classic style of ballroom dance by allowing dance partners freedom of movement and improvisational style that comes from deep within the creative layers of dancers' souls.

Fusion Dance appeals to college students, dance instructors, dance companies and professional ballroom dancers mainly due to the freedom performers have to create a signature style that helps achieve higher ranking in the dance world. The accent in Fusion Dance is on the word fusion. It is human instinctive for those with a musical ear to move to music in an improvisational way. Young children learn to do this as soon as they can walk. Fusion Dance is a freestyle dance movement that encourages individuals to listen to a piece of music and fit dance motion to it.

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The History of Fusion Dance

Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn made a erious turn away from classical ballet to create modern dance. Although it was based on ballet syllabus, there was an element of free style that is similar to Fusion Dance today. The beauty of the art form of Fusion Dance is found in its history. As more freedom of movement and improvisation evolved in classic dance, Fusion Dance combined various ethnic dance forms of India, modern dance and western style dance choreography.

Due to the fact that much of the syllabus in Fusion Dance is a blend of ethnic and classical dance genres, it creates one of the most popular and interesting dance forms today. If you have a keen eye for spotting the blend of Latin ballroom styles like tango and salsa, you cannot fail to notice the origins of native Latin dance movement in Fusion Dance. This is also true of fusing Middle Eastern body movements with jazz and blues technique. Blues technique originates from the Deep South in the U.S. Middle Eastern dance is one of history's oldest forms of dance movement that was part of religious rituals.

In terms of Fusion Dance history, it should also be noted that Dragon Ball is credited with introducing today's Fusion Dance. Dragon Ball, for the uninitiated, is an illustrated Japanese serial created by Akira Toriyama in 1984 who wrote, illustrated and serialized the story lines, characters and plots.

Fusion Dance Technique and Steps

It is important to understand the cohesion of Fusion Dance with other factors including:

• Improvisation
• Technique
• Music
• Correlation of dance movement with a theme or story line

Improvisation in dance is the ability to hear and sense from within how the body adapts to musical rhythm and tempo. For example, if the musical rhythm and tempo inspire dance partners to sway slowly as they perform Fusion Dance steps, they are free to improvise as their senses motivate them.

Fusion Dance technique is borne of a desire to move in an instinctive way to music. So it may incorporate sets of dance techniques that overlap either with a partner or in a choreographed dance routine for a group of dancers. Fusion dancers are referred to as Gems, presumably named for gemstones.

In terms of actual Fusion Dance technique, it depends on the psychological reaction of performers as they react to music they hear. Actual steps in Fusion Dance may be an adaptation of that seen in Dragon Ball such as lifting the knees in the air, using arms in opposition to a partner's as you simultaneously take three steps toward your partner. However, because Fusion Dance is stylized by each performer, these steps may be embellished as part of personal technique.

Music of Fusion Dance

Fusion Dances is today's modernistic blend of dance movement to several types of music. For example, if a Fusion Dance choreographer wishes to created a dance routine with the theme or story line such as Calypso Ritual, the music would have a West Indian or Caribbean sound.

Fusion dancers improvise their movements with hip and full body rolls with partners or in a dance group as they raise and lower their arms opposite each other. Hands for this dance routine would be held flat with fingers locked. This routine might also include hip level knee lifts in swift motion in the opposite direction of their partner. Knees lifts in a group line could be done in a syncopated rhythm so each lift is done in contre temp movement to simulate a Native West Indian ritual dance.

Famous Fusion Dance Companies

Alissa Deutsche is the founder and director of the Fusion Dance Company. The Fusion Dance Company is located in Illinois, USA and has a full staff of diverse Fusion Dance Instructors who have presented performances at sports arenas and theaters statewide and nationally.

In the Netherlands one dance choreographer of modern dance incorporates Fusion Dance improvisation into diverse choreographed dance routines.

Most modern dance companies are venturing into Fusion Dance as a result of its rise in popularity among audiences and avid dancers.

Fusion Dance Competitions

Fusion Dance Competitions are held regularly across the U.S. These include:

• Midwest Urban Dance Competition
• Fusion National Dance Competition held in GA, FL, MI, AL and NC

Popular Fusion Dance Festivals

Fusion Dance festivals include:

• Fusion Dance Fest by Fusion Fighters
• Los Angeles Dance Fusion Fest
• Tribal Fusion Festival
• Fusion Dance NYC
• Australian Dance Festival 2010 Dance Fusion

Among Fusion Dance Festivals held in Europe, Sarah Lopez and Reda held a Masterclass performance at the Kizomba Fusion at the Valentines Dance Festival in 2017. Their performance is an example of how Fusion Dance is performed by partners.

In addition, the Gypsy Fusion Festival of Europe was held in 2016. Fusion Dance is adaptable to numerous traditional ethnic dance music of Ireland, India, Thailand, China and Japan. This clearly indicates the inherent creativity of this style of dance for choreographers and dancers.

Conclusion

Perhaps, the most interesting part of Fusion Dance is that it allows each dancer with or without a partner to innovate dance movement.

Billboard Magazine, widely recognized as a music industry giant, includes Fusion Dance artist Kayzo whose Fusion technique is based on hardstyle and trap. As noted by Billboard his "high-octane performances, have created a cult following that now packs rooms by the thousands."