Fusion Bellydance is a general term for styles that combine Bellydance technique to other styles of dance, like Contemporary Dance. Fusion Bellydance is a vast genre and what the dance looks like can vary between different dancers.
Typical for the style is very soft snake-like movements and sharp accents. These two elements can be combined together to form movement layers. Main focus is to create precice and enchanting movements with isolations, where only one part of your body is moving.
Fusion Bellydance would not exist without the countries and cultures where Oriental Dance, nowadays often referred to as MENAHT dances, have been danced for thousands of years (the exact time is not known). It includes many different dances from the Middle-East, North-Africa, Hellenistic cultures and Turkey (MENAHT). Fusion Bellydance is based on these different dances, although it doesn't represent the original form of the dances.
The style that was previously known as Tribal Fusion now often carries the name Fusion Bellydance or sometimes Transcultural Fusion Dance. This style was created in the West Coast of the United States in the 90's by Jill Parker. The basic technique combines FatChanceBellyDance and the Salimpour technique and draws inspiration from Street Dances and Flamenco.
Photo: Suwi Berg Photo: Veera Kontiokari
Dark Fusion Bellydance
Dark Fusion is an umbrella term for Fusion Bellydance that draws inspiration from metal music and grim stories. Dark Fusion dancers can use pagan or gothic themes, metal music and the imagery surrounding it as an inspiration.
Anni offers Dark Fusion dance classes to metal music and with a dark pagan theme. Course descriptions always state what the theme will be or will it be a combination of these two. Weekly classes started in the spring 2020 and a year later Anni's performing students were named as Hallanmaa (the land of the frost).
