Fusion Dances- From Blues to Tango

Mon., Oct. 24 - Fusion Eclectic- a new style of playlist at Lenora's Room

This evening will be just dancing in the intimate atmosphere of Lenora's Room which has a great floor and spacious sound. We hope to have occasional dances here as part of Lenora's Room Monday night dance series put on by Dorothy Sharrar and Eric Singer.

The playlist for the evening will include blues, swing, tango (both traditional and alternative), world music, and of course, waltz. Those who have come to Blues Eclectic over the years should enjoy this playlist as well as those who have added tango to their repertoire. Although there will be considerable overlap between this playlist and the ones at Sunday Dance Eclectic, the difference will be that this playlist will encourage dancers to respond to changes in tempo and dynamics and to use melody more in structuring their dance. For more information. I will be posting playlists on the website before the dance to give dancers an idea of the music that will be played below.


DANCE: 8:00 TO 10:30. DJ Dennis Myers
The dance is open to all. Masks are optional but encouraged.
Lenora's Ballroom, 3300 SE Woodward St. Portland
Cost: $15 -$10 Sliding scale. Dancers are welcome to come and check it out for a few dances to see if it is something they would enjoy.

Music for Fusion Dancing

This playlist is an eclectic mix of mostly contemporary danceable music. The music is great listening music plus special interest for west coast and blues swing, fusion and alternative tango dancers

Blues almost by definition is a fusion music. American music that takes you into the depth of feeling and asks you to make the dance personal, individual. There are many varieties of blues in various tempos,

A Few Examples of Fusion Dancing

Fusion dancing, at it's most basic, is taking muscle memories learned in other forms of dancing and using them freely as an expression of what the music inspires in the dancers.

Fusion Dancing is more a way of thinking about dance than a series of steps, patterns and rhythms. When you watch these dancers, the movements can be identified as coming from west coat swing, tango, latin, but, when used in a fusion style, are freer and more in the moment.

Fusion dancing is a style where the dance merges creatively with the music. Its an individual style that, depending on the experience of the dancers, can be either a playful exploration of how the dance partners hear the music or a creative collaboration that feels like a work of art itself

A Sample of Lessons from Ari Levitt

Ari Levitt from Seattle has been teaching various forms of fusion for almost 20 years and has come to Portland a number of times. He has been an inspiration for this dance at Portland Dance Eclectic.

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