Hoping to step out of the shadows of other campus groups, Fusion hopes to provide a bridge across different dance forms.
Fusion, an ensemble initially founded and created by Nelly Essandoh '99 and a collaborative of 18 other students, hopes to break from that mold by presenting the campus with a troupe which will perform traditional modern and hip-hop, but also include its dance repertoire jazz, ballet, tap and step.
The objective for creating Fusion was to have a dance troupe at Dartmouth which would "not limit itself in the genre of dance" and to "give Dartmouth a really different taste of dancing, Essandoh stated.
Essandoh, who previously danced in Ujima, an African-themed dance group, says interest in Fusion has been great.
Immediately after flyers were put up around campus, there were 17 students that expressed interest, Essandoh said.
The posters stated that the group would focus on forms of dance, including jazz, ballet, modern, tap, step, and ethnic forms of dance. At the present time, there are 13 Fusion dance members.
"The purpose of Fusion is to be as diverse as possible. We do not want to be known as 'the jazz group' or 'the ballet group' hence, we serve to 'fuse' various types of dance into one group, said Fusion member Laura Adams '00.
"Although everybody has their own strengths, the goal is for everyone to expand and share their abilities with the whole ensemble," says Fusion dancer Leslie Plaisted '00.
Like other dance groups on campus like Ujima, Fusion hopes to limit performances to one per year. Essandoh hopes one large dance recital each year with several termly spotlights would help to alleviate "the pressure of whipping something up for random performances on a term basis."
"I think what we've decided is that we might do a little number or two a term, just to draw people for auditions or to keep up interest in Fusion, but we are really only aiming to have one big performance a year during Spring terms," Essandoh said.
"I have seen Fusion's current members perform four of their pieces and I am quite impressed with their choreography and technique, said Stephanie Hull, assistant dean of first year students and adjunct professor of French and women studies, who is the faculty advisor for the group.
"They have worked hard to bring together many different styles of dance and to create an organization that is truly collaborative and refreshingly non-hierarchical," Hull said.
Fusion will tentatively introduce itself to Dartmouth's campus this term in a showcase performance scheduled for Sunday, February 16 from 8-10 p.m. in Collis Commonground with other campus groups and acts.
Cheorographers for some of the dances include Essandoh, Plaisted, and Katherine Weiss '00.
There are already preparations for the Spring performance, which will include even more dance forms.
The showcase this term will hopefully allure other students to join Fusion and also build a good reputation so that students can support them in their future endeavors.
"We are encouraging all Dartmouth students to join us on Sunday, whether as prospective group members or just to come to see what we're all about," Plaisted said.
