So… about 5 minutes ago I saw a video. It was supposedly ‘Bachata’. What it really was consisted of an out-of-control diamond, a badly executed lateral, a rough chicote, and a couple other things. Basically, it was horridly executed Brazilian Zouk. It was not Bachata in the *slightest*. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a video like this.
If you know who I’m talking about, I don’t need to tell you the names. If you don’t, then that’s cool – and knowing who the stars of that video were does not impact the message I want to send here.
I love fusion. I love the influence dances can have on each other. I fuse all the freakin’ time. I ran a fusion-based CONGRESS the last two years. BUT:
- I fuse things I have learned, or that are non-risky
- If I borrowed it from somewhere else, I don’t call it my dance’s name (or give it a new name).
- I. Don’t. Teach. It.*
*Unless it is a fusion-labeled workshop between two styles, both styles are identified as their own, I have technical proficiency and teaching proficiency in both styles, it is specifically illustrated that this exists outside of the parameters of either dance, and it is identified that, as a fusion, it will not generally work on individuals who have no knowledge of the second dance style.
About Learning Fusion
In order to execute a movement safely, you need to learn about the movement. This is particularly true since most fusion takes the staples or ‘unique’ aspects of a dance – which are incidentally usually the trickiest, most technical parts of the dance. Basically, fusing complex movements without understanding what the movements actually are is the equivalent to that dancer you can’t stand who learned off of YouTube. Don’t be ‘that guy’. Don’t be the YouTuber of fusion.
If you’re only fusing really basic, safe, upright movements, chances for injury are low. But, keep in mind that dances still have their own technique – technique that require understanding to do the movements properly. While you can play with lines, etc. from other dances, don’t assume that you are ‘doing’ that movement correctly.
You also have a high responsibility for the safety of your partner. If it’s fusion, the likelihood your partner understands what you are doing decreases. This means you have the added responsibility to make sure THEY can handle the move safely. In terms of Zouk, this means head movement is off the table unless they’ve learned the technique – regardless of how well you know what you’re doing. I use Zouk as the example here because it is the dance I understand the most, but it is not a concept limited to Zouk.
About Naming the Movement
You know what I love about the ‘Swouk’ movement? People recognize very distinctly that it is a combination of Brazilian Zouk and West Coast Swing. People get that it’s not a ‘new style’, and people get that the movements come from varied backgrounds. You know what I dislike about Bachata using Brazilian Zouk? They don’t name the things they took from Brazilian Zouk as Brazilian Zouk – or even as Brazilian Zouk Inspired. They call it Bachata or ‘Sensual Bachata’.
Calling me a chiropractor when I’m a physiotherapist doesn’t make me a chiropractor. I can read a textbook on chiropractic practices, and I still won’t know how to crack your back properly. You can tell people I’m a chiropractor, and I might be able to fool them with all my textbook-learned language – but I’m still not a chiropractor. And really, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of that when I mess with your body. Of course, there are chiropractors who are also physiotherapists – and they may merge their practices in dealing with clients. BUT they learned both of the practices – and they call elements of each for what they are.
If you’re going to fuse – and especially if you’re building a brand based on fusion – call it for what it is. Don’t pretend it’s your creation when it isn’t. It’s fusion – and there’s no shame in that, because fusion is awesome. So call it fusion.
If you didn’t learn the thing you’re fusing it with, make sure people know that so they don’t think it’s the essence of the other dance. Seriously, one of the worst things about being a Zouk dancer and watching ‘fusions’ that both a) don’t call it a Zouk fusion and b) haven’t gotten trained is that I’m watching the video and thinking only one thing:
#ouchmyneck
At that point, I’m torn between actually telling people it’s fused with Zouk because they are taking credit for a dance I love – or not saying anything because the technique is so bad that I don’t want that to be a newbie’s first impression of Zouk.
Teaching Fusion
So, you want to teach fusion? Learn it right. Go spend the time, money and effort so that you know what you are talking about. It is not fair to your students or the practitioners of the dances for you to half-ass it.
As soon as you teach, your obligations skyrocket. You are responsible for telling your students the origins of the movements they are learning. You are responsible for keeping their bodies safe by teaching them proper technique. You are responsible for their education. If you mess up, your students are the ones who suffer – and sometimes it’s not reversible damage.
Take this seriously. If you want to teach a combination of two dances, learn and label them properly before you hit the teaching floor. It’s not an option – it’s a responsibility.
And, whatever you do, don’t pretend it’s ‘yours’. It doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to the original dance style. So, give it the credit it deserves. Do it justice both with your words and your dancing. Make fusion something to aspire to – rather than something that we dread running across on YouTube.
i would really like to see which videos are you talking about.
Given your earlier post (http://grapevine.dzouk.com/the-real-insert-dance-here/) I am a bit surprised and confused by this. What is the correct way to fuse? Isn’t fusion also about trial-and-error? Trying to find out what works and what does not?
Do you think that all moves in brazilian zouk that have “zouk” names were invented and are solely found in brazilian zouk? I think very little in any dance is truly original.
Just giving a new movement a name that tips the hat to the inspirations doesn’t mean much. You say sensual bachata borrows some from Brazilian zouk, sure, I think that is great. It also borrow influences from modern dance and probably many other dances I cannot start to think about. What should “Sensual bachata” be called for you to be satisified? Slapping the sticker “fusion” on everything isn’t a silver bullet. Well, some teachers where I live sometimes say they dance bachata fusion, but what does that tell me that bachata moderna och bachata sensual doesn’t? Not much, and certainly not what dances have influenced them.
Swouk works since you just replace the “z” from zouk with the “sw” from swing, so it is a nice play on words. But what would happen if swoukers would borrow from bachata or merengue? What would be a good name then?
Yes, we could probably acknowledge influences more, but is dance about tracing lineages or having a good time and doing something we like. Dance should evolve and perhaps lineage is good sometimes, knowing where you could get more inspiration, sometimes it might be a burden, if you try to stay too true to the source of inspiration. In the latter case you would probably be better of just sticking to the original, but then dance would stagnate.
Just because someone makes a youtube video and calls it something doesn’t make them an authority on the matter. There are a lot of poorly executed dances out there and dancers that try to pull off complex moves that are potentially harmful. But that is something else than fusion. Don’t blame them for seeing something awesome and now knowing better trying to imitate. Enlighten them.
What I am trying to say is to be tolerant and curious. Respect that not everything is the way you want it to be, but must it be? And be curious and try to find out more about all aspects of dance.
In this particular case, the couple involved in the video is *the* authority on the dance. They are world-renowned individuals who travel every weekend, and specifically claim to not be dancing Zouk in their Bachata. This is a couple that should know better – especially since the movements they are using from Zouk are not simple or easy. The technique that they are attempting to use is very dangerous if used wrong.
I have no qualms about fusion. If you are talking about ‘Fusion Dancing’ (dance that falls under no category), trial and error is certainly appropriate. If you are talking about taking a structured dance and injecting elements of another already-existing dance, then it is the responsibility to know what you are doing, be trained, and use it appropriately – especially as a teacher.
With Brazilian Zouk, a lot of our names are NOT new to Brazilian Zouk. We take chasse, cambre, and more from Ballet. We take Soltinho from the dance Soltinho. We take many other movements – but we are honest about their origins. Brazilian Zouk is a mashup dance; and dancers know this.
The problem with the Sensual Bachata movement in particular is that they call themselves Bachata and take direct, signature movements from Zouk and call it ‘sensual bachata’. BachaZouk would make more sense. Or ZoukChata. Either or. To say it’s ‘Sensual Bachata’ and claim it is specifically NOT a Zouk movement is wrong.
The Only couple you can be talking about are Daniel and Desiree…”*the* authority on the dance”. Look at any video of theirs and you will see what the author means about fusion.
I do enjoy their dancing, regardless of which style you want to call it… However,I knowledge they do put zouk in their movements. They also don’t give it any credit, which they should. I will tell people that watch them, that they do add zouk to their bachata. I don’t think it would quite be far to call it ZoukChata though. They fall somewhere in the middle of Sensual Bachata and ZoukChata… but call it what you will.
They may be the current authority on Sensual…However sensual is not solely their style. They are popular because of the latin cup and other competitions that they won using that same style. Yes again, theirs is fused with zouk… but not all sensual bachata is. Sensual bachata is a lot like zouk IN THE SENSE that it too was born out of taking many other movements from other dances; it’s a mashup as well.
I know *most styles of bachata(*I am not familiar with every fusion of it) and I also know zouk. When I teach my students fusion I do think it is very important they know the correct origins of the moves and the proper techniques to lead it safely. Also I make sure when teaching fusion to let my students know that some moves will only work with people who are familiar with the infused dance. That being said, not all instructors do the same. Unfortunately this one case of credit lacking where it’s due.
I still enjoy their style and teaching though…
Totally fair to still enjoy their teaching and style… however, I cannot get on-board with using that much ‘influence’ and not giving credit where due – especially when it’s a direct transplant.
I know in most of the Brazilian Zouk world, it’s well-known that Bachata and WCS are the two dances that are really fusing Brazilian Zouk into their movements… and the community is totally on-board with the WCS fusion but NOT the Bachata fusion because of the way that Zouk is not being recognized and portrayed.
In your reply more information, relevant for the discussion, has been unearthed. Well, I think there are three but separate issues here.
First, if someone is doing a bad job at pulling off dangerous movements, that is one thing. If they are doing a bad job at teaching these movements that is plain bad and should be actively discouraged. If they are just showing them off in a video not explaining how to do them, I can’t really be the judge of that, that might just be a show. If you are considered an authority, I think you should be careful with what you do publicly since others will follow your lead and follow your example. Still, it is hard for me to tell others how to live (and dance) and a video is just a capture of a moment without any context.
But on a basic level I agree with you, difficult and hard moves should be advertised as such and taught with respect. I have had classes where they said that this move is not really a social move since it is hard for a follower to be lead through, ie it is more of a show move. Personally I don’t like those kinds of moves since I am a social dancer. When a teacher of mine has taught a potentially dangerous social move, they have been very clear and strict with any associated dangers that might follow.
Second, if they are outright denying any influence from zouk when they obviously or even provably have been influenced, that is either dumb or ignorant. I don’t care from where your movements have originated, just that the dance you dance is beautiful. I don’t see any reason to denying influences. So here I wholeheartedly agree with you.
But it is the third point that I object to. Saying that sensual bachata should be called BachaZouk or ZoukChata is not the solution, unless zouk is the ONLY influence in sensual bachata and that this dance is purely a mix of bachata and brazilian zouk.
Sure, brazilian zouk might be the biggest influence at the moment. I wouldn’t know since there are extremely few brazilian zoukers here, so the little zouk I have witnessed and learned is limited to say at least. But the teachers I have had have incorporated modern dance or salsa arm movements in the sensual bachata they have taught.
You can have acknowledgement without having it in the name of the dance. That is my point. I even think having it in the name might be a hindrance since dance is evolving and other influences might be “stopped” since they are not from the “right” dance, forcing you to adopt another name for this new type of next-level sensual bachata. In any kind of evolving culture, a time of chaos is to be expected, until something forms eventually.
In fact, you contradict yourself. There is no “ballet” or “soltinho” in the name “brazilian zouk”, yet you claim to get influence from them.
The solution is in what you say next, that brazilian zouk is a mashup dance and dancers know that (well, at the only brazilian zouk class I took, the teachers did not stress this, nor did they mention it, but from one class I won’t expect too much). From dancing a bit more bachata and having taken sensual bachata classes, there is no doubt for me that sensual bachata is a mashup dance too. It is far from modern bachata and definitely from dominican bachata.
So the solution is in acknowledgement, not renaming a dance. And more importantly, teaching properly with respect, both to influences and the (safety of) dancers.
I think there is a misunderstanding here that I demand a dance that has influence be named with that dance in the title.
In the case of Brazilian Zouk, it was originally called Zouk because they danced to Zouk music. After realizing (after the fact) that there was already a dance called Zouk, they renamed it Brazilian Zouk to illustrate that it is, in fact, a different dance and needs to be recognized as such. Yes, we have influences from many, many dances. Our primary influence is Lambada – which is why another term for the dance is Zouk-Lambada. (We also usually maintain the original names of movements which come from other styles). Those other influences make up individually very small portions of the dance – making them influences, not a dominant style.
The issue with the sensual Bachata that was in that specific video is that it was not “Bachata with Zouk influence”. At least 80% of the movements were from Brazilian Zouk – directly. The fundamentals of what they were doing were MORE Brazilian Zouk than Bachata by far (not even slightly) and the couple claims they are not influenced by Brazilian Zouk.
When your dance is 80% from another style and consists of 80% signature movements from that style, it is not appropriate to call it ‘Sensual Bachata.’ Sensual Bachata with a couple moves that are inspired or fused with Brazilian Zouk? Call it whatever you want. When you are essentially doing Brazilian Zouk badly and labeling it Bachata, that is a problem (picture someone dancing what is essentially slow Salsa to Bachata music, and calling it ‘Bachata Cubana’). This is the issue that Zoukers have with SOME (not all) couples that practice Sensual Bachata. This issue is what frustrates the Brazilian Zouk community so greatly: the re-packaging (not influence) of the dance as a completely different style without credit to the influence.
I agree with you that claiming no influence where there clearly should be is suspicious at least. In this day and age, a internet connected couple traveling the world to spread their dance have a hard time claming that they independently came up with the exact same movements that exist in another dance. They are hardly isolated from the rest of the world and other dance communities. So why not acknowledging the influences? I cannot find a good reason other than ego. Egos are plenty in the dance community even though I feel they have little validation for existence.
Not having seen the video in question, nor knowing what couple it is (although I can make educated guesses) it is hard to be specific. Also, as I said, I am not fortunate enough to live in a place with a thriving brazilian zouk community, so my main source are online material. Searching for good examples of a dance online is hard. Often videos show “show dance”, not the way it is danced socially. The few examples I found that were more of a workshop variety gave me some hints, but it is hard to learn much from that since it is a two minute video showing that specific class, not from the basics of what makes that dance up. I would like to be enlightened, but apart from traveling abroad, there is not much I can do.
The videos I found of brazilian zouk sometimes showed movements I recognized from the few sensual bachata classes I have attended, but not that many and in most cases the style they were executed in differs. So perhaps I have been spared from what you describe.
Mind you, I want to share a story. A few years ago I helped film and edit a instructional video for exercise class instructors. This was to help them in creating a dance fusion class. Each song in the exercise class could have a different genre and the moves to that song should match the song genre. Since many instructors were only schooled in a few music/dance genres the academy teachers wanted online material to help these instructors on the way.
There were four academy teachers of which I only remember three today (disco, afro and street). They all did the *exact* same choreography/footwork, but flavored with “their” respective dance to show how it would look. This opened my eyes on how not only the music, but rather the execution, creates the effect of the style of dance. Yes, this was an aerobics exercise class, not actual dance, still the principles were clear.
I am not trying to defend this couple or this video (I don’t even know who they are with certainty). I am opposed to sweeping arguments that can be interpreted to apply to something at large when in fact the issue is with a subset of a community (how badly it might be). I do understand the frustration when someone takes something you feel deeply about and repackage it without homage, doing it poorly and possibly reflecting badly back. That IS poor practice and on that point I am firmly on your side.
I agree that if you are knowingly pulling from multiple styles you should give credit where it’s due. In this day and age that an be very hard. I dance 5 or 6 different dance styles regularly, but the moves that I use, the foot-work I do, and even the isolations I use have been pulled from all of them. The style of music playing is a big factor in what kind of a dance it is. Also the techniques used to connect the movements play a big part. I’m not going to call it an East coast, Bachata, Tango, West coast, Lindy, Charleston, Salsa, Blues, and Fusion combination when I’m dancing to a song that is solely from just one of the dance styles. The couple in question may not even know where the styling came from. I’ve taken classes from I don’t know how many dance styles and they all share/steal from somewhere at some point. If your dance is a combination dance with influence from elsewhere it is also possible that other dancers pull from the same sources your dance does but just call it another name. I’ve learned the same exact moves and body styling from more than one dance style.
Hi Blusion,
I agree that in some cases, one doesn’t know where styling came from. However, when your dancing is 80% foundational movements from another style… well, that’s beyond following. That’s like someone doing a Salsa coca-cola, cross body lead, and can opener in Lindy and calling it ‘Sensual Lindy Hop’