FireWater – preview

Colleena Shakti with snake charmer

“The depth of our art reflects the work we have done with ourselves,” says Colleena Shakti, the international Indian fusion and tribal belly dancer who will be performing at the Rosemary Branch theatre for the first time this Sunday, hosted by the London-based FireWater Collective.

American-born, Colleena began training as a belly dancer 14 years ago before moving to India to immerse herself in Odissi, the traditional Indian temple dance, in a journey that has become a spiritual one. (Shakti is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred force or energy). Arriving in Rajasthan to research folk dance, she fell in love with the way of life she found there and stayed, setting up the Shakti School of Dance.

Her performances are stunning: like all who are masters of their art, she has the ability to make the complex and skilful appear natural and easy. Her fusion highlights feminine movements, fast spins, delicate mudra and hand work, and old world Indian aesthetics. When asked what makes her passionate about the dance, she says: “the need to express beauty, and to slow time down and pray.”

Tribal Fusion belly dance evolved from the tribal style belly dance movement of 1960s San Francisco, incorporating elements of folkloric dances of the Middle East, North Africa and Spain along with traditional belly dance moves and classical Indian styles, and is performed to anything from traditional Middle Eastern rhythms to contemporary electronic mixes and world music. Sunday’s show will include a Hindustani classical piece by the Shennai legend, Bismallah Khan, an old 1940’s Bollywood song from the film Anarkali, and more by London’s own, Nitin Sawhney.

It’s a genre that eludes easy definition, and the dance itself seems to delight in teasing; it’s elegant yet earthy, meditative yet playful, spiritual yet sensual. With gorgeous music and fluid, beautiful movements, it’s captivating to watch. Performances may be choreographed or improvised, and costumes may involve anything from traditional full skirts and coin bras with lots of tribal jewellery, to urban and minimalist club wear. Colleena designs her own: Sunday’s will be “inspired by the Moghul and Rajasthan court dancers found in miniature paintings, with a modern belly dance twist.”

Distancing itself from popular perceptions of belly dance as titillation, tribal fusion strips the dance of its colonial and sexist associations to celebrate feminine power, embracing the gypsy and the wild woman archetype, or earth goddess.

“I was drawn to its beauty, strength and feminist nature,” says Hannah Mi, tribal fusion teacher and member of the Firewater Collective. “I adore how the dance gives space for each dancer to express her soul in her own unique way, brings women into a shared community and allows the dancer to find a love and understanding of her own body.”

The FireWater Collective is a collaboration of London-based tribal fusion dancers, set up to showcase Tribal belly dance in the UK and beyond, producing the tribal belly dance night Firewater as well as Tribal Tea Party, which showcases performances by local tribal fusion students.

Firewater is on this Sunday 22nd July at the Rosemary Branch Theatre.