Sarina is a fusion dancer known for her quirky musical choices and her vaudeville style infused in her costuming and dance. Whether she is dancing as a fairy at the Faerie Market, a ghoul at Halloween Downtown in Eugene, an Orion slave dancer at Trek Theatre production, a steampunk performance at Victorian tea party, theatrically bringing comedy to a 1920’s jazz piece, or dancing to her newest favorite soundtrack at the Eugene Saturday Market, she has a lot of fun with the art form!
Sarina has been belly dancing for over 28 years, taking her first dance class with her mother in a little community center while she was a teenager. From that time, she moved on to study in Portland at Caravan Studios and Euphoria Studios. She primarily focused on ATS/tribal (which once stood for American Tribal Style and she would like to rename American Transcontinental Style since belly dancers are moving away from the term "tribal"). She studied fusion and "tribaret' with Severina and Znama Studio, as well as Romany, folk dance, and cabaret styles with private instructors. While living in Japan, Sarina studied Egyptian and Turkish style belly dance, break dance and salsa, and taught fusion belly dance. Because she has also studied flamenco, tango, swing, jazz, lindy hop, the Charleston, bhangra, vaudeville, Hawaian hula, various European folk dances, and other styles, these also are infused in her dance. Sarina often draws on moves from other dance styles to meld with belly dance, depending on what feels appropriate with the style of music. Her costuming is often inspired by a theme started by her musical choice. She makes and sells many of her costumes, hair fascinators, and hair extensions locally.
Currently Sarina teaches Beginning Belly Dance at Willamalane in Springfield. She teaches intermediate, advanced, and private classes in the Belly Dance Eugene and Springfield Studio.
on Mon, 28 Aug, 2023
Do you remember the sensationalism of the Virgin Mary made of Elephant Dung?
In case you don’t, I will remind you. I was in high school. The world was in an uproar over how disrespectful it was that a New York artist had an exhibit showing a piece depicting the Virgin Mary made of elephant dung. Even my former Catholic parents, an atheist father and a mother who had been excommunicated thought it was disrespectful. As a rebellious teenage artist I thought it was gutsy, but I didn’t actually care enough to look into it.
When I was in college, I was an art student—and I had the power of the Internet. Chris Ofili, the artist painted a black Madonna, used elephant dung because this is symbolically sacred in many cultures in Africa. The critics who lambasted him were too ignorant to learn about other cultures or be openminded think about racial and cultural implications
I am using this as an analogy to talk about belly dance. A lot of the criticism of the arts comes out of ignorance of the cultures where it comes from. It is the same with belly dance.
on Sun, 13 Aug, 2023
on Mon, 17 Jul, 2023
Fusion Fascination performs a style in between fusion (an eclectic mix of modern and contemporary dances as well as other dances I have studied and can teach) and a folkloric-inspired style termed ATS. This abbreviation, ATS used to be called American Tribal Style or tribal. The problem with the term “tribal,” is that word is both confusing and inaccurate. Some people have outright stopped saying it because they feel the mere word is cultural appropriation of people in Africa. Since I have never been attempting to evoke the feel of African tribes in my dance style, and I have felt the term tribal is more about the aspect of social dance and community connection, I am unsatisfied not having this term.
Improve fitness and core strength while working out to great world music and learning the basics of belly dancing. Class emphasizes posture and stretching to avoid injury, muscle isolation for improving strength and repetition for a balanced workout. Sarina teaches classes at Willamalane in Springfield and the Reach Center in Eugene.
Sarina performs her alternative tribal fusion belly dance style at many venues in Eugene and sometimes Portland, Oregon. Whether she is steampunk belly dancing to neo-Victorian music, using her flamenco/burseque fusion fans with a 1920's flair, Andalusian skirt twirling, clowning it up at Cirque du Eugene, or fusing break dance and belly dance to a Star Trek remixed music, she brings creativity and fun to the dance.
When she performs with Fusion Fascination, it is a fusion style influenced by world music.