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::What is Celtic Fusion?::
::What are the different Middle Eastern dance styles, and which one(s) do you do?::
::Isn’t Belly dance like stripping? Wasn’t it used as a dance of seduction?::
::Do you do bachelor parties/private functions?::
::Where did you get your costumes?::
::How do you do it, living so far away from each other?::
::Am I too old (at 40, 50) to do Middle Eastern and/or Celtic Fusion dance?::
::Who Designs Your Webspace?::

 

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::What is Celtic Fusion?::
Celtic Fusion is a new dance form we have created combining the dance, music and costumes of the Seven Celtic Nations with that of the Middle East. We take creative and artistic license and combine the energy from Irish Step and Scottish Highland dance with the beauty, freedom, and grace of Middle Eastern dance, as well as other cultures.
We push the boundaries of what's considered to be the norm, and out of it emerges a new (and fun!) dance form...

::What are the different Middle Eastern dance styles, and which one(s) do you do?::
There are many different styles of Middle Eastern dance, just as there are many different countries that make up the Middle East. The most popular style performed here in the US is the traditional Egyptian,or Raqs Sharqi, dance. However, there is also Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, All kinds of Folk dance, Tribal, American Tribal Style, etc. For more information and the differences of the styles, we recommend checking out The Art of Middle Eastern Dance (Shira’s website) at http://www.shira.net/

Our Middle Eastern “style” is mainly our own take on Egyptian, Turkish, and Tribal Belly Dance, with an infusion here or there of the modern western dance forms (ballet, modern, etc), deriving from some of our training. Most of our dances we perform are choreographed, all original choreography we came up with, with yet a few entirely improvisational. Usually we have a  
combination of both. 
Unlike what most teachers teach in the US, for solely modern Nightclub/Restaurant performances (with the exception of Tribal/ATS dance), we lean more towards the historical feel. We are different in the fact that we like to be seen as real people, and as Belly dance originated as a dance to celebrate the earth and life, we are therefore more rooted to the very ancient  
history of the dance. We like to relate to our audience. While not entirely historically accurate (we certainly take artistic license with a lot- especially our Celtic influence, as well as, I should note,  
the use of veils in a performance - even in the Middle East today, veils are only used as an entrance prop, but we enjoy dancing with them ;0) We do, however, have a more “cultural” and “historical” feel than a modern nightclub dancer, and like to portray the feel of the old village tribes/gypsy dancers, making it once again the dance of the people.

*Note: Our New England dancers are available for other events, and also are now available as cabaret belly dancers, and modern, edgy and funky Tribal dance as well. See our Hire Us! page for more info.

::Do you do bachelor parties/private functions?::
NO. We do NOT do Bachelor parties, and do not intend on ever doing them. (We have strong feelings about this, can’t you tell? ;0) 
That being said, our dancers are  available for weddings, birthdays, and other private family events that include a mixed audience. See our Hire Us! page for more information.

::Where did you get your costumes?::
We design and make all of our own costumes. If you’re interested in having a costume custom-made, we gladly can make it for you, as most of us have experience in costume design and construction for both dance costumes and historical garb. Contact Meg, Kristen, or Brynn for more info, or to check out pre-made and custom items for sale, visit Meg and Brynn’s costume site at Strike Daekins.

::How do you do it, living so far away from each other?::
Frequent Flying Miles ;0)
Having two different chapters now, which is how most performances are done at the moment, has made things run a lot more smoothly and made the possibilities endless. (Also makes regular rehearsals a possibility!) However, we do manage to see each other (and have full-troupe rehearsals) as often as possible, and when a full-troupe performance comes up – it’s cram time (long hours).
In addition to rehearsing on our own every day, and regular rehearsals for each chapter, we also utilize modern technology and send videotapes back and forth to keep current.  
It’s not easy, but it’s possible. As the cliché goes: If there’s a will, there’s a way.

::Who Designs Your Webspace?::
CelticGypsies.com is designed and run by one of our own dancers, Meaghan. Meaghan has been making and designing various websites since 1998, and has her own website design business. If you are in the market for a website, contact Meaghan to discuss rates, etc.