This was a jazz performance at one of the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene's alternative shows. These February shows allow belly dancers to choose alternative costuming, music and dance styling to create fun and funky fusion performances. In this show, I had a lot of fun being blonde.
Photos of this Andalusian style performance were taken at Cozmic Pizza in Eugene, Oregon. Sarina wears a costume that fuses cabaret, flamenco, and tribal together in her beaded bra and belt she created.
Gipsy Nouveau was an event put on by Fusion Friendly, an organization originally founded by Sarina. She served as the creative director for three years as consultant and board member during the time she was no coordinating.
Gipsy Nouveau featured the talent of local belly dancers as well as Znama from Portland, Oregon. Sarina danced with Severina, founder of Znama from 2004-2007. Many of her techniques of layering with shimmies comes from Severina’s teachings.
The beauty of tribal fusion is the blending of different styles. Sarina loves Eastern European music, Andalusian influenced songs, Balkan dancing, and old-fashioned ambience. This comes across in her musical selection and costumes. These might feel flamenco, Romani, Victorian, and or Vintage in theme. Her dance moves while belly dance based, cross into tango and flamenco combined with more modern styles like breakdance when it fits the music.
Fusion is known for its eclectic style of movements combined with traditional Middle Eastern moves. The costuming is somewhere in between cabaret, tribal and gothic. It isn't unusual to see spikes, studs, gromits and other metal adornments embellishing a costume. In these photos, Sarina wears some of her signature hair accessories. Along with these, she includes costume pieces she made like her pants, the bra, and hair extensions.
As a long time science fiction fan, Sarina has always dreamed of combining her love of science fiction and belly dance. Recently she was able to do this when she heard a group in Eugene was planning on putting together productions of Star Trek episodes in the park, similar to Shakespeare in the park—only better because there would be Klingons. In these photos, Sarina wears a green costume she made along with lots of green pain!
Incidentally, Sarina has been mistaken for the witch from Wicked, a leprechaun, an elf and the green alien from Guardians of the Galaxy while wearing this costume.
Photo credit: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Lace, ruffles, top hats, clocks, and bloomers--these are a few of my favorite things. Whether Sarina is performing steampunk--or steamfunk--she has a tendency to combine something modern with something old-fashioned in music and attire.
Arrr, matey! Sarina performs to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack in her stripes and pirate attire. Photos were taken at No Shame, Eugene.
Sarina is featured in solos and group dances with her students in Japan. While living in Japan to teach English, she also taught dance. She performed for audiences of 500 people through Soulwave Breakdance Studio as well as local restaurants like Caribe.
Sarina performed her mermaid piece at the Portland Pirate Festival, No Shame Eugene, and MEDGE (the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene). Her song list included the soundtrack from The Little Mermaid.
While coordinating and organizing events such as Cirque du Eugene or Myth, Magic and Muse or other Fusion Friendly Events performances, Sarina was able to fully express herself artistically in her musical selection, costuming and theatrical dance style. Whether fusing breakdance, flamenco or Chinese circus fans, she has been told her performances are vaudeville and light-hearted. Sarina finds it amusing that for someone who never had much interest in the circus as a child, she fell in love with it as an adult--perhaps because of Cirque du Soleil.
Chances are if you have seen Sarina perform, you've also seen her fashion designs. Not only is Sarina a member of hair club for men, she's also a . . . . I mean, not only is Sarina a belly dancer and dance teacher, she also makes her own costumes and sells it locally. She has been making bloomers and hair fascinators for over ten years. When she worked and lived in Japan, she became fascinated with the traditional ornamental hair accessories and fun accessories she saw while there. That, coupled with tribal and tribal fusion fashion inspired her to create her own designs. Upon moving to the Springfield/Eugene area, she started to teach classes on making hair fascinators at community centers like Willamalane, sell her merchandise at Holiday Market and support her addictive habit by sell in local shops.
Sarina Dorie Designs are sold at Tsunami Books, New Zone Art Gallery, The Vintage Antique Mall and events in Eugene, Springfield and Portland. Sarina's sweatshop, ahem, website sells bloomers, bustle skirts and hair fascinators with a Victorian flare for belly dancers, steampunk costume designers or people who just like to play dress up. For more info, go to her other website at:
Each February, MEDGE (the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene) hosts an alternative night. This event allows dancers to perform to non-traditional music, wear non-Middle Eastern costuming and dance with moves not traditional to the belly dance genre. February 2015 Sarina was honored to be selected as the featured performer. She danced a solo to Disney's Frozen soundtrack followed by a dubstep version of Game of Thrones. In the second half of the show, her student troupe, Fusion Fascination danced with her. Their first song was behind a screen using a Shiva line, rotating with a technique she calls a Shiva circle. Their next song was a fast paced version of Phantom of the Opera. In the videos section you will also be able to see them use break dance techniques such as tutting and popping in their final song. Their finale involves some fun phantom inspiration as well!
