On Saturday, local belly dance troupe, Village Plains Tribal Fusion, will bring the art of belly dance to Auburn for the first time through a theatrical dance show they have titled “Into the Pages: Dancing Through the Fairy’s Tales.”
Auburn’s Cultural Music Society will host the performance in Auburn University’s Foy Hall auditorium at 7 p.m. May 21.
“Into the Pages” was inspired by classic folk and fairy tales and will explore the emotions behind moments of these classic tales through the art of belly dance.
“Belly dancing tends to be more about the emotion behind the music and being the physical embodiment of what the music is doing,” said Genevieve Mason, dancer and creator of the idea for the performance. “We are really looking at the original versions of these stories and pulling out all of the emotion behind those.”
Mason said she first thought of the idea for the show a very long time ago, but it was not until she mentioned it to members of Village Tribal Fusion that her idea began to turn into a reality.
The troupe has been working on the performance for over a year now, and members of the group are excited to be able to get the chance to share their work with the community.
“What’s so special about [belly dancing] is just the community it encourages,” said troupe member Arianna Johnson. “I really think it’s an idea that could be encouraging for women in Auburn.”
The performance will also feature a prelude by members of the Cultural Music Society. The Cultural Music Society is a student and community group that was formed with the mission of promoting intercultural communication through music.
The prelude will feature both a northern Indian piece as well as a piece composed by society co-president Zachary Watson, which merges Indian melodies with a western song structure.
“We are interested in all music, including both cultural and world music and also music of our own culture, including rock and indie influences,” Watson said.
The Cultural Music Society has performed at various events in the Auburn-Opelika area, but this will be its first time hosting a performance and its first time partnering with Village Dance Fusion.
“Dance is just music in visual form, and the style of dance that we do really does lend itself to different cultures," Johnson said. "That’s what the Cultural Music Society represents as well."
Tickets for “Into the Pages: Dancing Through the Fairy’s Tales” can be purchased for $10 in advance at www.vptfdance.com or at the door with a student ID. General admission will be $15.
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