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News Release
April 4 , 2007
Contact: Jessica Moore, jkmoore@emory.edu, 404-727-1687
FUSION 2007: A Collision of Cross-Cultural Collaboration!
Audiences will be challenged to open their minds, imagine and take part in one of Emory University’s most innovative events, FUSION! On the surface, FUSION is simply a dance and music performance competition. What makes the event unique is that it is specifically designed to celebrate cultural diversity and foster positive cross-cultural dialogue by bringing together performance groups with different artistic genres and cultural traditions to integrate their styles and create original music and dance. FUSION will be in Emory University’s Glenn Memorial Auditorium on April 25, 2007 at 8 p.m. Tickets are free but required for entry. For ticketing information call 404-727-5050.
The brainchild of Emory’s President’s Commission on Race and Ethnicity (PCORE) and Soku DeNova Records (a record company founded and operated by Emory alumni), FUSION stimulates communication and collaboration between ethnic groups within the university through the universal languages of music and dance. Mike Li, the co-founder of Soku DeNova Records says that “FUSION has been an eye-opening experience from the start. Rather than mindlessly throwing together music and dance from different cultures, FUSION is a process of learning and respecting each other’s styles, genres and cultures in order to create something unique.”
FUSION’s three components are the performance, the music, and the documentary. The show includes dance, vocal and instrumental segments written, choreographed and performed by competing teams comprised of two groups with distinctly different cultural styles. The winning teams will divide $1000 from PCORE. FUSION has attracted over 150 student participants so far including the Brotherhood of Afrocentric Men (BAM), Azaadi (South Asian male dance team), Skeleton Crew (breakdancing group), and Zeebah (Persian dance group).
The soundtrack of FUSION will be produced and arranged by Soku DeNova Records and other Atlanta professionals. The producers of Soku DeNova are creating and integrating music tailored to each specific performance, and are providing a professional recording studio for each group’s use.
The documentary film will show the process of making the group’s final piece, and reveal the energy displayed during meetings and rehearsals. Each ensembles artistic origin and cultural history is explored in an effort to educate the audience and provide context for the performance. The organizers hope the documentary and recordings will inspire other universities to use the Emory FUSION model. Dr. Alexander Escobar, the chair of PCORE and a senior lecturer in biology, hopes that this event will “demonstrate that we have the power to create a brand new future for the world…that considers our diversity a strength and one that will lead to new forms of music, art, science and much more.”
Emory University is a destination university known for its community, education, creativity in the arts and diverse and international programs. FUSION is an example of Emory’s leadership in finding innovative ways to bring cultures together and stimulate dialogue. For additional information and video clips, visit www.FUSIONatlanta.sdenova.com.
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EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Photographs available upon request.
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