Saturday and Sunday, January 8th - 9th 2011...
The Third Annual
at Shoebox Studio and Temple Nightclub
in San Francisco, CA
  Every year, the best up-and coming dancers in the world gather in San Francisco for a weekend of advancing the art of bellydance.

The Breakthrough Fusion event is about innovation, which is at the heart of the Tribal Fusion Bellydance movement sweeping the globe. While the bellydance community has seen a rapid evolution of styles and trends - in movement and music, appearance and attitude - at the forefront of these trends there are innovators: people who put themselves out there and share their own unique take on bellydance movement. Breakthrough Fusion is about recognizing the next innovators in the community and bringing their genius to light.

We do this through competition for one simple reason: It brings out the best. When atheletes compete, they train harder. They know their skills will be put to the test against others who’ve been training for the same title. We want to see our dancers at their very best, so we challenge them to challenge one another.

And we spotlight the talent that emerges in an amazing showcase that includes the best new talents dancing for the coveted title (and valuable prizes!) along with some of the biggest stars in fusion bellydance showing what has taken them to the top. Sunday also includes shopping with the top costume and fashion artists the Bay Area has to offer.

The ultimate goal of Breakthrough Fusion is to raise the bar for creative artists in the Bellydance community - and we’re doing just that.

Questions? Comments? Just drop us a line at breakthroughfusion@gmail.com

2010
Breakthrough
Soloist
Jodi Waseca
2009 Breakthrough Troupe of the Year - No Rules, directed by Michelle Reynolds

The Breakthrough Fusion competition is the first ever of it’s kind in the bellydance community.

This is a FUSION ONLY competition. That’s right... No traditional Middle-Eastern categories. No traditional music. No ATS! This is about innovation and the future of the art.

And our judges give critique “American Idol” style: On stage, on mic, immediately after each performer finishes. No waiting to recieve score cards in the mail, no confusion in the audience about what the judges might be thinking. The good, the bad, the ugly. No punches are pulled.

Click here for complete rules and registration information.

The 2011 Breakthrough Fusion Prizes:

The winning troupe and soloist each receive $250, plus a paid workshop teaching slot at next year's event. Also assorted costume and jewelery items from our amazing vendors, including a custom bra and belt from Medina Maitreya and Dusty Paik -- costume mavens to the stars --to the winning soloist! Top three finishers in each category will also receive a complimentary DVD of their performance. And, new this year, the winning troupe and soloist will each receive a contract to appear on an upcoming DVD release by Hollywood Music Center, the home of the Tales of Desire series, Bellydance Underground, Tribal Revolution and instructional discs by Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Amy Sigil, and Sharon Kihara.
Breakthrough Fusion 2011 is proudly sponsored by Holywood Music Center, home of
your 2011 Breakthrough Fusion judges are:  
Cera Byer
Creator of the Breakthrough Fusion event, director of Damage Control Dance Theatre, owner of Shoebox Studios. Recently staged the ambitious Looking Glass production at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco.
Amy Sigil
Director of Unmata, owner of Hot Pot Studios in Sacramento CA. Annually produces the star-studded Blood Moon Regale. Star of multiple instructional and performance DVDs. Tours extensively across the country and around the world.
Brad Dosland
Owner of Taboo Media, creator of custom photography, websites, and promotions for top-names in the arts. Producer/Co-producer of top events including Kosmos Camp, SF Mecca Revue, Tribal Throwdown, The Spark Tour, and more.
Frédérique
An international artist, instructor, pioneer of Tribal Fusion since 1999, Fred first began studying American Tribal Style Belly Dance in 1997. She has been part of Barbary Coast Shakedown and created the Silent Sirens dance theatre.

Sunday, January 9th 2011
Breakthrough Fusion Finals and Showcase
at Temple Nightclub in San Francisco, CA
Finals start at 3:00 pm
Showcase starts at 8:00 pm

An evening of the best in Fusion Bellydance, featuring performances by Breakthrough Fusion hostess Cera Byer and her Damage Control Dance Theatre, Breakthrough judges Frédérique and Amy Sigil with Unmata, Crystal Silmi, Gibson Pearl, Carole Acuna, and encore performances by both the solo and troupe winners of the afternoon Breakthrough Fusion finals. Keeping the flow going throughtout the evening will be DJ Amar.

Before the showcase, you won't want to miss the Breakthrough Fusion finals, when the hottest new talents show you where this artform is heading. And after each performance, the celebrity judges critique each act right there on the stage for added drama!

$17 in advance; $20 at the door (includes both Finals and Showcase)
540 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA


View Larger Map
the VENUE

The Breakthrough Fusion finals and showcase takes place at the Temple Nightclub, conveniently located near Moscone Center, close to many of San Francisco's finest hotels. Filled with original unique antiquities from Southeast Asia, Temple is a true architectural gem.

The 40,000-square-foot Temple venue features a state-of-the art Martin Audio sound system, lustrous white marble floors, white and silver mid-tables and chairs contrasted with ancient sculpture. Low Italian sofas and banquettes upholstered in white leather line the perimeter and invite a relaxed atmosphere, where guests can sit back, relax and take in the soothing ambience of their surroundings. And it's one of San Francisco's leading "Green" nightclubs, with energy-efficient LED lighting and 71 percent of its waste diverted from landfills, proving quality can be sustainable.

Like Breakthrough Fusion, Temple is all about substance, style, and innovation!

Breakthrough Fusion isn't just limited to the competitors. This is an opportunity for dancers of all levels to expand their creative repetoire and study with some of the best teachers in the scene at the studio voted "Best of The Bay" by SF Weekly. Inspired by the weekend's events, our workshop dancers will push through their obstacles to become the artist they've always wanted to be.

Breakthrough Fusion workshops take place all day
Saturday, January 8th, at Shoebox Studios in San Francisco CA.


View Larger Map
Session 1: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Jodi Waseca 2010 Breakthrough Fusion Winner
Inspiration. Dedication. Technique. Letting go.
Your muscle memory knows the technique, now it's time to let go of the thought and move from the innermost part of your being! Move past the notion of perfect execution and remind yourself why we dance.We'll explore how to overcome the fear of being raw, ugly, silly, sexy, vulnerable, etc in performance and learn how to connect with the audience to make your dance dynamic and unforgettable, drawing from the technique and ideas of Contemporary, Burlesque, Butoh and Belly Dance.
Session 2: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Cera Byer
Owner of Shoebox Studio
Breakthrough Technique for Bellydancers
Dance is a visual art, but only for your audience. For the dancer, it is an art of sensation, of space, force, and time. This workshop will help dancers of all levels improve their dance by understanding how to work from the inside out, starting with what movement feels like, before going on to what it actually looks like.
Dance longer, stronger, and free of injury. Freedom starts with a strong foundation... How's yours?

Sunday Showcase Tickets
Discount Advance Ticket presales are CLOSED.
Tickets will be available at the door.


Proudly sponsored by: 864 Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA
(415) 861-5976

All materials copyright 2011 Breakthrough Fusion Questions about the site? Contact our webmaster
competition show workshops reservations