Over 50 dancers and 20+ musicians make up the progressive Irish dance group known as Fusion Fighters. Since they launched in 2013, they’ve dedicated themselves to both preserving the traditions of Irish dance as well as adding a bit of a twist to keep contemporary crowds interested and engaged.
Offering a message of “creativity and inclusion,” they’re more than just dancers and musicians though. They’re a community that does its best to give back to those around them, especially when it comes to bringing the magic of dance to those who typically wouldn’t be able to see it or afford to participate.
Putting on a show
While the pademic put a halt to their touring, they had previous traveled all over Europe to perform and appeared on various television programs and in dance championships. According to their website, they’re “excited for the launch of some new productions in 2021,” which seems a bit optimistic to us if they’re planning on filling auditoriums, but we sure hope it’s possible!
If you want to get a sense of what the group is about, we have the perfect video for you. While it’s from 2018, it’s a great example of the variety and spirit they have to offer their audiences. In it, they perform on stage at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne in Glasgow, Scotland.
As a handful of female dancers come in, we get a great view of the scenery – very festive!
Fusion Fighters founder and artistic director, Chris Naish, choreographed the “Dubblestep” routine, which starts with several group members demonstrating their fancy footwork while the groups’s musicians blast out an Irish tune.
Suddenly, a sprightly lad emerges and shows us what it means to get some air under your feet while you dance. It’s like watching a scene from The Matrix (if there was a scene that involved Irish dancing).
This fierce foursome is a pleasure to watch – but we know they have more than this up their sleeve.
Where’s everybody else?
The gang’s all here
Now, we’re talking! In under 30 seconds, we see the rest of the dancers start to file in.
In fact, they’ll come in and out throughout the performance, which is extra cool since you can see both big group dances and smaller groups and solos all in the same performance.
But what we really love is the lineup of ladies who do some traditional dancing only to have a star shine among them.
When you get to this part of the video (which you can see down below) be sure to watch for the woman with the black hair, who busts her own move amidst the performers.
This performance truly has something for everyone.
You like solos? They’ve got solos.
Men in kilts? Of course!
Share in the joy
Frankly, we love the big groups the most. There’s just something about watching a large group of people dance in unison that’s so joyful.
Commenters loved the performance as much as we did – and plenty of them had a hard time sitting still. The percussive soundtrack alone makes you want to tap your feet.
And people gave full credit to the whole troupe:
“Flawlessly delivered! The musicians were amazing as well. And let’s not forget the costumes. Well done!” raved a viewer.
But you should see the whole thing for yourself.
You can find the video down below.
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