Temple Dance
Dakini Rose Format
Temple Fusion Bellydance
A dance technique incorporating Eastern & Western Classical Dance, Yoga, Bellydance, and Contemporary fusions
Dakini Rose Format Temple Fusion is an ever more refined and codified fusion of Indian Classical Dance, Western Classical Ballet, and Tribal Fusion Bellydance. The organic, undulatory, serpentine movements of the feminine are integrated in with linear postures, mudras, storytelling, and the disciplined technique of Classical Dance. This movement alchemy creates a balanced expression of masculine and feminine energies, form and formlessness, artful composition and the intuitive flow state.
With Monique’s broad background in a wide array of both Western and Eastern, both Classical and Folkloric forms of dance, as well as yogas and temple arts, this emerging format is a lifelong study of dance technique in which the wellness and integrity of the natural human form, expression of the devotional heart, and disciplined refinement of artful aesthetic is all simultaneously held as paramount. It is a moving prayer of form and formlessness, available to all women and earnest men alike, both professional dancers and those simply seeking a deeper experience of embodiment and Grace.
Photo by April Rose
Collage art by Jen Fountain @luna.lingua
Temple Fusion Herstory
A dance of many names… Modern Temple Dance, Temple Fusion Bellydance, Temple Tribal, Indian Fusion, Contemporary Fusion…
Ultimately, today everything in this world is fusing, birthing a global consciousness containing an infinite number of unique alchemies in every arena of art, science, and culture. In this process hopefully the cultural origins are being honored and preserved, while exploring new expressions of what it means to be human in today’s world, and what the underlying frequencies and symbols behind ALL cultures are.
Whatever you choose to call your flavor of alchemy, Western dancers are remembering that there is a deeper purpose behind the glamour of why we dance. We are verifying through science what has been known by the sages for centuries- that all that exists is electro-magnetic vibration and frequency, and the spiral dance of all of creation expresses within us, and all things. That life and the forces of creation/destruction itself is a dance. That all energy is constantly in motion and reality itself is created through thought, the word, and motion. That through intention, breath, and consciously moving energy through our beings, we can purify our vessel to be conduits of divine light and Truth. And this act is amplified even greater through the heart pulse of devotion, exhaulting us in the bhava of Supreme cosmic Love. This, in its simplest and most esoteric form, is the nature and function of Temple Dance. To become an embodied channel and vessel of Divine Grace.
“Dance is the movement of the universe concentrated in an individual.”
Which brings us to the origins of bellydance, and the birth of our modern fusion format…
The origins of Bellydance is shrouded in mystery and speculation, as much of the feminine arts, priestess and devadasi lineages, and goddess spirituality roots are. Truly, it organically arose in the dawn of humanity as a natural expression of the feminine form and essence, as well as a functional and ritual means of the childbirthing initiation, often held in the container of sisterhood. Spiraling and undulating the body not only helps energy move effectively through the body, but also helps a child spiral its way into the world. All of the cosmos is composed of holographic spirals and torus’s of energy. From these ancient roots, we see it arise in various lineages in the Middle East including Egyptian, Turkish, Arabic, Afghani, and Persian styles. In modern times, it evolved into the most commonly know expression of the form, as it became a commodified performance art version of the dance now known as Cabaret Style Bellydance.
In an effort to once again trace the original roots and aesthetics of bellydance (mentioned above), restoring the function back to the empowerment and connection within feminine sisterhood, Tribal Style (via Jamila Salimpour and community in the 1970’s), and then American Tribal Style (ATS via Carolina Nericcio) bellydance was born in California in the 1990’s and onward. From there, pioneers such as Jill Parker and Rachel Brice evolved the earthy silk-road influenced Tribal style into Tribal Fusion, blending in other influences and aspects of western culture, music, and aesthetics.
Which brings us to where we are today… A further evolution (or remembrance) from Tribal Fusion into Temple Fusion is born, which now incorporates elements of Classical Indian Dance, priestess arts, and modern cultural influences, harboring a primary intention of prayerfulness and devotion. We are now an entire blooming community of women around the world who are merging the wisdom of Classical Indian Dance with the organic, intuitive movements of bellydance, and whatever other styles and influences want to weave themselves into this movement medicine.
Through this journey of deprogramming the competitive, show-biz oriented goals of modern culture and arts, many of us are remembering why we started dancing in the first place. The glitter and headdresses are a fun and evocative addition to the transmission, but the transformational process of self-realization through embodiment is keystone. In this form, the technology of mudra, mantra, and yantra found in the yogas merges with a feminine intuitive radiance that goes beyond all classification, and bridges us through time and space to the core power of Shakti herself. And this power is found within our own vessel, as it merges with the Beloved and spirals us in and out of the ecstasy of Union that is self-realization.
Jamila Salimpour
“In a society that worships love, freedom, and beauty, dance is sacred. It is a prayer for the future, a remembrance of the past and a joyful exclamation of thanks for the present.”
Dakini Rose Devadasi at Tribal Fest
Dakini Rose Format
In 2011 the Dakini Rose Temple was born, and since that time Monique has been ongoingly teaching, performing, and building community around the development of what is now Dakini Rose Format Temple Fusion.
In 2012 we birthed and produced a series of sacred dance events titled “Rebirth of the Devadasi”, in which the Dakini Rose Devadasi dance company and various prominent West Coast temple dancers have woven their magic, and together further congealed our understanding and expression of this emerging art form.
Monique continues to seek and explore both the technique of the art form and the esoteric sciences that exist within it’s potential (and realized) alchemy. A true homage to the Beauty Way.
Dance with me…
“Monique is a great example of the grace of being real in the use of dance as transformation, and bringing dance into the world as a method of changing the world. There is no ego attachment in her work, it is a sacred vision and she is on a sacred quest. I am glad to walk with her!”
-Anandha Ray, fellow dancer, Ordained Priestess, and creator of the Quimera Tribe of the SF Bay Area
For more information on upcoming offerings, visit our Experience page.
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The Dakini Rose Devadasi present a modern Temple Fusion Bellydance offering, "Sweet Radha". Choreographed and directed by Monique Trinity Rose, with dancers Halo Seronko, Ruth Rhiannon, Sedona Soulfire, and Tracy Windisch.