Dark Friends Series
Final Form Fusion
A special treat for me when I was researching towns like Flatwoods and Hopkinsville for Wraiths of the Appalachian was having kindred spirits respond to my queries about their interest in cryptids, extra-terrestrials, and other supernatural creatures and sharing their stories with me.
The dancers with the Final Form Fusion dance troupe who appear in Episodes 10 and 11 of Wraiths are a great example of this. When I discovered that these women had once performed a dance at the Flatwoods Monster Festival several years ago in costumes suggesting the appearance of the creature (at a funeral home, no less!) I had to work them into my story.
So what exactly is Final Form Fusion? Here’s what’s posted on their Facebook page:
“Final Form Fusion is a troupe of professionally trained dancers brought together by a longing to express their mutual love of geek culture through music and dance. Assembled in the autumn of 2016, their mission is to create electric productions encompassing multiple genres, including horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, video games, and more!”
My first contact with the group was with Vinca who responded to my query on their Facebook page. She graciously offered to share my questions with the rest of the group and serve as liasion in order to put together the answers for this interview. Two other members of the group shared the responses that follow; they are identified by their stage names.
VINCA
ARCANA
ALEIA
The Interview
DAV: Would you share what geek culture means to you and why you value it?
VINCA: I would define geek culture as a community where you can discuss something you love ad nauseum with others who are happy to hear it. Do you know an inordinate amount of information about the Proterozoic period of the Earth? Most people might want to avoid a conversation on that topic, or find it boring. But what if you’re with a group of geologists? Well, now you’re in good company, and they might teach you something knew.
It’s important that we humans have communities we feel comfortable deep-diving into a topic with, because this is vital for growing our collective knowledge. Geek culture helps us by providing a safe space for hyperfixation, and minimizing ridicule.
ARCANA: To me, it means that there has been a social shift which has resulted in anyone and everyone enjoying what they enjoy without shame or feeling weird or alone and embracing the parts of us that are off kilter, different, strange, and beautiful. As a person who spent much of her young life being the subject of derision for these things and loving them anyway, finding out as I’ve gotten older that there are so many people out there like me who did the same has been so affirming. It gives me confidence.
ALEIA: I would say that geek culture has had a huge impact on me. I have loved mythology since I was an elementary student and from there I found whatever I could that had that same fantastical element to it.
The first game system I remember having was the SNES when I was around 8 or 9, and I absolutely fell in love with the characters, designs and stories of many of those iconic games. I’d say the ones that have been most influential to me were the Final Fantasy and Zelda series.
From there I have been part of the rise of the internet and the absolute explosion of fantasy and geek culture into the mainstream and I love to see kids and teens today being able to easily access so many fantasy worlds and feed into their creativity.
DAV: It seems to me that FFF has embraced one healthy aspect of geek culture–not letting public opinion shame you because of something “weird” that you like. Likewise, the group seems to embrace and celebrate all body types. Is that accidental or by design?
VINCA: Being a femme-presenting person who was bullied throughout school for being fat, something that initially attracted me to MENAHT (Middle Eastern North African Hellenic and Turkish) dance was the idea of celebrating and being comfortable in my own skin. When learning to do any form of dance, you really have to know your body on an intimate level, listen to it, and work in synchrony. Your skill as a dancer will evolve and grow as you become more in tune with, and begin to love, your physical self.
Self-hatred, doubt, and imposter syndrome are THE most common problems I see in my students, my troupe mates, and myself. We are our own worst enemies. These negative thought patterns and self-talk are detrimental to ourselves as dancers and as human beings. It isn’t uncommon for students who stick around to experience strong emotions – to the point of tears – as they break through these insecurities and begin to have a positive relationship with their own bodies. Breaking and reframing negative thought patterns is something I talk about frequently in my classes, because it’s actually essential for progressing through the art form. The more comfortable you are in your own skin, the more that confidence will shine through and amplify your technique.
Related: There was a study done several years ago showing that dancers are better able to feel and count their own heartbeats, implying that dancers had a higher interoceptive accuracy. It’s some really fascinating stuff, and explains some of the weird things I experience now that I didn’t before dancing (like actively deciding I’m done hiccupping and stop; feeling the texture of food in my stomach; and being able to trigger full-body ASMR simply by remembering a song I love.
ARCANA: It is accidental, but all of us are accepting and inclusive, partially by nature I think but also forged by our experiences. We have all been ridiculed at one point or another for our bodies (or for other things) and there isn’t one among us who wouldn’t object to the mindset that there is a right or wrong type of body for MENAHT.
ALEIA: I would say that it just is. It is definitely something that we promote and we feel that dance is for everyone.
DAV: Costumes are definitely a big part of any FFF performance. Do you enjoy any cosplay aside from dance performances?
VINCA: 100% YES. I’ve been doing cosplay since I was 11, and have taken first place in cosplay competitions twice in the past. I haven’t done much cosplay for cosplay’s-sake since we started performing, but it’s something that’s been at the forefront of my mind. Finding the energy for costume creation for fun is hard, though, when we’re constantly making costumes for performances. And with the COVID situation, finding the energy to do anything creative at all has proven difficult.
ARCANA: I am more of a dancer than a cosplayer; my costumes are usually homages to a character through the use of color similarities and hints about it rather than trying to replicate it. I am fond of cosplay and the artistic nature of it, but it isn’t a hobby of mine, personally.
ALEIA: Yes! I have long loved Halloween because of the chance to get to create costumes. Cosplay has really only been something on the mainstage for the last 15 years. Before that, I remember coming up with any opportunity at school, for plays to create costumes and learned a lot of what I know about sewing from my mom who usually went along with my ideas. More recently I do most of my costuming outside of FFF as garb for a medieval fantasy roleplay and fighting group I’m part of called Amtgard.
DAV: What role, if any, does horror have in FFF performances? Do horror movies and books ever provide inspiration?
ALEIA: I would say that our first ever show as FFF (though we hadn’t fully formed the idea of the troup yet) was a horror show. We have not done much in the way of horror movies, but we have had some fake blood, cryptids and faceless dancers! We often try to tailor our performances to match with the theme of the convention or show that we are attending and often will add a bit of spookiness to our shows for the dramatic effect.
VINCA: We love to do horror performances, but unfortunately don’t get many opportunities to do them. My favorite horror show has been Wicked Women, where we all chose a monster or legend and portrayed it through dance. I performed as one of the Furies (see photo above), and as part of the performance, tore apart a gelatin heart with my teeth.
Another year on the same stage, I drug out a human torso prop we named Pam, “stabbed” it with a knife, and disemboweled it before slinging it off the stage (not towards the audience, of course!). She was full of various red-colored cloth scraps and gelatin chunks. I got so into the moment that I actually broke my prop knife from stabbing Pam too hard and hitting the floor underneath.
ARCANA: I would say yes. I’m more into the horror genre of video games and podcasts than anything, though I will occasionally sit down and watch a show or a movie with some horror themes. For me to invest time, however, it typically has to involve magic of some kind or I’m not into it. The media in question gets double points if it involves Appalachia in some way, which, hey, your podcast does and that is a big selling point for me! Since we take from such a wide variety of sources, however, everyone has spooked it up at least once in a performance. We’ve done pieces to music from and inspired by shows like Stranger Things and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, video games like Five Nights at Freddy’s, and others. Our first unofficial performance together was actually at a now defunct horror convention!
DAV: How in the world did it ever come to happen that you would perform a dance honoring a bizarre, possibly extra-terrestrial monster at a funeral home?
VINCA: It all began with a Facebook message from the organizer of the festival. We’ve performed in some pretty strange places before, but for me, the Flatwoods stage was definitely the most unusual. It presented unique challenges: the funeral home was on a steep hill that we didn’t plan for, and it made executing turns and other moves perilous; we had to be extra careful during our choreographed pieces that we didn’t fall or run into each other.
It was also a daytime performance, so the West Virginia (never-ending) late-summer sun was beating down, attempting to melt our makeup. But the crowd made it all worth it. We had an hour break in-between our two sets, and every single person who left after the first set came back for the second. Moments like that stick with you as a performer. If anyone from that audience is reading this now, know that your support made every single hardship of that day more than worth it.
DAV: The next question is for Arcana. You can imagine how amazed and thrilled I was when I saw that in addition to the Flatwoods Monster dance, you also performed a dance inspired by Snarly Yow, a prominent figure in Wraiths of the Appalachian. Where did your interest in Snarly Yow come from?
ARCANA: I love a good boy, and the Snarly Yow is no exception. What caught my eye was that even though it’s very likely he evolved out of tales and legends brought over from Europe, he isn’t considered an omen of death or doom or even malevolent as many Black Dogs of folklore are. He’s just a spooky boy doing spooky boy things, startling folks and chasing cars and the like, and I appreciate that.
I also like that he is lesser known, I reckon largely because he is much older than say, Mothman or the Flatwoods Monster, and it gave me an opportunity to share him with more people who might otherwise never hear of him.
I was very surprised and delighted that the Snarly Yow made an appearance [in Wraiths] because he is much lesser known than other West Virginian/Appalachian cryptids and because he is my very favorite. I have really been loving his portrayal in the podcast, and I am excited to see where our resident good boy goes next!
DAV: For the story, it was important to me to have one member of the group be spirit sensitive––one person who could see Snarly Yow. I was, therefore, amazed again to learn that you are what many people call “psychic.” Did the portrayal of Arcana in Episode 11 ring true for you?
ARCANA: It did. I’m typically very quiet about this part of my life, partially because I’m private in general but also because it’s such a toss up on the reaction I’m going to get. I’ve gotten everything from disdain and mockery to shock to a person crying in my arms because they recognize the spirit I described. I’m told I’m blessed, I’m told I’m “insane.” It’s a mixed bag, basically, hahah. (Photo: Arcana (r) with fellow dancer Firequill)
Thus, the fact that Story Arcana™ would be likely to keep it between herself and Eddie that she could see him tracks pretty well with Real Life Arcana™. (Though, my troupe mates and friends would be an exception to this in real life, since they all know, but it makes sense for story purposes.) And, of course, Real Life Arcana™ would also take any chance to give a sweet pupper a chin scratch, hahah.
DAV: Is being spirit sensitive more of a blessing or a curse for you? I imagine there can be ups and downs to being open to things that others don’t experience.
“Blessing” and “curse” are not words I personally would use. It’s simply a part of me, as it is a part of all of us. I’m not one of those who believes that you have to be a certain kind of person to experience these things – being able to connect in this way exists for everyone and we all have the ability to tap into these senses. I just happen to have a natural affinity for it and I made a conscious decision not to close myself off to it. I don’t know that that is a comforting thought to those who would rather not have anything to do with it for whatever reason, buuuuut, hahah.
As with everything, however, there are ups and downs to acknowledging it and being even as open as I am about it, which is not exceptionally so unless I feel respected and comfortable. It connects me to the earth, to places and other humans in ways that are difficult to explain. I have integrated it into who I am, and into my spiritual practices which are deeply important to me. It has also caused rifts between myself and people I cared about, and it is not always the most opportune time for an interaction, i.e. when I’m, y’know, fast asleep and I jolt awake to my name spoken and a shadow leaning over my bed. I wouldn’t change it, however, if I could.
DAV: How has being spirit sensitive most affected you?
ARCANA: I believe it has made me more aware and observant just in general, and it has helped me fear life and death much less than I would have without it. It has taught me lessons in empathy, in the enduring nature of love and energy, and it has helped to teach me to accept every part of myself.
DAV: Every performer knows that audiences can vary greatly from performance to performance. Do audiences generally respond in typical patterns, or does it vary widely depending on the venue?
VINCA: Some audiences are more of a question than others, but in general, we can expect two things:
1. Most of them have never seen a MENAHT dancer in person, and
2. They will leave having had a good time.
Most audiences have no idea what to expect from us when we start our shows, and sometimes we pick up on an apprehensive energy. But after they see a couple performances and get settled in, they start enjoying themselves.
Now that we have some established repeat events, the change in the audience has been palpable. They come in excited and confident, unafraid to sit in the first row, know how to zaghareet, bring friends who haven’t been to our shows and give them a rundown of what to expect.
The energy of repeat events is definitely more fiery and receptive than somewhere we haven’t performed before, and it’s really remarkable to see that change occur and grow year after year.
ALEIA: Part of our show is often a short inclusion on how to respond to a dance show – usually audiences warm up by the end and are happy to give us some cheers and feedback!
DAV: Have you ever had situations with unruly audiences where the situation became uncomfortable for you, or maybe even dangerous? How do you deal with audience members who become inappropriate during a performance?
ARCANA: Never dangerous, but occasionally uncomfortable. We are currently working on putting policies in place within the troupe to deal with a situation which becomes untenable, and they involve having said person removed from the audience. Many venues have security, and our crew is always diligent about looking out for us, bless them. I am definitely not about tolerating any sort of mistreatment.
ALEIA: Actually – I can’t think of any. We’re pretty intimidating, heh. And, the few times I’ve overheard someone being a bit rude in the audience they usually get elbowed by their friends. That is one thing that is so good about the “geek” community, especially younger adults – we’re all too busy being so excited about the art and the costumes and the music.
VINCA: I don’t know if we’ve been very lucky, or if this is a testament to the character of the people who attend the events we perform for, but we have very, very rarely ever had an issue with an audience member. Further, the issues we’ve had have been things like someone talking too loudly, or purposefully clapping off-beat to attempt to mess up the rest of the audience. We’ve yet to have an issue where someone was inappropriate with a dancer, or actively heckled us on stage.
In the beginning, we braced ourselves because we thought we would experience these kinds of things often; but as it turns out, our audiences have consistently been amazing, even in locations where stereotypes might lead you to expect otherwise (such as a live metal show, or biker bar). In fact, in one of these locations, the regulars made it a point to look after the dancers and keep an eye on new faces in the audience. It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience.
DAV: What role does sexuality have in dance as far as FFF is concerned? Can/Should dance be sexy? When, if ever, does sexuality in dance cross the line into exploitation, especially for women?
VINCA: Before I start: this is an extremely loaded and complex issue that spans across multiple countries, cultures, and hundreds of years. I’ll do my best here to quickly summarize my feelings, but please keep in mind I am not the final authority on this subject.
When I joined my first dance class in 2004, the common saying was that this dance form is “sensual, not sexual.” This kind of thinking is framed from the point of the viewer, and often ends in objectification and a feeling of ownership over the body of a dancer. I believe this attitude has roots in shaming women for sexual behavior, and that this has been overall harmful for many people. It’s my opinion that sensuality sexuality cannot be separated.
Popular American media likes to present any kind of dance as sexual and objectified, but MENAHT dance isn’t explicitly performed on stages or “for” others. It’s done for many reasons, from letting loose at an informal social gathering, to dancing in the street for political protest or societal rebellion. Sexuality is only one fragment of dance.
All that being said: when taking part in an activity or artform that doesn’t belong to you, you must keep in mind that your personal culture and upbringing is not the law, and be mindful of that in your participation.
If anyone is interested in this particular issue and wants to learn more, a good starting point would be to read about the current perceptions and treatment of both native and international raqs sharqi dancers in Egypt.
ARCANA: Sexuality is human. There is no “should” as far as dance is concerned, because it is going to mean different things to different people, but yes, dance can be sexy if the person performing it wants it to be sexy and there is nothing wrong with this. It is the responsibility of the person watching the performance to check their perceptions, biases, and prejudices. It is the responsibility of those in the audience to treat the dancers like full and complex humans, not objects. It is on the person consuming the art to continue to regard the person on stage with respect, and it is also on that person to confront their issues regarding their own sexuality rather than expecting it to be “toned down” for their comfort. However, this dance just as easily expresses other things, and of course there is a time and place for sexy. For example, I performed a dance to a cover of Black Magic Woman at an outdoor convention for adults and it was quite sensual. I also performed at a Dumb Supper, which is a solemn pagan event where the beloved dead are honored, where that previously mentioned song and dance would have been inappropriate. Part of our responsibility is to know our venue and to tailor our expressions to what would be appropriate for the event.
It becomes exploitation when, well, a person is exploited. Sex work is work, and those who are involved should be paid fairly, valued as humans, and protected as if they’re working any other job. They are not exploiting themselves, it’s not possible to do that – exploitation is external and it is never the fault of the exploited. The idea that it could be is very victim blamey to me.
MENAHT dance has a history in its home cultures of being associated on and off with sex work, and source dancers to this day are still in some cases regarded negatively, harmed, jailed, etc. for doing these dance styles, and it is our responsibility as guests in these cultures to acknowledge their struggles, raise awareness, and fight for them however we are able. This includes doing work on ourselves as well as speaking out, because we too were raised in this society.
This puritanical civilization we live in simultaneously gobbles up and rejects feminine sexuality, and it is so unhealthy. We have men hating women because they’re sensual and enjoy their own bodies, calling them every name in the book and treating them like they’re less than, and yet in the next moment will be subscribing to their Only Fans. We have men insulting women for their “daddy issues” while doing nothing to hold those other men accountable for the trauma they inflict on their children. We have men assaulting women day in and day out because they feel entitled to women’s bodies, to sex, to whatever they want to take regardless of if there is consent from the other party, and then the victims who actually come forward are called liars and shamed. And, while it is a different discussion, the patriarchy harms men too. It’s maddening to me, and I could go on about it for a very long time.
ALEIA: So we have worked very hard as a group to be sure that our image as Middle Eastern dancers does not get conflated into a larger role of “lady dancing = sexy”. By and large our dances are PG (and when they are not it’s generally because of the music or horror elements) and we include aspects of education both in our show itself and through our workshops to help open up middle eastern dance as a way of self-expression that doesn’t have to be seen as anything other than an artform.
We also do not have any issue with people who wish to do burlesque or things of a more risque nature is perfectly acceptable. Sex work is work, but not all dancing is sex work – and that idea that “every dance where you can see some skin is somehow for the male gaze” is a hurtful stereotype I’m glad to see changing.
DAV: Final Form Fusion seems to be inclusive by nature and definition. Do you welcome trans men and women? And on a separate note, does the group ever include drag performances in its shows, or do you feel like that enters another realm of entertainment that’s outside your venue?
ARCANA: We absolutely 100% welcome trans men and women, non-binary folks, etc. Some of my favorite dancers are trans! Dance is about embracing who you are and sharing that beauty with the world, and seeing people living their truth brings me so much joy.
We have never been a part of a show where there is also a drag performance, but with what FFF does, I personally would be all about it. A more traditional MENAHT setting would be a different story if you were to ask me, though I personally cannot position myself as an authority as I am not a dancer from any of these cultures and there would likely be many different opinions.
ALEIA: So as a troupe our biggest concern is that the people who dance with us are willing to put in the effort to learn and be part of the troupe. We would happily include men or people who fall outside of the gender norms – some of the best performances I’ve ever watched were done by men or male presenting dancers.
We have totally talked about partnering with a drag show before. They put on absolutely stellar performances!
VINCA: MENAHT dancers and community members who discriminate against trans, enby, agender, etc. individuals, excluding them from their classes and workshops, are disgraceful. Everyone is welcome in our troupe, classes, and workshops, regardless of their gender or identity.
We often dance as characters that don’t match our own genders, but to say we perform drag would be incorrect. We’ve actually discussed doing a drag show collaboration with an individual before, and hope that show comes to fruition someday. We also would definitely not be opposed to hosting a variety show that included many different types of performers, including drag!
DAV: What do you enjoy the most about Final Form Fusion?
(Photo: FFF family members Luke, Zach, and Michael, who also appear in Ep. 10 & 11 of Wraiths)
ARCANA: I love that we are a family. Some of us have it rough with our blood families, so having a group which embodies the old adage “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” is so necessary. Some of us have been in one another’s lives for longer than we have not at this point, and it lends to the tight-knit nature of our troupe. Aleia and I have been very good friends since we were 15 and 16, respectively, and we’re 35 and 36 now, and our babies are best buddies. Our crew members are husbands or long-time friends of our dancers. We all talk just about every single day. It’s great.
VINCA: I love showing young ones through example that it’s okay to be open and express who you truly are, even if some would try to make you feel ashamed for it. This is why I love to perform. Also, we do a lot of traveling together, and if we’re staying somewhere overnight, we always do what we call “family dinner” after a show to eat and unwind. Gathered around a table with twelve of my closest friends, eating good food and riding out the post-show high and exhaustion – these are definitely my best memories.
ALEIA: I absolutely love the ability to put so many different aspects of creativity together in one performance with a group of people who also love to do the same. Anyone who has ever done theater knows what a thrill it is to go get dinner after you’ve been too nervous to eat all day and bask in the fact that you pulled off one heck of a show.
DAV: If someone wanted to book FFF for an event, how should they get in touch?
VINCA: You can email us through the booking form on our website and you can find all our social media links on our linktree page! We’re always open to considering new venues, so if you’d like to book us for some shows, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Also, if there are any musicians out there who would be interested in working with us (recorded audio or live performance), we would love for you to reach out. You can use the booking form on the website or send us a message on any of our social medias.