An Uneven Fusing of Ethnic With Traditional

Dance fusion seems to be rampant lately, whether it’s in the realms of flamenco, folkloric or Indian dance, as in the case of Shyamala Moorty and Sandra Chatterjee’s”Inner [di] Visions,” a nine-part program at Highways Performance Space on Thursday.

Inspired fusion, however, is another matter, something that eluded Moorty, a master’s degree candidate in dance at UCLA, but fared better with Chatterjee, a PhD candidate in the same program. Both women are of mixed parentage, and it was that notion that infused their works: The two-part “2 in 1” began the evening on a misstep as Moorty confronted her duality in “Balance of Being,” presenting traditional ballet moves with one side of her body and Indian dance with the other. Oh, yes: One foot was bare, the other shod in a ballet slipper. Chatterjee’s more successful “Hapa,” which means “half,” was fluid and graceful, accentuated with deep squats and delicate arm work.

Moorty’s “At the Ballet,” another schizoid effort, featured Franchesca Cabrera, Dorothy Ramey, Eva Wilder and Lauren Ziminsky displaying manic pirouettes amid much Indian head-bobbing, forcing the fusion issue to no avail. On the other hand, Malathai Iyengar’s work “Pallavi” found Chatterjee and Moorty effectively executing fine bharata natyam and kuchipudi-style dancing, with polyrhythmic footwork abounding.

Chatterjee also captivated with her “Dasi (displaced),” vamping in tank top and plain black pants, long hair flowing, as she let loose with a series of repetitive, Indian-based posturings. The duo cleverly incorporated face masks (worn on the backs of their heads) in “Like Mother Like Daughter?,” which was hampered by a cliche-ridden taped sound collage.

Completing the program: Moorty’s work, “Public Service Announcement,” featuring Matt Motal’s technically plagued video; and Moorty/Chatterjee’s game show gambit, “Identity Facts I, II and III.” This amateurish, three-part piece involved the audience, where individuals were asked to characterize their identities in one word. This reviewer’s response: why?

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“Inner [di] visions,” repeats tonight at 8:30 at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. (310) 315-1459. $15.