Fusion Dance

"First you need a gem at the core of your being. Then you need a body that can turn into light. Then you need a partner you can trust with that light."

A Fusion Dance is a synchronized dance performed by two or more Gems in order to fuse into a Fusion Gem.

Generally, the dance is composed of the dance styles of the Gems that are going to fuse. Each dance is accompanied by a unique musical theme, usually exhibiting the motifs from the respective themes of the Gems. Fusion dances are only required for Gems of differing gemstones; Gems of the same type of gemstone can fuse at will. A dance is not entirely necessary for fusion to occur: fusion can also occur when the two participants share a moment of profound emotional unity, such as attacking an enemy as one or bonding over similarities.

Pearl and Amethyst
Pearl's dance is elegantly precise while Amethyst dances a bit wilder and more suggestive, and the two run towards each other near the end. However, this style of their dance seen fails, and in the two first appearances by Opal, her successful dance is not shown. Pearl and Amethyst's first successful dance is shown in "Log Date 7 15 2", this time without interruption. Their fusion theme is "Amalgam".

Garnet and Amethyst
Garnet begins by moving her hips provocatively, following it with some more sensual moves as Amethyst moves left to right. Garnet then walks forward as Amethyst rushes towards her, jumping into Garnet's pelvis, turning them into Sugilite. Their fusion theme is "Synchronize".

Pearl and Garnet
During their fusion dance, Pearl begins by twirling elegantly and then looking at Garnet longingly. In response: Garnet does a rhythmic hand-based dance, followed with hip swaying and running her hands along the profile of her hair, matching Pearl's sensual elegance. Garnet and Pearl proceed towards each other; Pearl executing ballet spins and leaps and Garnet strutting while flipping her hair. Once meeting in the middle, they both dance in synchronization as Garnet sways her hips and Pearl shimmies, getting closer with every movement. Afterwards they hold each other's arms while Garnet pulls Pearl down. Garnet then flings Pearl into the air, and the fusion dance ends with Pearl twirling in the air and then free falling gracefully towards Garnet, forming Sardonyx. Their fusion theme is "Enticement".

Pearl and Rose Quartz
Rose picks up the hem of her dress and sways it while Pearl twirls around elegantly, and the two come towards each other hand in hand and stare at each other. Then Pearl picks her legs up one by one and Rose holds Pearl's hand, and then the two stare at each other again. Rose holds Pearl as they turn around to the right, making a dip, and lastly both of them embrace, fusing into Rainbow Quartz. Their fusion theme is currently unknown, but the fusion dance takes place whilst Greg is playing "What Can I Do (For You)".

Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst
While the dance itself isn't shown in the fusion's debut episode, part of it is shown in the game Attack the Light. The resulting fusion from this dance is Alexandrite. At the end of the short, "Fusion", Garnet twirls Amethyst and Pearl with one hand each, and then they fuse. In "Super Watermelon Island", their fusion dance is completely shown. Their fusion theme is "Collaboration".

Lapis Lazuli and Jasper
Jasper grabs Lapis and twirls her, catching her with a dip and the two fuse into Malachite. Their fusion theme is "Collusion".

Ruby and Sapphire
While not technically a dance, Ruby grabs Sapphire by the waist, lifts her and the two spin for a while before they fuse together into Garnet. When fusing again in "Hit the Diamond", Sapphire jumps at Ruby, after which they both fall to the ground tumbling during which they fuse. In "Three Gems and a Baby" they simply touched foreheads to fuse. Their fusion themes are "Reunion" (in "Jail Break") and "Reconciliation" (in "Keystone Motel" and "The Answer").

Steven and Connie
Steven and Connie initially dance wildly and playfully until Steven trips and Connie grabs him. They look at each other for a while and, as they laugh, they fuse together into Stevonnie. Their fusion theme is "Alone Together". Steven and Connie fuse again in "We Need to Talk", though to a song by The Philosophy Majors. This time, their dance is similar to Ruby and Sapphire's with them spinning while holding each other's hands. Steven and Connie's synchronization dance to deliberately fuse is seen for the first time in "Mindful Education". The two dance somewhat wildly before standing back to back, clasping hands, and fusing into Stevonnie.

This results in a special case, since Connie is fully human while Steven is only half-Gem, making the resulting fusion much more human-like than the others.

Garnet and Peridot
While they didn't actually fuse, Garnet and Peridot attempt to fuse in "Log Date 7 15 2" when Peridot tries to gain a better understanding of fusion with Garnet's assistance. Garnet grabs Peridot's hands and twirls her so she is in her arms. Garnet then twirls Peridot and Peridot lets go, resulting in no fusion.

Steven and Amethyst
Though not really a dance, Steven and Amethyst fuse when Amethyst grabs Steven's arm, which leads to an embracing hug between the two. This causes a mushroom cloud-like burst, followed by the appearance of smoke, revealing Smoky Quartz. When they fuse in "Know Your Fusion", they simply grab each other's hands to fuse. Their fusion theme is called "Consolation".

Trivia

 * The "Fusion Dance" displayed by Gems is very similar to the Fusion Dance shown in the 1996 anime Dragon Ball Z. However, the Gems actually dance to fuse, rather than complete a set of poses like the Fusion Dance in Dragon Ball Z, in order to become one.
 * Some of the fusion themes' names correspond with combining or fusing.
 * Opal's is called "Amalgam", which is the combination of two elements to form another.
 * Sugilite's is called "Synchronize/Sugilite", which is to act as one, or in unison.
 * Malachite's is called "Collusion", which is when two parties conspire together.
 * Garnet's is called "Reunion", which is the act of coming together again after a period of separation.
 * Rainbow Quartz's is called "What Can I Do (For You)", which is like asking what she could do to improve the loving bond between the two.
 * Sardonyx's is called "Enticement", which is to attract someone or lure them in.
 * Alexandrite's is called "Collaboration", which is an act of working together with others to form or create something.
 * Smoky Quartz's is called "Consolation", which is the act of giving comfort to another who has suffered, wherein the two (Steven and Amethyst) find comfort with each other's similar flaws.
 * Stevonnie's is called "Alone Together" which is the experience of being physically together but emotionally feeling alone. This might stem from when Stevonnie became anxious at the rave and said it would be alright if their components were actually there rather than as part of a fusion.
 * During NYCC 2016, Kat Morris was asked about how characters are sometimes able to fuse without dancing. She replied that it “more than the dance, it’s about a mutual understanding.”