| Bellydance is not what
it used to be. These days a lot of us, dance professionals
and hobbyists, are giving much thought to the trends
that have emerged in modern Western bellydance in
the past couple decades, in particular to the rise
of Tribal/Tribal fusion and other fusion bellydance
styles. It's still early days for Tribal here, in
NYC, but this is a good moment to stop and take a
close look at what could become a prominent trend.
In NYC, the Tribal/Tribal fusion style is virtually
unseen by a consumer of culture or arty entertainment,
or even a bellydance enthusiast/student. Here, a bellydancer
is a sleek sequined sexy creature, fluid in movement,
ingratiating yet with rock-tough "New York attitude."
The first-ever NYC venue to offer a regular performing
opportunity to Tribal/Tribal fusion dancers is My
Moon Restaurant and Lounge, a very California-style,
un-New-York (complete with an outdoor fireplace!)
lovely spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Carmine's "Djinn"
band (all young, non-Middle Eastern/Mediterranean
musicians) plays cool experimental improv. It's New
York City music, US East Coast world music, East Coast
Tribal fusion bellydance music. Sera, who moved to
NYC from Washington DC and created the gig, does her
best to keep the Turkish owners of My Moon interested
in Tribal/Tribal fusion style (along with de rigueur
cabaret acts.)
The My Moon gig was born in the fall of '05. As a
result, an otherwise fairly empty restaurant in the
middle of a non-descript industrial-looking block
filled with the famed hip and young "beautiful people"
of Williamsburg. The composition of the crowd is almost
as unusual to a New York bellydance aficionado's eye
as the Tribal style often performed there. The crowd
at My Moon is generally younger, more "metropolitan"
and "cool" - the precious human contingent that any
Manhattan club owner dreams of attracting.
To an untrained East Coast eye, Tribal/Tribal fusion
bellydance looks detached and aloof, because it is
overtly not about glamour or pleasing the crowd or
any other commercial values. It looks "indie," it
looks trendy, it feels like somewhere there is a powerful
subculture feeding its deep roots.
An important factor contributing to the success of
Tribal/Tribal fusion styles is the fact that more
educated audiences are interested in a less "commercial"
and less sexualized look, they want to see "art fantasy"
rather than "sexual fantasy." The revival of burlesque
confirms this trend by isolating the sexualized content
into its own theatrical realm packaged for consumption
as a non-fantasy genre.
While historians of bellydance remind us that the
term "cabaret" was introduced by early "Tribal" or
"pre-Tribal" dancers to put down the glitzy, "superficial,"
sexualized "harem girl" acts, most modern-day bellydancers
love the term "cabaret" and take pride in their "cabaret"
skills. Indeed, it does take guts to walk out right
in the middle of your audience and pull off your act
talking to them in the language of dance face-to-face
and handling their reactions with discretion and tact
- without the buffer of theatrical detachment common
in high-end stage dance arts.
"Cabaret"-style dancers often misinterpret the "detached"
facial expressions of Tribal or fusion dancers. However,
more often than not, there is a solid market-related
reason for every innovation. In a creative context,
a smile often connotes commercial appeal, and therefore
a smile-less and even expression-less face looks more
theatrical and artful. Eliminating interaction with
an audience via strong eye contact and facial expressions,
is an easy way to achieve a "theater look" as opposed
to a "variety show" look. Fusion bellydance acts where
the only "fusion" features (in an otherwise entirely
AmCab show) are a few cowry shells in the costume,
plus a detached facial expression, do actually work.
They ARE fusion, because they bend one of the parameters
of the "cabaret" act - interactivity, addressing the
audience directly.
And, indeed, even when the "cabaret" dancer takes
a regal stand or withdraws into the realm of veiled
elusiveness, she implicitly still seeks her audience's
approval. She belongs to her audience, given and committed
to them in many ways, including the over-the-top,
attention-seeking glamour of her looks - she is the
visual candy, an embodied fantasy.
In Tribal bellydance the nature of the body adornment
and costuming is such that the beauty of the bodies
and costumes looks like it is in its natural, functional
context of festive adornment, not artificial glamour
overtly serving fantasy. We know, it's "artificial",
it is just another kind of "fantasy," but the Tribal/Tribal
fusion look and blend of movements circumvent our
analytical response, and appeal to our intuitive communal
nature deep within, to our female (or male) yearning
"to belong", to find commuity of kindred spirits -
be it fantasy world or real life. As I watch Tribal/Tribal
fusion dance, I feel like I happened to be present
at a family celebration, or at a ritual where I am
invited as a guest of honor, not as a paying customer.
Tribal dance creates this illusion of a non-commercial
environment: The illusion of a realm of powerful femininity.
And catering to a female customer is what really counts.
Experienced club owners instruct bellydancers, "Get
girls up to dance" - i.e. forget the ancient spiel
of teaching a guy "victim" "how to bellydance" - make
the empowered 21st-century female happy and feeling
like she belongs here, get her up from her table to
show off her body and clothes, - SHE is the one who
is hard to please, not the men. Trendy "meat market"
and corporate hangout bars in Manhattan go out of
their way to offer you free dinner and drinks if you
are a gorgeous girl interested in perching at their
bar at peak Friday night hours. The "Meat market"
scene aside, most experienced venue owners (excluding
male-oriented venues) are concerned with pleasing
women first.
Even though Tribal/Tribal fusion bellydance is hardly
on the commercial dance map in NYC at present, I can
see - developing into the future - a growing demand
for artful female-oriented, sexy but no-intended-sexual-innuendo
dance entertainment where Tribal fusion can become
a common local option.
The times and the tastes are changing, especially
in trend-setting environments like NYC. The local
population grows more mature, age- and taste-wise,
spoiled with a dazzling display of world-class performing
arts. The connection between bellydance and Orientalism
has been entirely lost as far as a rank-and-file consumer
of entertainment is concerned. If I owned a bar in
Manhattan, I would be thinking Tribal fusion. If I
ran a bellydance studio or a fitness club, I would
invite Tribal fusion teachers to offer classes. A
significant component of the success of Tribal is
that Tribal classes focus a lot on body awareness
and drills, thus promoting the cultural crossover
of bellydance -- similar to other "exotic" holistic
disciplines like yoga, that have successfully made
this journey to the west.
Performing "cabaret" bellydance in a classy, artful
manner requires much more acting, self-confidence,
worldliness, experience and female integrity than
performing a "Tribal " act which offers no sexualized
fantasy and does not require any extra skills to adapt
this fantasy to more refined tastes.
A "Cabaret" act requires maneuvering between what
you really are and what your audience's fantasy is.
Successful "cabaret" dancers are all decent-to-fine
actresses. No amount of bodily beauty or good technique
can replace this ability to act, the nimbleness and
flight of imagination where intricate novels of romance
and mystery are written on the fly.
Female audiences can enjoy cabaret acts in a very
direct way, in the manner of identifying with the
dancer, living out her life story, - if the dancer
has the skill and audacity to convey it. It's similar
to reading a romance novel, or watching a romantic
film. But to appeal to female audiences in this way,
a "cabaret" dancer must be extra skilled and intuitive.
Tribal acts create an illusion that cabaret acts are
incapable of - the illusion of "no illusion," the
illusion of the actual communal celebration, ritual
or high-end performance act. A Tribal act will appeal
to female audiences effortlessly as long as it is
conceptualized and executed well.
We don't often talk about the social trends that have
promoted and supported the rise of Tribal and fusion
bellydance. Yet the origins of these new dance forms
are not purely artistic, they emerged from the ethnic
and class dynamics of the US during the past 30 years.
The ingenuity of the early pre-ATS "tribal" or non-glamour
fantasy bellydance was a bid to get rid of the "bellydancer
as embodiment of sexual fantasy" stereotype.
Although based (in some aspects) on a lack of information
and a desire to comply with conservative or "high-art"
standards of the artists' immediate reference group,
these early visionary explorations found the niche
that would later flourish via much better strategy,
stronger creativity, more inclusive and empowered
attitudes of the American Tribal Style and thanks
to the powerful shift in the class and ethnic structure
of the target audiences.
While the first-generation Middle Eastern and Mediterranean
immigrants in the US flocked to the nightclubs, yearning
for a flavour of their traditional arts and entertainment,
decades later their children emerge as conservative
and educated individuals, uninterested in or consciously
rejecting the garish nightclub environment of their
grandparents' entertainment. They buy their drugs
elsewhere. They hook up elsewhere. They move to suburbs
and exurbs. Most urban "ethnic" nightclubs, such as
NYC's Arabic clubs, die. Bellydance shifts to other
markets, seeking non-Middle Eastern/Mediterranean
audiences at Arabian/Turkish-themed restaurants and
non-"ethnic" venues, including mega clubs and
fantasy-themed venues, such as Renaissance fairs and
Goth clubs. The class shift is apparent as well: the
older-age, less educated audiences are yielding to
younger, more educated, professional and creative
demographics.
The 20th century saw the fusion trend arrive in practically
every form of Western art. Artists and art hobbyists
learned to focus on their own creative potential,
on innovation, rather than on emulating established
art forms. It became common - in any art - to circumvent
"academic" standards. The rise of Tribal bellydance
reflects this trend of adapting ethnic, traditional
and "classical" art forms to modern, highly individualized
languages of self expression never employed by traditional/folk
artists.
Dancers often condemn the "harem girl" stereotype
of a bellydancer. Any performing dancer, however,
knows that most people in the "mainstream" audience
don't even connect bellydance to the Middle East.
"Harem girl" for them would be a gigantic step toward
understanding the origins of bellydance. To them it's
just some kind of sexy dance style, perhaps something
they saw in a music video.
You can wrap your veil around an audience member's
shoulders and do an old-fashioned "sultan" spiel or
you can play your techno music and do your androgynous
pops and locks. Whatever you do, most "mainstream"
audiences will accept it as "bellydance." They don't
know what "Middle Eastern" dance is (folkloric dance,
- since raqs sharqi and other stage styles are, themselves,
fusion). And, once they see it, they won't necessarily
perceive it as "authentic." A theatrical illusion
is more convincing than reality: to the Western eye
Tribal/Tribal fusion bellydance looks more "authentic,"
and exotic than a real Cairene baladi girl in a galabeya
dancing at her sister's wedding.
The success of Tribal and Tribal fusion bellydance
is definitely rooted in entertainment market demographics.
As the "ethnic" audiences in the US urban centers
fade away, bellydance adapts to the interests of "ethnically"-neutral
and more educated entertainment consumers.
This ethnically-neutral educated "general public"
plus the modern hip crowd are a receptive audience
for bellydance styles that are:
1. not overtly commercial, but arty and evocative
2. not overtly sexual, but either androgynous or female-audience-oriented
3. suggestive of a spiritual connection
4. trendy (i.e. not your grandmother's bellydance)
5. suggestive of camaraderie between dancers rather
than competition or conflict
6. presenting the dancer as a spiritual educator or
a positive, empowering female role model (as opposed
to sexy seductress type)
7. not necessarily authentic, but "exotic" and evocative
of "world" flavor in a way that is easy to grasp for
Western audiences.
All these criteria
are met perfectly by Tribal/Tribal fusion bellydance
styles.
Thinking of these trends, I find reason for all of
us to rejoice, no matter what style we perform. The
more art forms flourish around us in the context of
bellydance, the more unique each sub-culture of bellydance
can become, offering an increasing number of avenues
for success. Also, the more our audiences come to
understand the differences among the forms of bellydance,
the more they will come to understand what constitutes
quality in each genre - and become more demanding
as a result. That means more pressure on us, artists,
to keep evolving.
category-bellydance-fusion
category-tribal-fusion-bellydance
Comments
Tempest
a very interesting, perceptive, and poignant article
on Easy Coast developments!
Aziza
Well, I hate so called "Tribal" belly dance.
Mostly un authentic crap. So much authentic beautiful
technique of true belly dance has been lost. I even
see so called "modern cabaret" style dancers
doing stuff that is not true to the authentic belly
dance. Meaning they are standing around pushing up
their chests in a jerky fashion, rotating their chests
in a strange circle, or when they are doing a hip
flip leaning back, their arms are pumping up and down
more like Chubby Checker's "Twist" arm position.(Shoulder
shimmies are correct technique, not hip-hop baloney)
All this fusion crap is killing belly dance because
no one will remember the true art. Real fusion just
happened over time in history. It was not cooked up
in a day. It was a cross pollination of local Middle
Eastern culture with the Gypsy, etc. The fusion of
say, "Kabuki Theatre" and Belly Dance just
wouldn't work because it has no real connection or
relation at all. Too much crap now. Go back to authenticity,
if you remember how! Aziza (I'd be glad to show you
in a seminar!)
Tempest
Sorry, that was supposed to be "East Coast"---a
little Freudian slip on my part. And Aziza, while
everyone is surely entitled to their opinion, my recommendation
would be to spend all that energy of yours on promoting
the dance form you love. Nothing is being "threatened"
by growth or change, everything cycles...even in Tribal,
there's a growing movement back towards ATS rather
than Fusion in some circles. It's quite interesting
to study, if you can put aside negativity and have
an open mind focused at the ENTIRE belly dance community.
Aziza
Hi Again, From Aziza, I actually had more to say,
so I'm glad you commented, "Tempest." First
of all when people mentioned "Tribal" belly
dance to me for the first time about 5 years ago and
gave me a tape, I took a look at it with an open mind.
What I saw of "Gypsy Caravan, " Carolina
Nerricio, and others both surprised and bored me at
the same time. Women with lousy posture moved around
in costumes that were dull and unflattering to the
human form, to monotonous, unharmonious music and
the result abused the privelege of being "hypnotic."
It had the strange feel of "cult" like behavior.
This was confirmed in my mind when I heard the lecture
by Nericcio that said "Tribal" belly dance
was an "American Invention" and that "solos"
were "discouraged." After almost being "put
under" by their performances, hearing this info
confirmed the whole thing was a "Get ready, the
spaceship comes to get us Thoisday!" Part 3 of
comment coming up. Aziza
Aziza
Complaint #1: Authentic belly dance is a "solo"
or "couples" dance. Even in "line dance"
individuals are encouraged to get out in the middle
and belly dance while the others go around them, and
they take turns. "Complaint #2: There is nothing
"Tribal" ("Family") or "Sisterly"
about discouraging or detracting from another woman's
moment to shine. Women in Oriental/Near East Culture
are the opposite, indeed. "Complaint # 3: If
people are "inventing" a new "American
Art" they should also "invent" a new
name for it not call it a type of "belly dance".
More to come, Aziza
Aziza
Finally, I am Arabic, Armenian and Gypsy (A real one,
not a San Francisco "pseudo" type Gypsy
that seems to be in vogue) I definately have a right
to strong opinion on this subject. The Greek nightclub
owners entertained all the immigrants from the Near
and Middle East in their establishments and they respected
their patrons. If a dancer showed up for audition
and gave them an "Abbott and Costello Meets the
Mummy" type routine with say "Indian"
type squats, the owner politely told them, "Thank
You very much" and sent them home. I love this
art, but something proliferating now is a lack of
respect for the people whose heritage it represents.
Their art managed to stay unchanged for millennia
and only started being quelched in the last 30 or
so years when Mass Media and American Pop Culture
took over. When I can't have fun with the audience
and get to be "pretty" I'm going to "Hang
it up!". Aziza
Neon
Hi Aziza, wow, you really feel strongly about this
- and have a lot of thoughts to share. Why not write
an article for The HIp Circle to discuss this issue
in full depth? Email editor@thehipcircle.com if you
think it's a good idea.
ZanAsha
Uhhmm....ok, I've waited by the side lines politely
long enough. Aziza, uhmm, tuck in your ignorance,
it's showing. First of all...your bellydance that
has "gone unchanged for a millenia" actually
WAS changed. During the Golden Era of Bellydance in
Egypt (my father's era..he was full Egyptian, does
that give me MORE of a right to speak and defend,
than you?), Russian and British ballet teachers and
choreographers were brought in to teach the Egyptian
dancers more "grace" and "poise"
as the newly expatriated British and tourist industry
in that country were not interested in the flat footed
"ungainly" look of AUTHENTIC bellydance
at that time. So, all the lovely armwork and work
on the balls of the feet? Yep, NOT authentic. Second
of all...American Tribal Style was the name given
to "tribal bellydance" originally. Notice,
THAT original name never called itself bellydance.
Also, if you observe beyone your initial introduction
to tribal, there are many instances where the each
dancer in the group is invited into the center to
do a solo. By her series of moves, it is the skill
of the others to match her, and they are her chorus,
or support. I find your use of the term "cult"
rather interesting. You make fun of the "sisterhood"
in tribal, but I can point out several instances where
umm...very unsisterly acts (gee, such as nasty critiquing)
have undermined the American Cabaret/traditional bellydance
community. What is the threat factor? Noone in the
experimental community means to be threatening, nor
are we out to "convert" anyone. I can safely
say that attitudes like yours are the reason I LEFT
The cabaret scene to begin with. I understand your
concerns, really I do, but there is soooo much bellydance
going on in the Western world that I see little "threat"
of "traditional" American bellydance dying
out. By the way, the problem with living in this country
is its progressiveness in terms of art. Most dance
in this country (even ballet...thank you George Ballanchine)
has morphed into something different. This includes
American bellydance; it is NOT the same as that done
in the Middle East. To truly keep the TRUE Middle
Eastern dance as PURE art form, one must then stay
in the MiddleEast. Ohyeah, but they're into rap and
American products now...they wanna be US. Hmm......
Ahh, but I'm sure you'll have something to say on
this, too.
Tempest
to the "Aziza", I'd also like to point out,
if you really do wish to promote your particular style,
you'll definitely get more interest with honey, rather
than vinegar. You may also want to consider doing
some more actual research on the history of "belly
dance" in the last century both here in the US
and the Middle East. Having a cultural lineage to
any given area does not equate to immediate understanding
and all-encompassing knowledge, nor necessarily given
talent in the dance. If that was true, I'd be able
to speak Russian and Italian, while doing the Havah
Nagila and Rajhastani basket dances from birth. (Of
course, this same argument doesn't explain how I'm
genetically engineered to make meatballs..)
Aziza
Actually, I'm more qualified than just being "Middle
Eastern." I've entertained every ethnic group
(and have been appreciated by all of them) in an almost
40 year career that began at the age of one. I added
zil at age 2. I was a guest of the "Turkish Voice
TV" program in the NY, NJ, PA area for 7 years
from the age of 6 to the age of 13 and a retrospective
of my work was shown on my final appearance. (Actually,
I was wowing the Arabs in Brooklyn and Greeks at the
old "Sirocco," etc. and banquets, social
functions, etc. around the same time.) I had a blast
and was crazy about other dancers, my mother and her
pals. I have a lot more to say about all this, but
I may write an article soon about the "psychology"
of all this and also some thoughts on modern need
for "categorization" and "typing"
of every last thing on earth. Growing up in belly
dance my mother and I had so many close friends who
were belly dancers I find all of this "put down"
of femininity puzzling. The way Arabic girls, Turkish
girls and American girls danced was not really all
that different stylistically. Individuals were different
more through personalities, had different "favorite
steps," etc. All the Arabic girls entered with
"half circle turns" for instance, arms held
up and to the sides. Where are the lovely circle patterns
today? So much more to say, so little time! I'll write
an article for ya soon, Neon. Stimulating stuff! Aziza
Desari
Neon, I always appreciate reading your perspective
on the happenings on the New York bellydance scene.
I admire your sharp insight and your way with words.
Love, Desari
Lola
Neon, very informative article. Aziza, I am sure you
are a sweet and loving person... and I am sure you
don't realize how unfriendly and bitter you sound.
It would be very good for you to read "How to
Win Friends and Influence People", or something
similar. Hopefully the article you are about to write
will be inspiring and enlightening rather than preachy
and dogmatic.
Aziza
Hi Ladies, Don't mean to sound bitter, just knew and
loved so many beautiful and sweet belly dancers of
the 60's who worked hard at their craft, I was just
horrified they're being reduced to "western male
sexual" fantasies, in essence, like saying they
were somehow "unlady like." As far as authentic,
my heart is broken remembering my dear sweet mother's
pride in her costume making. She loved vests with
ornamentation, and even made a costume with vertical
stripe fabric not unlike the costumes of some of the
regional dancers featured in Wendy Buonaventura's
"Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the
Arab World," a must have for all interested in
belly dance. (My favorite paintings are by Muhammed
Racim in the 1830's of Algerian dancers) Ironically,
I was informed by another "hip circle" article
of why after working hundreds of ethnic and other
venues my mother was not hired at the "Ibis."
I read Gamila's article and thought it was interesting
to learn the owner didn't want blondes. I came home
and told my mother just recently that was probably
why she wasn't hired! She didn't know. Ha! Live and
learn. And the irony was that my mother and father
both were asked by a Saudi Prince to do his "graduation"
piece for the Columbia School of Broadcasting, which
they did. Then the Prince threw a dinner party in
my Mother's honor and another Saudi student played
the Nai and the Prince accompanied her on Oud while
she danced in her street clothes. My mother said,
"Oh, I wish I'd told them that at the Ibis!"
Arabic people, at that time anyway, just loved good
dancing, didn't care who did it! Anyway, it proves
to not discriminate against people over their looks,
however the great thing about belly dance is the transformation.
And remember that just because a girl is pretty or
has a pretty costume, it doesn't mean she is just
a sexpot. Take care, dolls! And look for an informative
article sometime soon when I get the chance! I miss
you guys in New York! I've lived with Southern Baptists
for several years and am nuts now! (Ridiculed me for
wearing pink. I said, "Last time I checked, I'm
a girl, and girls get to wear Pink!" Love and
Kisses, "Little Zizi" (Talk to you when
I get a chance soon Neon.)
veildancer9
Perhaps there is a way to educate about the different
styles in a way that is more embracing. It does no
good to knock one way without portraying what is *truly*
"authentic", and illustrating what makes
the other way NOT authentic. Now I'm curious... when
something is considered "wrong", I like
to know what is "wrong" about it and why
what is "right"... is right. I'm intrigued
and would love to learn more. Thanks for opening my
eyes to a bevy of topics...now where do I turn for
my answers? Best wishes always, ~V
AutumnWard
Neon, thanks for the insightful article. While I’m
delighted by the growing Tribal presence in New York
City, I’m concerned by the perception that Tribal
represents a “high art” aesthetic that is necessarily
absent in “cabaret” dancing. Not all “cabaret” dancing
happens in cabarets (or restaurants, nightclubs, etc.).
(And perhaps it’s time we identified separate language
for this idiom.) Non-tribal dancers also create theatrical
work that is more focused on artistic expression than
audience approval. Let’s not become entrenched in
a false dichotomy of artistic “high art” tribal dancers
vs. popular culture, commercial cabaret “entertainers.”
In all populations, one finds abundant examples of
dancers who rely more on gimmick, atmosphere, costuming/appearance
or personal charisma than on dance skill or artistic
substance. Equally, I’d like to think that cowrie
shells are irrelevant to dancer’s entitlement to produce
artistic, highly skilled, technically sophisticated,
innovative, creative, thoughtfully-constructed dance.
Cheers, Autumn Ward
Neon
Autumn - I totally agree with everything you said.
Analyzing trends, esp. at a commercial angle, inevitably
results in juggling huge generalizations. I assume
that we all proceed from seing reality in all its
depth and complexity, and then make a step aside to
look at it from a different angle and see what facets
emerge to the fore.
Aziza
Autumn, I think it's great you commented on this because
I'm impressed with your background in Uzbek dance.
Musicians in Greektown NYC used to tell my mother
Johanna she "look like Uzbek girl!" A thrill
of her life was seeing the 1960's tour of the "Soviet
Folk Dance" ensemble that included Uzbek, Georgian,
and other dancing of the "republics." Also
agree about costume, as I said to start with. What
kind of fabric people wore while belly dancing in
different Near and Middle East settings had more to
do with what was available to them, like could they
afford it, availability, local style, etc. Most women
are drawn to pretty fabrics and would use nicer types
when they could get them, thus a great variation is
sometimes seen in old paintings, early photographs,
etc. from the most simple to the more elaborate. Wanting
to wear exquisite fabrics doesn't mean we're less
artistic. Also, about this article, one more thing,
in "old days" I knew a lot of "intellectual"
and "educated" types in Greek and Middle
Eastern nightclubs. A fantastic "melange"
of people from all walks of life frequented these
places. There was never a dull moment! I gotta go.
Love Ya, Aziza
Carmine
I think things need to change and evolve... My friend's
dad tells me "The Beatles" is music. My
uncle tells me it's Elvis. My band mate tells me it's
Led Zeppelin. My best friend says it's Posion and
Motely Crue My other friend said it was Nirvana Someone
else told me it's the winner of a large scale kareoke
contest on TV.
Blanca
How about loving Elvis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin,
The Cure, Nirvana, Tool, AND Gorillaz? Is it possible
to love – or at least respect – all types of bellydance?
Why do we humans constantly play that "my toy
is better than your toy" game? It's more fun
to enjoy everything than to fight for a cause... at
least for me! Kissies to all...
Amulya
Isn't it a good thing that there are new styles of
belly dance emerging? It doesn't mean those will replace
more traditional styles, it just mean more styles.
Belly dance has always been evolving and it still
does (that makes it so interesting) I am sure there
are plenty of dancers who try to preserve traditional
styles, so we don't have to be afraid that those will
die out.
Divyana
Hi I am Divyana I grew up in NYC/NJ . I myself am
a Gothic FEthno-Fusion dancer. I spent my life reading,
studying and training in many ethnic forms od dance.
Ballet as a girl of 3 till 16. Flamenco since 12,
Samba/african/Jazz/Middle eastern, Tahitian and Indian
in my twentys till now. I am of Spaniard/Roman/Austrian
and Kashmiri decent. Los If anyone knows Fusion it
is me. I am thrilled to be a Dancer from NYC. where
fusion was created I think from the worlds biggest
melting pot. I believe vareity is the spice of life.
Every dancer has her own look, style and tecnique.
We can learn the tradtional but its the Tribal/Fusion
that makes us unique. I accept everones opinion and
open mind to the genre. One thing I would like to
see is sisterhood. I myself tried to befriend many
dancers just to have them belittle or insult me. Or
just turn their backs on me as if to put me down for
being who I am and what I have done. I have been a
performer since 1985 starting with Rock bands in NUJ/NYC
( back up dancer) while I trained in Flamenco/Ballet
at Princton Ballet School in NJ. I also trained/studied
with various teachers/studios in NY,PR,FL Spain and
Venezuela for the past 10 years. I am very fasinated
by the mix of dance genres imerging!! I dont like
to label myself as Tribal though I am very into Gothic/Indian/Ambiant/Spanish
music. So I design my costumes and routines to my
taste. I haven t had a problem yet. I also do tradional
Egyptian with costumes for more coporate or conservative
types when need be. I promote and host a Gothic Lounge
night in CT now called Avant Garde for entertainers
and fans of the dark genre. I have had great performers
at my night.I myself just recently pwerformed a vampiric
number in my own self created Gothic belly dance costume
with Bat wings. I was well admired for my originality.
It pays to be different. I would like to gether a
number of Gothic/Tribal Dancers to join me in a CT
first gathering hafla and Workshop. If anyone is interested.
Or I would like to join the next one in NYC. By the
way I started training in Bhangra/Bollywod now and
love it. I hope to start teaching in the Summer at
a nearby studio. If I do not move back to NYC lols.
Neon your article was great and everyone is very imformative.
Belly blessings to all my dance sisters here Divyana |
