What Style is your Favourite?

[Reen.Blom]

I know my list of options is controversial and just reflects MY opinion(I tried to discuss it in another thread with almost no response).
What style you like best/do ? (YOU CAN CHOOSE MULTIPLE ANSWERS!).
So drop in and tell us what you like about that particular style.
Also would ask someone to please please post here links to your favourite performances on youTube in your fav styles!

(I have rather slow internet so it is difficult for me sometimes to be loading for an hour a clip on youTube just to figure out later that it does not really represent the style it claims to be, or searching for names of famous dancers and after long wait to find out that a clip is shot from afar and you cant really see the moves well.... Hope you understand....)

Egyptian
Lebanese
Turkish
ME folkloric styles
American Cabaret
American Tribal
Tribal Fusion (to middle eastern music)
Tribal Fusion (to other types of music)
Male dancing
Greek Tsifteteli

Well there is some confusion about Tsifteteli/Chifteteli, because at one hand there is this 8/4 Arabian rhythm which is called Chifteteli or Taksim. At the other hand, there is the Greek belly dance called Tsifteteli.It is not as complex and artistic like the other styles, since it is more a social/folklore than a stage dance, but it is a style on it's own. If you want to see how traditional Greek Tsifteteli (well, in a form adapted for the stage) looks and sounds like have a look at my Tsifteteli video:

If you want to know more about it you can read my article about Tsifteteli:
What is Tsifteteli?
as well as the thread about Tsifteteli in the music forum: http://forum.orientaldancer.net/music/51-greek-chifteteli.html

PS Thank you Chryssanthi for providing all that information and video!:clap:

 

[SmilingMarie]

Excellent poll! I am looking forward to seeing the results! My feeling is that this forum has more Americans than any other nationality combined and my guess is that American Cabaret and Tribal will finish in the lead - but feel free to correct me and prove me wrong! (I mean no offence or disrespect towards any of the above styles, I guess we just all have our favs, don't we?)

 

[Reen.Blom]

One of my choices was AmCab - at the moment I am learning from DVDs though I dunno if my teacher back home does what youcall AmCab...
(I really like it though...)

But I have been thinking about it for quite a while... What would you call a style which say performed by European(or other) dancers(not necessarily Americans), who look up to the source (Egyptian and other ME dancers) but mainly learn from their (non American and non-ME teachers), which is also charactarized by similar glittery costumes and the use of props etc as AmCab. Would it still be called AmCab if it has nothing to do with American teachers??? Or is it some kind of "international" style?

 

[SmilingMarie]

You're right- it is a puzzle! And maybe there is no straight answer I have learnt mainly from European dancers (but also 2 Egyptians: Raqia Hassan and Liza Laziza) but would describe my style as Egyptian - this mainly becasue of my feeling/attitude, my expression and my arms - this might sound weird but I think that these are crucial points. Try looking at the arms of Egyptians and (ballet-inspired) Europeans/Americans. Egyptian audiences are very much into the facial expressions of the dancer - the dancer has to express emotions also in her face. I find that this is often lacking in the more European (and American??) styles... But I also find this and ongoing discussion between me and my bellydance collegues! Personally, I don't like dance which is too rigid, structured or choreographed - that doesn't mean that you can't have a choreo - but it should seem natural, I think. I also think this represents the cultural heritage of the dance.
Any other takers on this topic??

 

[slinks]

Am Cab gets my vote .. I just love the freedom of it and the use of a veil

 

[Sara]

Turkish and Egyptian. I like them sooo much if they were a pillow I'd hug em.

I'm not too clued up on Lebanese to be honest, but I'd like to know more abut that...

 

[SmilingMarie]

Good to see another dancer on the line here! But tell me: what is NOT free about Egyptian or any of the other styles? (I realize that folklore has some rules) and you can use a veil in Egyptian style btw (I don't really want to get on an Egyptian high horse here - but I am the only one who has voted for it so far!!) - granted, I know just around nothing about AmCab or even Tribal (only what I've seen on dvds etc) - so please, enlighten me!

And Sara: put it in the poll!!

 

[Reen.Blom]

Hey Marie Maybe you could post a link to a youTube vid which you think reflects Egyptian well? I am still trying to figure out the difference between AmCab and Egyptian?

 

[Oba Bear]

Both types of Tribal Fusion for me. Earthy, serpentine movements just make me wanna dance too.

 

[Maria_Aya]

Egyptian
And for me its the style with the most freeness from all, its just difficult to explain with my poor english

Maria Aya

 

[Kiraze]

I would not divide Tribal Fusion into two categories as e.g. Ariellah and Rachel still represent very similar styles and their selection of music is not so clear as most of what I have seen by Rachel has not been danced to Middle Eastern music.

Anyway I chose here just Turkish as that is the style I am most interested about even though I enjoy most of the other styles too - my own style is perhaps closest to AmCab (or EuroCab or whatever you call the style which has strong roots in Middle East but does not even care to be too authentic ) and I love watching AmCab dancers more than maybe any other style but only style I really do not care are Reda-style pseudo-folklore (real folklore again is lovely and also Reda-style in very small doses)

 

[Miranda Phoenix]

I voted for AmCab, even though I'm so new to BD I'm not even sure I have a "legitimate" opinion.

I have never seen BD live, only through the videos linked here and on YouTube, but, if pressed to explain my preference, I believe I see AmCab as exhibiting ...more life, or maybe more energy, through the breakdown/isolation of the BD moves. Egyptian dance seems to blend all the moves together, where AmCab both blends them and then isolates them, which makes the dance more fun (at least, for me).

This is just an observation from a total tyro, and I hope I make sense (and don't offend anyone!).

 

[SmilingMarie]

Reen.blom - what a good idea with a YouTube clip... but as a first approximation I guess watching the big stars will give you a pretty good impression I know that the skimpy outfits and over-the-top facial expressions might detract slightly - but try watching the arms and hands, for instance.

 

[Moon]

I chose Egyptian because that's my favourite at the moment.
I don't agree with "male dancing" as seperate style, because male dancers dance in just as many styles as women do.

How on earth do people vote more than once btw? :think:

 

[Reen.Blom]

I chose Egyptian because that's my favourite at the moment.
I don't agree with "male dancing" as seperate style, because male dancers dance in just as many styles as women do.

How on earth do people vote more than once btw? :think:

Sorry bout that, I actually was not sure if there is a separate style for men or that goes into folklioric or maybe some other style... I am sure there is someone out there who is particulary fond of male bally dance... wasnt sure anyways...

PPl do not vote more than once, but when they vote the 1st time you can choose myltiple answers.... I wasnt sure if the poll allowed that untill I posted it! LOL Gonna change the 1st post now! Thanks for telling that!

 

[Moon]

OOOh ok!

 

[janaki]

Egyptian style for me too!!!! It is me. I enjoy any style that is done in a proper way.

 

[chryssanthi sahar]

Ren.Bloom dear, you forgot the Greek Tsifteteli. It is not as complex and artistic like the other styles, since it is more a social/folklore than a stage dance, but it is a style on it's own. If you want to see how traditional Greek Tsifteteli (well, in a form adapted for the stage) looks and sounds like have a look at my Tsifteteli video:


By the way, my favorite styles are the Egyptian (especially the modern classical one), the Lebanese, ME folklore styles and of course the Greek Tsifteteli, with which I've been brought up

 

[Safran]

I voted for Egyptian... because this is what I believe I know most about and I am trying to become good at it. But then again, I also still feel a bit lost among the different styles, so ask me again soon

 

[nicknack]

My favourites are Turkish, and Turkish Rom, I love all the Rom music, because it merges so well with Jewish music (it's why Emir Kusturica is so popular with a lot of us).

I also love the Tsifteteli which I want to see more of, chryssanthi that video is great there should be more, always more