natesfeliz
New member
I know the basic differences... between some styles. But I was wondering if someone could explain it thoroughly? I am choosing a new club and I would be very very thankful!
Difference between all the styles?
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Kashmir
New member
I know the basic differences... between some styles. But I was wondering if someone could explain it thoroughly? I am choosing a new club and I would be very very thankful!
I give a once over lightly in about 6 hours - thoroughly would take longer
Seriously, description is part of it - and knowing what to look for - then you need to watch people dancing in a specific style - then others in the same style and compare with those in a different style.If you are looking to join a class, you probably need less detail. For beginners, having a knowledgeable teacher - who can teach is far more important because most, good teachers will start with the same basics.
goddessyasaman
New member
I know the basic differences... between some styles. But I was wondering if someone could explain it thoroughly? I am choosing a new club and I would be very very thankful!
we have had many talks on here about different styles, when you say thoroughly what is it you want to know? like history of each style? Music used in each style, costume difference? or all above. here are a few different links on styles and things about the styles.
I hope this is some of what you are looking for
Belly Dance Costumes
Raqs Baladi - Raqs Baladi Belly Dance
Raqs Sharqi - Raqs Sharqi Belly Dance
Overview of Belly Dance: Turkish Style Belly Dance
Tribal Bellydance dot org!
Fat Chance Belly Dance Instruction
Lebanese Belly Dance (Oriyantal Dansi) - Origins, Moves, Music and Costumes
shiradotnet
Well-known member
There's a 3-part article about this on my web site at Belly Dancing: Dance Styles Used In The U.S.
natesfeliz
New member
thank you so much everyone, i will check all those sites out! thank you!!!!
thank you!!!!
kittie
New member
Can anyone explain the different styles to me?
Heya, at the moment I'm in a begginners class, and we don't learn any specific styles (although in three months I'll be moving up to intermediate, and I will). I've googled but haven't found any resources, so -
Can someone please tell me what the different styles are, and what 'defines' them, or link me to a resource that does? Thanks.
Heya, at the moment I'm in a begginners class, and we don't learn any specific styles (although in three months I'll be moving up to intermediate, and I will). I've googled but haven't found any resources, so -
Can someone please tell me what the different styles are, and what 'defines' them, or link me to a resource that does? Thanks.
Starmouth
New member
Hi Kittie and welcome!
I'm still fairly new to this myself so I'm sure other forum members will be able to give you a much more detailed answer! For me the three main styles would be 'oriental' - covering most Middle Eastern and North African styles, 'tribal' - American Tribal Style, Tribal Fusion etc, and Turkish/Roma style, which I can confess I don't know an awful lot about!
Oriental - mostly solo dancers, middle eastern music, colourful, sparkly costumes. Closer to what the general public would picture when they hear the words 'belly dancer'.
Tribal - dancers often in groups with no obvious leader, music can vary but often not middle eastern, costumes often dark, earthy fabrics, kuchi jewellery, lots of hair decorations, falls, flowers etc.
Turkish/Roma - As I said, I don't know a lot, but I'm sure someone on here will know more than I do.
These are terrible generalisations, there are so many different styles each with hundreds of variations, but this is how I loosely group them in my head.
I'm still fairly new to this myself so I'm sure other forum members will be able to give you a much more detailed answer! For me the three main styles would be 'oriental' - covering most Middle Eastern and North African styles, 'tribal' - American Tribal Style, Tribal Fusion etc, and Turkish/Roma style, which I can confess I don't know an awful lot about!
Oriental - mostly solo dancers, middle eastern music, colourful, sparkly costumes. Closer to what the general public would picture when they hear the words 'belly dancer'.
Tribal - dancers often in groups with no obvious leader, music can vary but often not middle eastern, costumes often dark, earthy fabrics, kuchi jewellery, lots of hair decorations, falls, flowers etc.
Turkish/Roma - As I said, I don't know a lot, but I'm sure someone on here will know more than I do.
These are terrible generalisations, there are so many different styles each with hundreds of variations, but this is how I loosely group them in my head.
shiradotnet
Well-known member
If you googled the keywords "styles of belly dance" you should have found my 3-part article:
Belly Dancing: Dance Styles Used In The U.S.
Parts 1 and 2 have been updated somewhat recently, although I haven't yet added much about tribal fusion.
In Part 3, the portion of the page BEFORE costuming was updated at the same time as parts 1 & 2. However, beginning with the costuming section through the end, I didn't get a chance to update it, and it's somewhat obsolete. Still, if you read the whole thing you'll have a starting point, and then you can build on that by doing further investigation.
Yame
New member
When I google "belly dance styles" I come up with tons of resources.
There are tons of threads on this topic on this forum already. Here are 3 I found just by quickly glazing over the first page of a few different orientaldancer.net boards, without even using the search feature, and it took me about 15 seconds to find them.
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/dance-styles/15400-understanding-types.html
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/dance-styles/15158-difference-between-all-styles.html
This one happens to be a sticky:
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/video-clips-internet/10004-those-different-styles-bd.html
Each of these threads contain explanations as well as links to resources, so you have plenty to work with already.
There are tons of threads on this topic on this forum already. Here are 3 I found just by quickly glazing over the first page of a few different orientaldancer.net boards, without even using the search feature, and it took me about 15 seconds to find them.
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/dance-styles/15400-understanding-types.html
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/dance-styles/15158-difference-between-all-styles.html
This one happens to be a sticky:
http://www.bellydanceforums.net/video-clips-internet/10004-those-different-styles-bd.html
Each of these threads contain explanations as well as links to resources, so you have plenty to work with already.
Kashmir
New member
Some Turkish is Orientale. Roma is an example of a folkloric style - of which there are many others - sa`iidi, ghawazee, khaleegi etc.For me the three main styles would be 'oriental' - covering most Middle Eastern and North African styles, 'tribal' - American Tribal Style, Tribal Fusion etc, and Turkish/Roma style, which I can confess I don't know an awful lot about!
Oriental - mostly solo dancers, middle eastern music, colourful, sparkly costumes. Closer to what the general public would picture when they hear the words 'belly dancer'.
Tribal - dancers often in groups with no obvious leader, music can vary but often not middle eastern, costumes often dark, earthy fabrics, kuchi jewellery, lots of hair decorations, falls, flowers etc.
Turkish/Roma - As I said, I don't know a lot, but I'm sure someone on here will know more than I do.
When I think of "styles" I would think more by region - so you have a family of Egyptian styles, Turkish styles, Lebanese styles, Western styles. Within each of these there is also a huge range - for instance in Egyptian there are differences between Golden Age, Classical and Modern (ironically about 1990s); between orientale and beledi, between Mohamed Ali Street and Reda. Then, as I said, there is a range of folkloric styles which can be danced on their own or within an Orientale piece.
For the OP - what style choices are you being given? I'd sayteh basic technique is the basic technique for a year or so unless you are going Tribal in which case you need to learn cueing and blending with a group.
Ariadne
Well-known member
Like this:
It's a nice set of links, I just had to pass it on in case it was somehow missed.
Mosaic
Super Moderator
I have never heard of it Paul, I did a google search and found this on facebook, maybe the girl who posted the video can help you
Ballet and Belly Dance Fusion - Bronwyn | Facebook
~Mosaic
Ballet and Belly Dance Fusion - Bronwyn | Facebook
~Mosaic
Shanazel
Moderator
Sabah does a ballet/BD fusion that is quite pretty. Bellydance Superstar Sabah performing in Iceland - YouTube
Ariadne
Well-known member
I've heard about it. If I remember correctly it comes out of Russia where a lot of the BD performers have a foundation in classical ballet. Some of them started blending the two as well as using more classical music. It's never really taken off though because it's difficult to successfully fuse the two, the movement vocabulary is just so different.
Ahava_Melantha
New member
but don't most forms of belly dance include SOME ballet and jazz anyways? like modern egyptian, brazilian bd, american cabaret, etc?
Ariadne
Well-known member
Modern Egyptian is influenced by ballet yes. I don't know much about Brazilian. American and Turkish are supposed to have had their arm positions influenced by ballet also but the more I learn the more skeptical I am about this (beyond the convenience of using the 'position' names). I suspect it is more a matter of American and Turkish bellydancers who are cross trained allowing it to bleed into the dance. In this case though the ballet influence is more then just an influence on basic posture and some styling. The dancers who fuse ballet will go so far as to dance on toe etc. Really you can't miss it.
PS. I almost forgot. Most of the 'influence' from other dance styles was BD stealing various traveling moves in order to fill a larger area such as a stage.
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Ahava_Melantha
New member
Okay, i guess i meant influence, not a TRUE fusion. sorry bout that.