Belly Dance

[lied]

I'd like to know from people here what do they think about gothic belly dance...
How did you start, how do you practice, dance groups you know, artists you admire, etc.

I've been studying belly dance for some time now and wanna go to the goth side of the force in this matter too.

(I'm sorry if there's a thread on this subject already, I couldnt find it.)

[MollyMac]

I have done ATS and Gothic/Yogic fusion for a while here in St. Louis. I prefer teh styles of Rachel brice, Ariellah, Zoe Jakes and Mardi Love- but I add a few more elevation kinetics, jumps and leaps in with teh slink

[Fae-wolf]

I just recently heard of it and I love it.

I'm into middle eastern dancing and I found out about it. It made my day.

I told my teacher about it, she said "It sounds like their going to be into more the tribal things...." Sure enough, she was right

[MollyMac]

Yup. Check out Ariellah, she's more "Goth" than most, very elegant moves. Very digable

[TheBloodEternity]

I really, really want to learn how to belly dance.

[MollyMac]

If you can;t get to class, try the DVDs by Sharon Kihara, Rachel Brice, and Sera- they are Tribal style basics with Yoga. A good 101.

For more traditional, try Suhalia Salimpour, Jasmin Jahal, Jillina, and Ansuya.

[Cicero]

I learnt a bit of belly dance years ago because my sister is really into it and I absolutely loved it. I still incorporate a lot of what I learnt into my 'club dancing'. I've also got a whole lot of belly dancing belts and necklaces in my jewellery collection. Gorgeous stuff.

[Lolly PopMuzik]

Originally Posted by Cicero

I still incorporate a lot of what I learnt into my 'club dancing'.

Ah, what she said. I took a class this past summer and it was a lot of fun.

My take:

At the club, as long as there's no act involved, I'm not bugged about it.

What's not so fun is how belly-dancing, an ancient art and tradition, became the newest goth trend especially when it tends to get more support that should being going towards shows or anything not club related.

I also have beef with it being called "goth bellydancing," it not only feels like a lot of them only participate as long as it's got "goth" in there and turn their nose up at the original styles but also lacking in diversity as well. Not trying to knock you, ma'am, but that's just my 2 pennies.

But one question: Any involvement with regular/traditional bellydancing troupes?

[Fae-wolf]

I'm in a regular belly dancing class.
We learn just the basic moves. My teacher is from lebanon.

I pretty much figured out that Gothic bellydancing is just a mixture of Tribal and Egyptian bellydancing elements.
It's still pretty good. However, one my classmates says it's a bit harder to learn since the movements are alot slower.

[lied]

Nice to hear from you girls!

For now I'm still dancing the traditional belly dance style... but I really intend to move on fusion and tribal once I feel I in control of all my movements.

And yeah, the 'goth' term reffers to the mix of styles and visual elements...
I used the term here, knowing whats involved and relating to what we have here in the forum.

Anyway, I really like The Indigo girls too.

MollyMac, any tips about how and when to start on tribal?

[MollyMac]

The moves in "Goth" or Tribal fusion are harder- they are slow and with a lot of tics. Creepy and robotic in turns. You cannot fake an undulation slow the way you can fake a 3/4 shimmy fast.

Starting tribal? Yoga. It gives you the strength and flexibility. Th eRachel Brice videos are good- there is not a lot of "dance" but she gives the foundation for rolls, undulations, side winders...

Check You-Tube- there's some excerpts there.

[Fae-wolf]

thanks for the advice molly mac

[shogem]

Gothic belly dance is an offshoot of tribal, if I remember correctly. I've always wanted to take a workshop in it, but for now I'm taking ATS (American Tribal Style) and fusion classes. I admire my teachers most. They're amazing and dedicated and always have new things to teach.

Traditional forms of the dance, such as Egyptian or Turkish are amazing and influenced so much of what's offered today in the US in regards to diversity in dance.

My advice? Do some research on what you'd like to learn. Gothic belly dance tends to be taught in workshops (from my knowledge, and there are several gothic belly dancers in the SF bay area where I live), so I would suggest looking into a teacher whose style meets your sensibilities when a workshop isn't available. A lot of belly dance teachers use yoga stretches to warm up/cool down in classes, so yoga is always good to take if you want to keep yourself flexible and those muscles moving. I don't know what else to say... so, good luck and have fun!

[Jaye Jang]

This is a place where you can get the costumes. The group here (Nejwah) has a website and a belly dancing school.

http://www.bellydance-shop.com/?gcli...FRNOagodp06j2w

[PortraitOfSanity]

Does anyone else see the irony of a practice of a sexist religion being adopted by a supposedly left-wing subculture?

Edit: This is not an anti-Muslim statement, because I know someone's gonna say that. Just a thought.

[Apathy's_Child]

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

Does anyone else see the irony of a practice of a sexist religion being adopted by a supposedly left-wing subculture?

Edit: This is not an anti-Muslim statement, because I know someone's gonna say that. Just a thought.

Pretty much symbolizes the left-wing nowadays - celebrating the diversity of other cultures while vehemently excusing the nasty parts seems, for some odd reason, to be a staple for many of its adherents. The number of bleeding heart liberals I've heard excusing practices such as the stoning of wayward women under the heading of cultural tolerance is literally unbelievable.

[MollyMac]

Belly dance is not part of a religion, not Muslim, at any rate. It is historically a fertility dance danced for the male or his mother to prove the dancer/woman's fertility and child-bearing strength as well as sexual prowess. Raqs Sharki and the dansers orientale are shunned by the fundamentalists, seen as little better than prostitutes in some areas.

It came to the US in 1896 at the Chicago world's fair, in a watered down version, suitable for western eyes

[Jaye Jang]

There is also a Scottish version of belly dancing ('fully' costumed and actually quite graceful), since the bagpipes originally came from the middle east, and were adopted (or according to my Scottish friends, 'improved upon') by the Scots, Northumbrians, etc.

[MollyMac]

Bwuh hah haaaaaa... Awesome. I will have to check into that. I dance to pipes all the time for belly and Highland

I do Scottish Competitive Highland Dance as well- I am working on a fusion of the impact of Highland and the serpentine moves for "Odessa Bulgar" this weekend.

[Jaye Jang]

Molly, then you'll like this. (Sorry about the bad vid. Best I could find). This is The Wicked Tinkers playing 'Awel Mara'.

Usually they have a dancer who does this in the 'Scottish style' which is with an ankle length white gown, and a tartan plaidy. It is actually quite beautiful to watch. She was not there on this one, however.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC_HcAo5gf8

[raggedyanne]

At the moment I'm taking regular belly dance classes because of my knee, but I have studied a bit of tribal fusion and I live not too far away from where Rachel Brice is based, so I might take some classes from her. Mardi Love is very fun to watch, as is Ariellah. There is no such thing as gothic belly dance. There is only tribal fusion done by goths to different music.

[MollyMac]

I *heart* the Tinkers- I use their work all the time in class. And Tartanic and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Michael Grey...

[raggedyanne]

Lolz, all good stuff. I have been listening to Juno Reactor and Bel Canto for dance music.

[Lolly PopMuzik]

Originally Posted by raggedyanne

Juno Reactor=bellydance music

NOOOOOOOOOOOO. Look, this is NOWHERE near my thing but try Dalis Car, Danielle Dax, Pete Murphy's Dust and maybe Lycia. Just no more God Is God goth bellydancing videos on YT.

[Bat Attack]

Originally Posted by lied

I'd like to know from people here what do they think about gothic belly dance...

Personally I dislike it, I find it rather tacky and distasteful.