The Belly Dance Institute Mumbai By Ritambhara Sahni: March 2016

Belly Dance Institute Mumbai By Ritambhara Sahni

Here you can find

out 5 various types of belly dance

Dance is a living and evolving art form. It evolves as cultures evolve and as it is adopted by new cultures. Because of this there are many different styles of “belly dance”. The following is a list to help you recognize some of the different styles and where they came from.

Egyptian Style Oriental Dance

Belly Dance institute Mumbai by Ritambhara Sahni

Ritambhara Sahni Belly Dance

Egyptian Style as the title indicates originates in Egypt. The stars of Egyptian dance gained fame by differentiating themselves from their peers, so there is a wide variety of dance that can come under this heading. There are certain elements that seem to give Egyptian dance a consistent feel. Often Egyptians will dance more to the rhythm of a piece than the melody, although there are a few dancers who do dance quite melodically at times. Also Egyptians often carry their energy low in their body, so their dancing seems very grounded, even when they are dancing in rélevé. Floor work (dancing seated or lying on the floor) was made illegal in Egypt for most of the 20th century, so you only see it rarely, usually in a vignette, character dance or candelabrum dance. As with all Oriental dance, Egyptian Oriental is heavily steeped in the folkloric music and dance of Egypt. For example, Saidi rhythms and elements are very common.

Many separate Golden Era Egyptian Style with more modern stylings. Golden Era refers to the stars of Egyptian dance from the 1920-1950s. Some of the most famous names of that time included Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka and Naima Akef. Golden Era can be stretched to include the following generation who started their careers at the tail end of the Golden Era: Souhair Zaki, Nagwa Fouad, Fifi Abdo, Mona Said and Aza Sharif reached the height of their popularity between 1960-1980s. Modern Egyptian refers to more current trends in Egyptian Oriental Dance, some of which includes Ballet and Modern dance elements. Big names in modern Egyptian dance are Dina, Tito and Randa Kamal. There are also many non-Egyptians who have adopted Egyptian styling in their own dancing as well as worked and built their reputations in Egypt. A few names worth knowing include Sahra Kent – USA, Yasmin – USA, Leila – USA, Nour – Russia, Asmahan – Argentina, Soraya – Brazil and Orit – Israel. For more online information on Egyptian Oriental Dance I recommend Jalilah’s article “About Raks Sharki” and Yasmin’s biographies of “Egypt’s Belly Dance Superstars”.

· Tribal Belly Dance

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Tribal style belly dance started in the San Francisco area in the 1960s. It was developed by American belly dancers who preferred a more ethnic and folkloric look to their dance and costumes. Originating primarily at local renaissance fairs, street festivals, and informal jam sessions, tribal style is recognized for its unique costuming elements borrowed from ethnic cultures around the world, particularly India, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. It is usually performed by a troupe. This style quickly spread from California to every part of the U.S. and is now performed in many countries around the globe.

· Goddess or Spiritual Belly Dance

Ritambhara Sahni belly dance institute Mumbai

Belly Dance Institute Mumbai by Ritambhara Sahni

There appears to be a strong connection between ancient goddess worshipping cultures and belly dancing (read "The Goddess is Dancing" and "What is Belly dance?"). However, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that the modern Goddess/spiritual Belly dance form took root, mainly in the United States. It is a style that explores and expresses the mind/body/spirit aspects of belly dance movement and music, especially from a perspective of the divine feminine.

· East Indian / Bollywood Belly Dance

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Bollywood belly dance It is very likely that belly dance was practiced in India many thousands of years ago before it gave way to more modern styles of classical Indian dance. Although traditional belly dance hasn't been considered part of Indian culture for hundreds of years, there are clues that tie belly dance to India in earlier times. The Romani ('Gypsy') people, who are believed to have originated in northern India, have long performed belly dance moves. They started migrating westward out of India over 1500 years ago and took their influence in dance all the way to Europe. There are also strong similarities between many core belly dance techniques and yoga: they both activate the body's energy centers or chakras. And many ancient Indian sculptures depict mythological female figures in classical belly dance poses wearing what we would recognize today as a belly dance hip belt.

Since the twentieth century, belly dance moves are commonly seen in the 'Bollywood' films of India ( 'Bollywood' refers to the Hollywood style movie industry centered in Bombay, India).

Although belly dance is currently not considered native to India, it's likely that at least some of the core belly dance moves and core belly dance concepts may have originated in India millennia ago, and then spread to other parts of the world.

· American Cabaret

American Belly Dance basically comes in two different styles Cabaret and American Tribal. Cabaret style is the glitzier more flamboyant of the two styles. We have taken the Egyptian style of the dance and made it our own. We incorporate the use of the veil during a section of a routine. Most U.S. dancers do not dance any pure form of the dance, but add other influences such as jazz, ballet, and Spanish and call it American Style Belly dance.

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