Originally Posted by Machiavellia

A'isha,
As I mentioned previously, the origin of my moves is still Middle Eastern, although the aesthetic and cultural context is not strictly so. Personally, I don't have a problem with audiences, as my company always has a blurb before a performance or in the show's program explaining that the of the dance vocabulary is Middle Eastern, and the context within which it is presented is modern and Western. We also address the relevant women's issues associated with bellydancing (aka it is not stripping). Bellydancing is the best English word to connote the origin and the style of the dance, which is still Middle Eastern, although it is not only Middle Eastern. My company uses the term tribal fusion bellydance fairly often, and locally, people are beginning to know what to expect from a group in that style.

Bellydancing is not the first cultural dance that I studied, that was actually Irish dancing. A good parallel to the bellydancing question is Irish step dancers who incorporate elements of American street tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet into the aesthetic and musical style of the dance. The dance vocabulary remains essentially Irish, and that's what people still call it, although they explain that it's a fusion. I feel the consistently about that.


I agree that this is the key to presenting fusion honestly and clearly to our audiences. I feel that even authentic ethnic dancers have a responsibility to explain to their audiences what they are seeing and hearing. Our company does narrated performances in which anything presented on the stage comes with a short explanation. I applaud you for taking the time and trouble to inform your audiences!