Belly Dance Forums - View Single Post - what do you consider to be damaging to the future of Middle Eastern dance?

khanjar · 07-09-2008, 09:26 PM

In the west, yes, fusion.

I am classless at the moment, I do have an option to go to a class which is a fusion class where they state it is a mix of flamenco, asian and ME. Now I feel as I am a beginner, I should concentrate on ME for that is where I started and doing something which involves other cultural dances might not be a good idea.

My interest is ME, I should stick with that for now, so I will hold off until the fall when classes start again. I am only pleased that via these forums I came to know the difference before immersing myself in a class which I might have believed is authentic belly dance, when it might be anything other.

But this is where I see a problem, bellydance is the umbrella term, but that could mean anything, it could even just be the style of dress, but to music which bears no relation to the area of origin.

Music, I have the 'Beginners Guide to Bellydance' 3 cd set, they comprise of disc 1; traditional and cabaret, disc two; drum solo and tribal and finally disc three; fusion. I love disc one, disc two comes second and disc three I have to be in a strange mood to play, as a lot of it, I cannot see where ME might be performed, especially the industrial and gothic tunes. I love ME music, and the multi layers, fusion is just popular music, not for me.

So in the west, perhaps fusion should part company from ME even to just stop confusion to those of us who are new, perhaps for the sake of performance, not call the dance 'belly dance', which is demeaning, but call the separate arts ME dance and fusion, as it is, but publicize it as so. That way those who want the real thing can choose ME, those that just want to dance ME style but with other influences can choose fusion.

The west I see as the catalyst, we get it right over here, then the ME itself might change it's mood.

07-09-2008, 09:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
khanjar Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: England Posts: 442	In the west, yes, fusion. I am classless at the moment, I do have an option to go to a class which is a fusion class where they state it is a mix of flamenco, asian and ME. Now I feel as I am a beginner, I should concentrate on ME for that is where I started and doing something which involves other cultural dances might not be a good idea. My interest is ME, I should stick with that for now, so I will hold off until the fall when classes start again. I am only pleased that via these forums I came to know the difference before immersing myself in a class which I might have believed is authentic belly dance, when it might be anything other. But this is where I see a problem, bellydance is the umbrella term, but that could mean anything, it could even just be the style of dress, but to music which bears no relation to the area of origin. Music, I have the 'Beginners Guide to Bellydance' 3 cd set, they comprise of disc 1; traditional and cabaret, disc two; drum solo and tribal and finally disc three; fusion. I love disc one, disc two comes second and disc three I have to be in a strange mood to play, as a lot of it, I cannot see where ME might be performed, especially the industrial and gothic tunes. I love ME music, and the multi layers, fusion is just popular music, not for me. So in the west, perhaps fusion should part company from ME even to just stop confusion to those of us who are new, perhaps for the sake of performance, not call the dance 'belly dance', which is demeaning, but call the separate arts ME dance and fusion, as it is, but publicize it as so. That way those who want the real thing can choose ME, those that just want to dance ME style but with other influences can choose fusion. The west I see as the catalyst, we get it right over here, then the ME itself might change it's mood. __________________ I am a dream to some...and a nightmare to others.