Ballet and Bellydance? - Page 2

adiemus · 07-15-2008, 10:35 PM

I've used her DVD's a lot, but I don't like her performances...too 'western' as you say. But the basic technique is good, it's how you put it all together that I think is where the real feeling comes in - at least her DVD's are not all about 'Look at ME' or 'look at this MOVE'.
But that 'feeling' is neither ballet nor western - personally I think it's North American and quite different from what happens in the Southern Hemisphere!

jenc · 07-16-2008, 07:06 AM

I agree. I wouldn't call Jenna Egyptian style at all. However, for those of us without the cultural background, such western style attention to detail is worth drilling to start the muscles learning about how to behave. HOWEVER, to progrees towards true egyptian style, you would need to learn how to drive the movements differently than Jenna.
Jenna teaches knee driven movements. Later you need to drive hip movements from the obliques, letting knee bend in response to movement rather than creating it. This is the only way to get really fluid movements.
Jenna is great AmCab, Western Oriental (whatever you want to call American style)performer though

Phoebedances · 07-16-2008, 07:17 AM

I did a bit of research into Samia Gamal for a presentation that I did in my oral communications class for college on bellydance. Samia studied a little ballet with King Faruk's daughters from a Russian Ballet teacher. It was this teacher who helped her learn what to do with her arms and maybe one reason why her arms are so graceful and feminine in her dance.

I think ballet would be terrific for learning balance and proper turns as well as stunning arabesques to incorporate into your dance.

missanime · 08-28-2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raven

Hi,

I am just four months into bellydance and LOVING it!!! I have been taking two classes per week and hope to advance to the second level in the fall. As I've heard that ballet is a great foundation for all dance, in the fall I am considering a ballet class once a week and my bellydance class once a week. My thought is that ballet would improve posture, add grace and be terrific for conditioning the body. Does anyone have an opinion on this? If I don't end up taking the ballet class, I will probably continue to take two bellydance classes per week. Thanks.

ballet is a completely different discipline, as bellydance is more about isolations and ballet does not. ballet is a formal type of dance, bellydance is informal - while having a few basic moves in all styles it is mainly a 'free form' unlike ballet.

hth

SidraK · 08-28-2008, 10:06 PM

My dance background is primarily ballet (about 12-13 years of my childhood and teens!). If find that having the past dance training helps immensely with posture, my ability to understand and remember choreography, and to count music. On the downside, when I'm not concentrating I tend to lapse into postures locked in my muscle memory (even 15 years since I last took a ballet class!). "Ballet arms" which look far too rigid for belly dance are my big problem

missanime · 08-28-2008, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidraK

My dance background is primarily ballet (about 12-13 years of my childhood and teens!). If find that having the past dance training helps immensely with posture, my ability to understand and remember choreography, and to count music. On the downside, when I'm not concentrating I tend to lapse into postures locked in my muscle memory (even 15 years since I last took a ballet class!). "Ballet arms" which look far too rigid for belly dance are my big problem

same here - i definitely hold my arms out naturally as in ballet (which i too did but only for about 10 yrs). the isolations i enjoy immensely as it's so immediately different from ballet. however....i just wish there was a bit mrore emphasis on technique and repetition as there is in ballet. or maybe that's just one more thing i need to adjust to as well

Bellydance Oz · 08-29-2008, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatinah

I did ballet for years and im now struggling as I have to unlearn all my ballet habits.

Yes, I had to "unlearn" my ballet habits when I took up flamenco. There's a huge difference between the "up" feel of ballet and the earthier,more grounded feel of flamenco and belly dance.

Recently I watched a couple doing a "belly/ballet fusion". It's actually a female belly dancer who has hooked up with a male ballet dancer. To my mind, it didn't work - his long body lines and beautiful extensions, which would have looked great on their own, looked overdone and pretentious when viewed side by side with the belly dancer.

Jazz ballet might be a better bet as it is more grounded, although these days it all seems to have gone a bit too hip hop!

Pirika Repun · 08-29-2008, 03:25 AM

I had been taking Jazz for more than 10 years, and it helped a lot for the Oriental Dance. Jazz use chest circle, shoulder shimmies, shimmies, many hip works, undulation, turns floor works, steps and neck slide and many things. However, I had problem with ISOLATION! For instance, when I did hip drop, entire my body was bounced! Because Jazz use entire your body to express feelings and moves. Also I stand with my feet wide open instead of regular stance. And JAZZ HAND! Yap, my hand was wide open when I raise up my arm straight up and side! LOL. Now I don't do Jazz Hand anymore, and do not bounce while hip drops, but it takes little while to correct them. I did ballet a little bit, but it wasn't my thing. I love dance generally, and I study a little bit of Hip-Hop (includes Popping, Voguing, Waving etc...) tap dance, and just love Salsa, Reggae, Samba, African and many other dance that make me feel good and make me move!

Maybe just try ballet or Jazz and see what you feel. Maybe you love it, maybe you don't like it. Just try without thinking benefit for Oriental Dance, but as one of dance art form.

zahra · 09-29-2008, 08:17 PM

I am using a great ballet/pilates dvd series-
Attitude and Attitude Tu by Bernadette Giorgi.

Its a comprehensive program using ballet barre exercises
and pilates mat exercises along with ballet movements.

Last week, she added a Pilates Circle dvd to the series which
I will order next month.

Bobby Farrah ( Oriental dance choreographer) used to encourage
his dancers to explore other dance forms to become better
Oriental dancers....

missanime · 09-30-2008, 12:42 PM

like bellydance oz, i too am having to unlearn my yrs of ballet. the toughest has been having to NOT keep my hips and feet turned out but to keep them straight forward whenever travelling. and the arm positions...i've simply kept them in 2nd position for now (easier for me) tho i do find the arm positions for bellydance EXTREMELY laxed. imo i'd opt for maybe jazz as jazz shares more common moves as the moves in bellydance.

but yes - exploring other forms of dance is always good as it keeps and broadens your own dance horizons

07-15-2008, 10:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
adiemus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 977	I've used her DVD's a lot, but I don't like her performances...too 'western' as you say. But the basic technique is good, it's how you put it all together that I think is where the real feeling comes in - at least her DVD's are not all about 'Look at ME' or 'look at this MOVE'. But that 'feeling' is neither ballet nor western - personally I think it's North American and quite different from what happens in the Southern Hemisphere! __________________ He wahine, he taonga- Every woman is a treasure(Maori proverb)

09-30-2008, 12:42 PM	#20 (permalink)
missanime Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: USA Posts: 109	like bellydance oz, i too am having to unlearn my yrs of ballet. the toughest has been having to NOT keep my hips and feet turned out but to keep them straight forward whenever travelling. and the arm positions...i've simply kept them in 2nd position for now (easier for me) tho i do find the arm positions for bellydance EXTREMELY laxed. imo i'd opt for maybe jazz as jazz shares more common moves as the moves in bellydance. but yes - exploring other forms of dance is always good as it keeps and broadens your own dance horizons __________________ Beginner: Egyptian style. Greatly admire: Didem, Sadie, Ansuya

07-16-2008, 07:06 AM	#12 (permalink)
jenc V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colchester UK Posts: 1,050	I agree. I wouldn't call Jenna Egyptian style at all. However, for those of us without the cultural background, such western style attention to detail is worth drilling to start the muscles learning about how to behave. HOWEVER, to progrees towards true egyptian style, you would need to learn how to drive the movements differently than Jenna. Jenna teaches knee driven movements. Later you need to drive hip movements from the obliques, letting knee bend in response to movement rather than creating it. This is the only way to get really fluid movements. Jenna is great AmCab, Western Oriental (whatever you want to call American style)performer though

07-16-2008, 07:17 AM	#13 (permalink)
Phoebedances Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 329	I did a bit of research into Samia Gamal for a presentation that I did in my oral communications class for college on bellydance. Samia studied a little ballet with King Faruk's daughters from a Russian Ballet teacher. It was this teacher who helped her learn what to do with her arms and maybe one reason why her arms are so graceful and feminine in her dance. I think ballet would be terrific for learning balance and proper turns as well as stunning arabesques to incorporate into your dance.

08-28-2008, 10:06 PM	#15 (permalink)
SidraK Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 16	My dance background is primarily ballet (about 12-13 years of my childhood and teens!). If find that having the past dance training helps immensely with posture, my ability to understand and remember choreography, and to count music. On the downside, when I'm not concentrating I tend to lapse into postures locked in my muscle memory (even 15 years since I last took a ballet class!). "Ballet arms" which look far too rigid for belly dance are my big problem

08-29-2008, 03:25 AM	#18 (permalink)
Pirika Repun Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: In da hood BK! Posts: 205	I had been taking Jazz for more than 10 years, and it helped a lot for the Oriental Dance. Jazz use chest circle, shoulder shimmies, shimmies, many hip works, undulation, turns floor works, steps and neck slide and many things. However, I had problem with ISOLATION! For instance, when I did hip drop, entire my body was bounced! Because Jazz use entire your body to express feelings and moves. Also I stand with my feet wide open instead of regular stance. And JAZZ HAND! Yap, my hand was wide open when I raise up my arm straight up and side! LOL. Now I don't do Jazz Hand anymore, and do not bounce while hip drops, but it takes little while to correct them. I did ballet a little bit, but it wasn't my thing. I love dance generally, and I study a little bit of Hip-Hop (includes Popping, Voguing, Waving etc...) tap dance, and just love Salsa, Reggae, Samba, African and many other dance that make me feel good and make me move! Maybe just try ballet or Jazz and see what you feel. Maybe you love it, maybe you don't like it. Just try without thinking benefit for Oriental Dance, but as one of dance art form.

09-29-2008, 08:17 PM	#19 (permalink)
zahra Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 170	I am using a great ballet/pilates dvd series- Attitude and Attitude Tu by Bernadette Giorgi. Its a comprehensive program using ballet barre exercises and pilates mat exercises along with ballet movements. Last week, she added a Pilates Circle dvd to the series which I will order next month. Bobby Farrah ( Oriental dance choreographer) used to encourage his dancers to explore other dance forms to become better Oriental dancers....