KuteNurse

I do not know how many new dancers feel, but I get confused when other's talk about the different kinds of dance. I would like to learn what differentiates each type or dance, so I thought I would start a thread for the Newbie's to help us. Please leave your comments and the type of dance stating what makes that dance tribal or oriental american etc...I would like to start with Turkish.

What makes a dance Turkish style?

janaki

Hi there,

There are atleast couple of threads about this question on this forum. Many experts in forum have give some great insight into this subject. Search it out!!!

Cheers
Janaki

sedoniaraqs

KuteNurse, the best way to learn Turkish vs. Egyptian vs. Lebanese vs. American dance is to watch good dancers of each genre.

Unfortunately the dances and their differences are too subtle, complex, and multifaced to boil down to some kind of list of characteristics that can be compiled in a discussion board thread. Yet, that seems to be what people want. Instant knowledge of the "just add water and stir" kind. It doesn't happen that way. That is why your post sat unanswered for so long. That and many people here have repeated what they know about the dance so many times that it gets difficult to muster the mental energy to compose yet another reply saying the same things that still don't satisfy what you are looking for.

Do you know how I really came to understand Egyptian dance, what it is, and how its different than American? After 6 years of studying belly dance (mish mash of styles) and studying Arabic music, I isolated myself from American dance and watched only Egyptian dancers on video. For a YEAR. No workshops, no classes, no lessons. I put aside (for the moment) everything teachers had told me, and looked at the original source of Egyptian dance with a blank mind and fresh eyes. I emerged from that year being able to see very clearly what makes Egyptian dance Egyptian. And yet I still can't offer you up a distilled list.

Youtube is a great resource. Dig around in the search function of this site, and you will find some threads where people suggest good Turkish dancers to watch on youtube. Turkish is harder because there is less good original information, limited videography of Turkish dancers, plus recently Turkish dancers supposedly have been copying Arabic dancers and dancing to Arabic music. However, Elizabeth Artemis Mourat has some very good articles about the characteristics of Turkish dance in comparison to Egyption. Google her name and you will find her website.

Sedonia

Aziyade

Movement styles are at very least tied to the music. Which is why modern Turkish BD looks like Egyptian BD -- they're dancing to Egyptian music.

Old Turkish style was heavily weighted with footwork from the various folk dances. Music was MUCH different. It's the footwork I like.

(I for one lament the Turkish trend towards copying Egyptians. They have such a unique thing of their own.)

KuteNurse

Thankyou...This was helpful to me.

nicknack

There are a few threads here all about different styles, I would read all of them, ask people here for their favourite country specific bellydance music and listen to them carefullly, and don't only watch videos dissect them...look at the arm movement, then the hip work, how they move across the floor, and what's happening with the torso....

Check my playlist project, it's a work in progress YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

(any video contributions would be greatly appreciated )

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Aziyade

Yay!


You know there are some old-standbys that a lot of people use:

1. Turkish moves are "bigger" than Egyptian
2. Turkish moves are more focused outward or away from the body than Egyptian
3. Turkish dancers use the stage space more than Egyptian dancers

but all of these imply that you have a really good sense of what EGYPTIAN dance is, and they contrast Turkish to that.

There are some easy ones too:

1. Turkish dancers will use floorwork more often than Egyptians
2. Turkish dancers will use 9/8 rhythms a lot, and Egyptians have shunned the 9/8 and don't seem to dance to it.
3. Turkish dancers will use Armenian, Kurdish, Turkish, and Persian music -- even Israeli/Palestinian music sometimes -- to dance to, but in that area, one melody may have lyrics in 4 different languages.
4. Turkish dancers borrow from Romany folk dance, especially Rom gestures. Egyptians borrow gestures from folk dance too, but they're more subtle and not as OBVIOUS as the Romany "one potato two potato" or "slitting my throat" kind of gestures.

A LOT of the comparisons were done about the dancing in the 70s and 80s, which is sort of what I guess you could consider the "golden age" of Turkish bellydance, or at least that's when there were the most JOBS for dancers in Turkey. Especially talking costumes -- those Turkish skirts in the 70s were much more risque than their Egyptian counterparts. But that was then.

Anyway, think about how much American dance has changed in 20-30 years! Nowadays (or at least from the time of the most recent DVD performances) Turkish bellydance looks and feels a lot different now, largely because they're using Egyptian-style music, sometimes even with Arabic lyrics, which to me is just weird.

What Sedonia suggested is great -- immerse yourself in videos of dancers from Turkey to really get a sense of what they're doing and why. If you want a Turkish video list, I can make you one, sort of time-catalogued, so you can see the progression from "old school" to modern Turkish. I'm still collecting video from the 90s -- it's my weak area. There's not a lot of Turkish dance video available commercially, sadly. And of what's available, a lot of it is yech.

In the meanwhile, sort out what's Egyptian about the Egyptians, and that will give you something to compare and contrast against.

janaki

Hey Nicknack,

I love all the clips on your videoclip playlist of different styles. Great selection. Have you thought about adding Amani's and Nadia Gamal's video clips to Lebanese style and Naima Akef ( her style is very different to her era dancers. She is very acrobatic!!! I read some where that she used to perform in a circus)and Tito to egyptian style!!!! Can't wait to see your extended verison!!!! I saved the link in my favourites!!!!

Cheers
Janaki

Storm

Hey Nicknack, I also saved your link to my favourites ... I have a bulging folder of different YouTube clips soo now it will be easier for me to go watch when I want to

Athough I think both forms a gorgeous to watch, I think Im liking the egyptian style better and the costumes are gorgeous !!!

I've also checked out some of the goth BD to but its not to my taste, I dont really like the music much .. but thats considered a fusion right?

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Aziyade

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