Atalanta

This came up when I was out to dinner with my BF's cousin at the Moroccan restaurant where my bellydance teacher's troupe dances. She asked me a good question which I couldn't really answer since I don't know enough about the other dance she asked about.

So here is my question. It's a hypothetical situation. There are several dancers on the stage in front of us. They are all dressed the same and are also wearing an MP3 player which contains their music.

Once you strip away the music and costumes and props, how can you really tell the difference between hula, Polynesian, belly dance, etc. just by looking? History doesn't count because the dancer isn't going to provide a long-winded lecture before he or she performs.

I wanted to be able to give a good answer, and, IMO, just saying the music and costume are different isn't an answer. How are the body movements different? Can you really tell just by looking?


I am a several year student of ATS but my roots are cabaret.

janaki

bHi Atalanta,
There is no comparison what so ever. Let me explain what polynesian dances are so that you can make your comparisons. BTW, I am a polynesian dance instructor in HK.

Let me correct one thing before I answer the question. Hula (dance of Hawaii) is part of polynesian dances. Belly dance and polynesian dances belong to different genres. Most of the polynesian dances tell a story with hand gestures. Every polynesian song has a story behind them. Hand and arm motions are used on top of foot work and hip work. Hula motions are executed in deep knee bent position. Some movements of Tahitian dances are similiar to belly dance. But the way they are executed and the context they are used are different to belly dance. Polynesian rhythms are different. Instruments are different. Language and culture is different. Costumes are different. I understand if a person doesn't know where the dances are from and what kind of dances they are, but can't tell the difference???? Um !!!!!Hope this helps

Salome

To me, Hula or Polynesian dance, doesn't look anything like belly dance. Yes a few of the movements seem to be similar but the execution of the movement, and posture, has a totally different apperance or flavor.

As far as difference between BD styles, you bet. There are many elelments that have to come together in order for a dance to be what it is. But, I think, even if you stripped away many of these aspects and took it down to movement alone the styles would be identifiably distinct from each other. Because each style has a unique approach to how they utilize the movement families, from the technique aspect of actully making the movement occur to how it is applied to the music to where and how on (or around) the body it is used, and also what I'll just loosley call here 'the attitude' toward the dance and more exactly performing the dance. To someone who knows what they are looking at and for.

Kashmir

Too right! Hula is nothing like belly dance - even the hip circle is different - let alone the use of hands to tell a story and the rhythm. I'm less familar with Taihitian dance - but I'm sure without the costumes I wouldn't confuse it with real belly dance (one of the odd fusions is another kettle of fish )

So yes, dance vocab is different - and attitude and intention.

Letti

I found this link accidently on youtube, its bellydance with hawaiian hula, at a hungarian competition in january 2008

YouTube - Bellydance with Hawaiian hula - Ras El Sena Competition

While watching the video, i recognized the girl
(we are sometimes taking the same classes)