Gothic Tribal Fusion dance - Page 2

Eve · 08-01-2008, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antuanette

I've read a lot on the fusions posts on here and realize that this isn't a traditional dance form, but I think it deserves to be recognized as a fusion style. With groups like Unmata and Shakra doing complete fusion dancing that all stems from a bellydance background, there are now some great new forms of dance that are growing out of traditional bellydance techniques. So, with that in mind, I really want to share my first gothic tribal bellydance music video. The intent was to focus on the music and movement together and not really the dance. It is supposed to be a "music" video, not a dance video. I'd love to hear your comments as long as they aren't mean spirited. Thanks for looking!

YouTube - Fully Automatic Gothic Tribal Bellydance

A~

Howdy. I'm sure you'll upset the purists

My only comment is what others have mentioned about the rather busy cuts and flashing which I would tone down somewhat to make it more watchable.

Aisha Azar · 08-01-2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salome

She did say it was suppose to be a music video not a dance video.

Dear Salome,
The problem is that it is referred to as "Belly Dance" regardless of he nature of the product. Call it something else and I can support and even enjoy the effort. If it is referred to anywhere in its label or title as "belly dance", then I can not.
Regards,
A'isha

Eve · 08-01-2008, 01:23 PM

I take it you don't consider ATS to be BD?

Aisha Azar · 08-01-2008, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eve

I take it you don't consider ATS to be BD?

Dear Eve,
I know Tribal dancers who do not consider Goth to be ATS!
No, I consider American Tribal to be a dance form of its own that has borrowed some movement concepts from belly dance as well as other forms of movement. It is a dance that is distinctly western in its premise and has no psychological or social/cultural attachment to belly dance.
This is just my opinion, but westerners are spending way too much time defining dance by movement alone instead of looking at it holistically. I think just tacking on the words "belly dance" to any form that happens to use hip and abdominal articulation as one of its elements is incorrect and confusing for the public and for dance students as well.
Regards,
A'isha

da Sage · 08-01-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salome

She did say it was suppose to be a music video not a dance video.

Salome, you are quite right. It isn't bad for a music video; only I'd expect to see either band members or a storyline in a music video. I just find it frustrating that the video is all dance, but we can't even see most of it clearly.

Sita · 08-01-2008, 05:55 PM

I found the video interesting - v. trippy and was impressed by the video/cinematography techniques in the first part that made you seem ghost-like I was disapointed that didn't carry on and I really liked the background settings - v atmospheric. As for the dancing I was disapointed that I could'nt really see your movements fully and they kept being cut to different clips which I thought was a shame. Also I loved your first costume in the video!
Thank you for showing it

Sita

TribalDancer · 08-01-2008, 06:45 PM

Though Aisha and I disagree on where the line is drawn (which sounds "convenient" for me, but really I have my own educated reasons for drawing my line where I do, it's just different), I do agree with her on this: just having come from a bellydance background and a collection of bellydance movements thrown together does not make a piece bellydance or a person a bellydancer.

Unmata, to me, isn't much bellydance any more. They are wild, entertaining, gorgeous, awesome chickas who I consider to be friends, so I am not dissing them when I express the opinion that what they do has gone waaaay into a different realm of dance--literally all their own! And they should be proud of that, and I think it deserves its own category! I can't imagine anyone, educated to ignorant, looking at what they do, including movement, music, and costuming, and say "Wow! Look at those bellydancers!" Instead, it is its own unique creature that Amy is so incredible at nurturing!

It is one thing to fuse bellydance and, say, hip hop. Then it's a bellydance fusion. But when you do a belly-Tahitian-hip-hop-modern-jazz-lyrical mix, it ain't bellydance any more, even if you WERE bellydancers, danced it at a bellydance festival, and threw in some Egyptian Basics.

There are a lot of tribal fusion groups who have definitely gone down their own path. Where once they may have bellydanced, and may even teach bellydance classes, what they perform regularly as professionals no long really fits in that category. Another group I have long admired and taken inspiration from is Urban Tribal. But they are not really tribal any more, and bellydance...? What I see them do these days is far more contemporary dance with some bellydancish movement as part of the aesthetic.

I was once a drill team dancer, and studied a lot of jazz. But even if I threw in a few kick-ball-changes and marching across the room into a dance routine doesn't make it jazz-drill or jazz fusion. Much of human movement is universal across many styles, and it is how those moves are treated, individually, and in context with the music, which helps define it.

Again, Aisha and I may disagree on the line, and the terminology, but I do agree with her and others that movement alone cannot define a dance style, though it is a starting point...

TribalDancer · 08-01-2008, 06:46 PM

PS I also couldn't watch the video. My eyes kept squinting and squinting until they hurt. Too much cut and cut and swish and cut. Couldn't see the dancing at all.

mahsati_janan · 08-01-2008, 11:13 PM

I found the video fairly difficult to watch due to the flashing and cuts. I do enjoy gothic, ebm, electronica, etc. and am familiar with the musical/visual style, but found the video too hectic for me.

I can't comment on the dancing because I wasn't actually able to view much of the dancing through the cuts and effects.

Antuanette · 08-02-2008, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da Sage

This video is not a good showcase of your dance skills, nor does it seem particularly gothic to me. Perhaps you have another clip where your dancing can be clearly seen?

Well, here is one of the clips I have from my time in a troupe. This was Tribal Fusion taught by Farasha in Orlando. I am working on having some other clips uploaded, too, but having problems with the file transfers. Anyhow, hopefully you can at least see some of me actually dance in this one.

YouTube - Black V Tribal

I've really enjoyed the discussion here so far and it is interesting for me to read different viewpoints on what is considered bellydance. In the end, for me, whether I'm doing cabaret, tribal, fusion, hip-hop or my best "Like a Virgin" impression, it doesn't matter what label it has...it is all just dance for me and it makes me feel good and feeds my spirit.

And trust me, I'm taking all of the comments to heart and planning on doing another video in the future that is better suited to showing both the dance and the effects.

A~

08-01-2008, 05:55 PM	#16 (permalink)
Sita Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 335	I found the video interesting - v. trippy and was impressed by the video/cinematography techniques in the first part that made you seem ghost-like I was disapointed that didn't carry on and I really liked the background settings - v atmospheric. As for the dancing I was disapointed that I could'nt really see your movements fully and they kept being cut to different clips which I thought was a shame. Also I loved your first costume in the video! Thank you for showing it Sita __________________ ~Life is like a ghaziya, she dances just briefly for each.~ - Egyptian proverb

08-01-2008, 11:13 PM	#19 (permalink)
mahsati_janan Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Asheville, NC, USA Posts: 11	I found the video fairly difficult to watch due to the flashing and cuts. I do enjoy gothic, ebm, electronica, etc. and am familiar with the musical/visual style, but found the video too hectic for me. I can't comment on the dancing because I wasn't actually able to view much of the dancing through the cuts and effects. __________________ Mahsati Janan ~ Dance Artist

08-01-2008, 01:23 PM	#13 (permalink)
Eve Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK Posts: 140	I take it you don't consider ATS to be BD?

08-01-2008, 06:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
TribalDancer Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 313	Though Aisha and I disagree on where the line is drawn (which sounds "convenient" for me, but really I have my own educated reasons for drawing my line where I do, it's just different), I do agree with her on this: just having come from a bellydance background and a collection of bellydance movements thrown together does not make a piece bellydance or a person a bellydancer. Unmata, to me, isn't much bellydance any more. They are wild, entertaining, gorgeous, awesome chickas who I consider to be friends, so I am not dissing them when I express the opinion that what they do has gone waaaay into a different realm of dance--literally all their own! And they should be proud of that, and I think it deserves its own category! I can't imagine anyone, educated to ignorant, looking at what they do, including movement, music, and costuming, and say "Wow! Look at those bellydancers!" Instead, it is its own unique creature that Amy is so incredible at nurturing! It is one thing to fuse bellydance and, say, hip hop. Then it's a bellydance fusion. But when you do a belly-Tahitian-hip-hop-modern-jazz-lyrical mix, it ain't bellydance any more, even if you WERE bellydancers, danced it at a bellydance festival, and threw in some Egyptian Basics. There are a lot of tribal fusion groups who have definitely gone down their own path. Where once they may have bellydanced, and may even teach bellydance classes, what they perform regularly as professionals no long really fits in that category. Another group I have long admired and taken inspiration from is Urban Tribal. But they are not really tribal any more, and bellydance...? What I see them do these days is far more contemporary dance with some bellydancish movement as part of the aesthetic. I was once a drill team dancer, and studied a lot of jazz. But even if I threw in a few kick-ball-changes and marching across the room into a dance routine doesn't make it jazz-drill or jazz fusion. Much of human movement is universal across many styles, and it is how those moves are treated, individually, and in context with the music, which helps define it. Again, Aisha and I may disagree on the line, and the terminology, but I do agree with her and others that movement alone cannot define a dance style, though it is a starting point...

08-01-2008, 06:46 PM	#18 (permalink)
TribalDancer Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 313	PS I also couldn't watch the video. My eyes kept squinting and squinting until they hurt. Too much cut and cut and swish and cut. Couldn't see the dancing at all.