kayshier

what is the essence of belly dance?
is it a general thing or specific to each style?

Salome

I see it as specific to each style, part of what makes them unique from each other. And encompassing many things that I guess could be summed up with - culture. How an Arab, Turkish or American or... person approaches the dance, his/her way of relating, intent and purpose, the societal context, history and way of viewing the dance/dancer, values of what is beautiful and desirable in performance, what Aisha calls 'world view'... All of these things are going to be particularly personalized depending on the country/people/culture...

Shanazel

Since I can't add anything to that succinct and excellent explanation, I'll just slip in and agree.

Aisha Azar

Dear Kayshier,
At some point in my dance life, it became apparent to me that even when dancers were very divergent in their physical style, one could usually very easily point to a specific dancer and tell whether she was Turkish or Lebanese or Egyptian as far as the way in which she was dancing. It was not so much a physical thing as you can say that Mouna moves very differently than Fifi, or Sema Yildiz moves differently from Birghul. It was not their movement, it was something beneath the movement and inherent in the dancers that made this difference so obvious. I was hunting around for a word that would explain what in each dance style made it unique to the people within distinct cultures, how the approached movement, their particular psychological and physical way of dancing, their way of feeling and hearing the music, etc. I started using the word "essence" to explain this difference, and it seems to have caught on. It is tied to very much to culture. Salome's definition goes a long way in explaining it. I see the same thing in many western forms. I can usually tell a dancer from South America now and I can tell Americans as they have a certain essence most of the time that defines them as American dancers.
This is an example of how essence tells. I got an email from Hala from San Francisco a few years ago, asking me if I would do a review of the Ahlan Wa Sahlan videos for that year. There were two dancers who just seemed different on some level. I could not put my finger on it, but I knew they were not Egyptians just from the way they danced. One of them was quite good and I loved her, but the essence of her dance said something other than "Egyptian". The other did not impress me as much. She seemed like a show woman rather than an accomplished dancer, but she also did not have that certain elusive essence that said "Egyptian". I wrote Hala to ask about the dancers and it turns out they were Suraya and Esmahan.... from South America!
Essence is very difficult to describe in words, but very easy to see in the dance. At least I think so. There are some people from outside their own cultures who are able to somehow tap into the essence of another culture and you see it in their dance. Shareen El Safy and Sahra Kent and Lucy from DC are some who can do so here in the States. I think Khaled Mahmoud of Egypt can tap into Gulf essence when he performs Khaliji as well, though I think in his belly dance, he has somehow tapped into western essence!!
Regards,
A'isha

Mya

I agree - i know it when i see it but if i had to describe it i don't think i would be able to very easily - i think Salome did a very good job of it up there.

I agree too that it's definitely specific to the styles and the cultures they come from. For now at least, i'm more in tuned with the essence of Egyptian style, so if someone claims they're doing it but they aren't i'm more inclined to know when it's not quite there.

With Lebanese and Turkish i couldn't tell my assaya from my elbow - i haven't been able to discern the feeling of those dances yet - maybe in the future!

Aisha Azar

Dear Salome,
I tried to give you some REP for such a great explanation, but unfortunately, I have to spread some around first.
Hugs, A'isha

Mya

I can do it though!

Salome

Thanks!

Aisha Azar

Dear Mya,
I got a good laugh out of that!! How cute!! Can I feel free to steal it and use it if I give you credit???
Regards,
A'isha

Nur Al Leyali

Well I am As a dancer begining in my career so to speak ... But In my opinion a dancers essence any dancer is what comes from inside your soul and radiates outward and what the audience percieves when they see a glemnce of your soul.... So the essence of belly dance really is what the essence of you in belly dance is ... If that makes any sence to you.

__________________
Nur Al Leyalitmagill@ymail.com