sedoniaraqs

The question of "who is a belly dancer" is not really the right question to be asking. "what is belly dance" is something much easier to answer. Because dancers may do different kinds of dance, and a dancer's style will change over the course of her training and life.

Ex.:

Fifi Abdu is a belly dancer, but not every dance she does that has been captured on film is belly dance (see the clips in the thread "belly dancing vs. not belly dancing").

Amani of Lebanon sometimes does Lebanese belly dance, but also she actually does alot of fusion of oriental/jazz/ballet/modern/even hip hop that is not belly dancing.

Sahra Kent is an American who does exquisite Egyptian style belly dance, but I have seen early videos of her dancing that look more westerized.

When I was a baby dancer I studied American Tribal Style (a fusion style) for a while, but now I focus on Egyptian style belly dance.

And of course, it is completely possible that Shakira does her fusion movements on stage to accompany her pop music, and then goes home and dances golden age raqs sharqi to Om Kalthoum every night in her living room.

Sedonia

sstacy123

Yes, I read I think all of both of those threads and don't remember anyone answering that question. And yes you did make that point and sometimes things need repeating. Please don't ask me to reread (I did scan a little)

sstacy123

I think it is the natural question to ask when someone says "such and such" isn't a bellydancer to ask, well who is one then? Who falls into that category and who doesn't and why?

Dancers do do other kinds of dance but it doesn't mean that they are no longer a bellydancer or whatever it may be.

Bonnie

Hi guys!
It is possible to belly-dance to non-Middle-Eastern music, isn't it?
Just because Shakira might belly-dance to pop, doesn't mean she's not a belly-dancer!

Kharmine

Bonnie, not to sound negative, but have you read this whole thread? Shakira doesn't claim to be a belly dancer. She just throws in a few belly dance-type moves now and again.

If you dance to pop music in a short dress, using only a few flamenco-like moves, is it still flamenco? (Flamenco dancers would say no.)

How about if you do a few pirouettes and arabesques on ice skates, is that ballet? Both ice skaters and ballet dancers would say no.)

__________________
What if the hokey pokey is really what it's all about?

Ranya

hi...well for me, there is this thing with the term "bellydance" itself. if you look at this way: a dance where you use your "belly" a lot, and usually in clothes with bare midriff - ok, than you are really bellydancing to any kind of music...because of this I prefer the word oriental dance, middle eastern dance, raqs sharqi...you name it! because that is closer to what sedonia and aisha say...that is a particular cultural thing. for me personnaly, bellydance stricto sensu are only moves without cultural backround and yes, in this case shakira does bellydance, and you can bellydance on whatever you like...u see. but this is my opinion and my interpretation of the word bellydance, which I know is very weird, but as I said, I prefer to stick to "raqs sharqi" because it better describes the thing

Kharmine

I pretty much agree with you, Ranya. When there is a particular dance style, I prefer to use whatever's correct for that form, such as raqs sharqi.

"Belly dance" was translated from the French danse du ventre, which French travellers coined in the 19th century to describe some styles of Middle Eastern dancing.

Like many other people, I use "belly dance" as a general term for dances styles that evolved from these Middle Eastern/Turkish/Greek, etc. dance forms -- raqs sharqi, the Turkish oriental danse and the Greek tchiftetelli, as well as that which many call American Cabaret or American Oriental (which I am leaning toward callng "American raqs sharqi").

"Hoochie coochie" was the slang that developed for dancing that was a cruder form of "belly dancing.'" It has no claim on any kind of ethnic context. But some might call it a lot closer to what Shakira is doing!

__________________
What if the hokey pokey is really what it's all about?

Shanazel

Lord, I love this topic. I can just see myself in thirty years, boobs to my knees, eyeglasses six inches thick, clicking on the forum to see if the disagreement continues. Hi, Kharmine! Missed ya. Got to agree that hoochie kootch was what I thought the first time I saw Shakira- great hootchie kootch done by a beautiful girl, but sure as hell not belly dance by any stretch of the imagination.

Kharis

her technique sucks. Sorry but it does. Anybody endeavouring to emulate her would do themselves an injury over a long period of extended use. I heard on Bhuz that she did injure herself in the back...I'm not surprised.

Shakira

As much as I love Shakira you're right, her technique is bad and a lot of people try to emulate it usually with terrible results, just check out youtube but then again she never claims to be a belly dancer.