The best and the worst bellydance ever

Aniseteph · 10-08-2006, 07:14 PM

What is the best bellydance performance you ever saw, and what made it so great?

And/or what is the worst you ever saw, and why was it so bad? (no identification of the perpetrators please... And student performances/ informal making-idiots-of selves at haflas etc. don't count!)

Yshka · 10-08-2006, 08:04 PM

Nice question.
For live performance I'd have to think, I haven't seen many perform yet, but honestly Serpil Murtezaoglu made quite an impression on me. She was in the Netherlands for Turkish Rom classes a while ago and performed here too. This woman is so much fun, she was amazing. Second is a performance by Amir Thaleb I saw some time ago.

Then again I must also say it's magic watching my teacher dance...

For video footage I'd say I don't really have a favourite, but I'd go for one of the older Naima Akef or Fifi Abdo performances. Those old videos still make me smile.

Worst performance: this year I went to see a dancer perform in Belgium. let's say this: claw hands, super-UBDC and most un-elegant performance I've ever witnessed:eek: Couldn't enjoy the dancing, hands freaked me out.

How about you Aniseteph?

Aniseteph · 10-09-2006, 12:03 AM

Well I suppose it's only fair I answer my own question... and I haven't a huge selection to choose from either.

Live performances: Best so far is Khaled Mahmood - for awesome skill and artistry.

Worst... (oh dear why did I ask this?)... I think it has to be a troupe doing genuine Ghawazee which for all I know might well have been genuine but went on and on and on, with very odd costumes (like a sequin explosion in a kilt factory). I just got bored...

I don't think I've seen anything in a show where the technique has been terrible enough for me to notice (yet!). Some have been a bit dodgy in places but are excused on grounds of enthusiasm, attitude and being nice to watch. Others may have been wiped from my memory on grounds of dullness; the Ghawazee one stuck on account of those kilts!

As for video, too much dodgy stuff on YouTube to mention and often its student stuff which I don't like to cast stones at. I don't know if I have a favourite, but here's a couple that are contenders:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BpwDsJVgk0 (classic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BocUtLTpu5M (hope to move Orit to my performers-I've-seen-live list very soon. Yay!

)

(and what IS the music on the last one? I love it and it's really familiar and I don't know where from; don't you just hate it when that happens?

)

Amulya · 10-09-2006, 03:37 AM

The best must have been the BDSS show in The Netherlands, but I have seen Sharazad perform and that was impressive as well. And many many others.

Worst, also countless. But yes, I saw quite many so called teachers who couldn't even dance. Or people with escaping boobs...

da Sage · 10-09-2006, 06:54 PM

The most incredible dance performance I've seen was by Toha (Sarah Jones-Larson). This woman has incredible stage presence, and is spot-on with every move. I'm not a dippy hippy, but it was as though she was raising huge amounts of energy on-stage with her dance. I felt all prickly like when I hear an amazing aria, or intricate harmony.

The worst dance performance was one which I *thought* was a comedy act. One dancer was so bad, I thought she was flubbing the moves and choreography on purpose (like a Gilbert and Sullivan chorus line, where a single actor is comically out of step in every routine). Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Kiraze · 10-10-2006, 04:29 AM

I love dramatic performances where dance, music, costume, lighting etc work together to create a magical storyline to the stage - some impressive examples of this style have been Suraya Hilal´s interpretation of Khatwet Samar in her early 90´s show Return of the Spirit and almost anything by Shahrazad: one really memorable show by Shahrazad was her dancing as an Ice Queen... I have loved also Shakira (from Ohio, not the singer

) dancing with sword and some tribal performances with darkly dramatic music and lights.

What I usually hate about performances is a combination of bland popmusic and too long performance with little changes... I have seen some technically talented pro performers who have bored me to sleep - something like this is far worse for me than technically bad amateur dancing which shows at least joy of dancing

Amulya · 10-10-2006, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da Sage

The worst dance performance was one which I *thought* was a comedy act. One dancer was so bad, I thought she was flubbing the moves and choreography on purpose (like a Gilbert and Sullivan chorus line, where a single actor is comically out of step in every routine). Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I had that once too, a famous German dancer came to Holland and me and my friends thought he was hilarious, we nearly laughed our heads off, till we noticed no one else laughed.... shameful :eek:

Yshka · 10-10-2006, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da Sage

The worst dance performance was one which I *thought* was a comedy act. One dancer was so bad, I thought she was flubbing the moves and choreography on purpose (like a Gilbert and Sullivan chorus line, where a single actor is comically out of step in every routine). Unfortunately, I was wrong.

OMG da Sage and Amulya, this was exactly what happened in the performance in Belgium, we actually thought it was supposed to be a joke, but she was deadserious:eek:

chryssanthi sahar · 10-11-2006, 02:22 AM

The best performance I've ever seen was Soheir Zaki (the great Egyptian dancer) live in Frankfurt/Germany, back in the early 90ies. She was breathtaking! Nothing can top this, although I have seen also other good performances.
As about the bad performances, I've seen so many of them, that I don't even want to think about them:o Altogether I've seen more bad than good performances (and I've seen lots lots of performances). Unfortunately

Zarina · 10-11-2006, 02:57 AM

The best I've seen was Ariellah Aflalo, who I had the pleasure to see live at the Night of 1000 Goddesses in NYC. I'll admit to being so affected by her performance that I teared up. It was that beautiful.

The worst was a performance I just saw at the Cloisters festival, also in NYC. One of the dancers was a pretty good beginner/intermediate. The other was performing some sort of stripper-like act that involved thrashing, whipping her hair back and forth, and flailing her arms about. To make things worse, her very fancy top was too big for her, so that I was afraid she'd pop out of it at any moment.

10-08-2006, 07:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,689	The best and the worst bellydance ever What is the best bellydance performance you ever saw, and what made it so great? And/or what is the worst you ever saw, and why was it so bad? (no identification of the perpetrators please... And student performances/ informal making-idiots-of selves at haflas etc. don't count!)

10-08-2006, 08:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Yshka Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,250	Nice question. For live performance I'd have to think, I haven't seen many perform yet, but honestly Serpil Murtezaoglu made quite an impression on me. She was in the Netherlands for Turkish Rom classes a while ago and performed here too. This woman is so much fun, she was amazing. Second is a performance by Amir Thaleb I saw some time ago. Then again I must also say it's magic watching my teacher dance... For video footage I'd say I don't really have a favourite, but I'd go for one of the older Naima Akef or Fifi Abdo performances. Those old videos still make me smile. Worst performance: this year I went to see a dancer perform in Belgium. let's say this: claw hands, super-UBDC and most un-elegant performance I've ever witnessed:eek: Couldn't enjoy the dancing, hands freaked me out. How about you Aniseteph? Last edited by Yshka; 12-09-2006 at 06:56 PM.

10-09-2006, 03:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
Amulya Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 920	The best must have been the BDSS show in The Netherlands, but I have seen Sharazad perform and that was impressive as well. And many many others. Worst, also countless. But yes, I saw quite many so called teachers who couldn't even dance. Or people with escaping boobs... __________________ Blog: What Were They Thinking?

10-11-2006, 02:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
chryssanthi sahar Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 1,482	The best performance I've ever seen was Soheir Zaki (the great Egyptian dancer) live in Frankfurt/Germany, back in the early 90ies. She was breathtaking! Nothing can top this, although I have seen also other good performances. As about the bad performances, I've seen so many of them, that I don't even want to think about them:o Altogether I've seen more bad than good performances (and I've seen lots lots of performances). Unfortunately __________________ Oriental dancer and instructor of Greek origin, living in Germany www.chryssanthi.com

10-09-2006, 12:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
Aniseteph V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 1,689	Well I suppose it's only fair I answer my own question... and I haven't a huge selection to choose from either. Live performances: Best so far is Khaled Mahmood - for awesome skill and artistry. Worst... (oh dear why did I ask this?)... I think it has to be a troupe doing genuine Ghawazee which for all I know might well have been genuine but went on and on and on, with very odd costumes (like a sequin explosion in a kilt factory). I just got bored... I don't think I've seen anything in a show where the technique has been terrible enough for me to notice (yet!). Some have been a bit dodgy in places but are excused on grounds of enthusiasm, attitude and being nice to watch. Others may have been wiped from my memory on grounds of dullness; the Ghawazee one stuck on account of those kilts! As for video, too much dodgy stuff on YouTube to mention and often its student stuff which I don't like to cast stones at. I don't know if I have a favourite, but here's a couple that are contenders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BpwDsJVgk0 (classic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BocUtLTpu5M (hope to move Orit to my performers-I've-seen-live list very soon. Yay! ) (and what IS the music on the last one? I love it and it's really familiar and I don't know where from; don't you just hate it when that happens? )

10-09-2006, 06:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
da Sage V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MN Posts: 1,088	The most incredible dance performance I've seen was by Toha (Sarah Jones-Larson). This woman has incredible stage presence, and is spot-on with every move. I'm not a dippy hippy, but it was as though she was raising huge amounts of energy on-stage with her dance. I felt all prickly like when I hear an amazing aria, or intricate harmony. The worst dance performance was one which I thought was a comedy act. One dancer was so bad, I thought she was flubbing the moves and choreography on purpose (like a Gilbert and Sullivan chorus line, where a single actor is comically out of step in every routine). Unfortunately, I was wrong.

10-10-2006, 04:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kiraze Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 389	I love dramatic performances where dance, music, costume, lighting etc work together to create a magical storyline to the stage - some impressive examples of this style have been Suraya Hilal´s interpretation of Khatwet Samar in her early 90´s show Return of the Spirit and almost anything by Shahrazad: one really memorable show by Shahrazad was her dancing as an Ice Queen... I have loved also Shakira (from Ohio, not the singer ) dancing with sword and some tribal performances with darkly dramatic music and lights. What I usually hate about performances is a combination of bland popmusic and too long performance with little changes... I have seen some technically talented pro performers who have bored me to sleep - something like this is far worse for me than technically bad amateur dancing which shows at least joy of dancing

10-11-2006, 02:57 AM	#10 (permalink)
Zarina Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 17	The best I've seen was Ariellah Aflalo, who I had the pleasure to see live at the Night of 1000 Goddesses in NYC. I'll admit to being so affected by her performance that I teared up. It was that beautiful. The worst was a performance I just saw at the Cloisters festival, also in NYC. One of the dancers was a pretty good beginner/intermediate. The other was performing some sort of stripper-like act that involved thrashing, whipping her hair back and forth, and flailing her arms about. To make things worse, her very fancy top was too big for her, so that I was afraid she'd pop out of it at any moment.