SophiaSzoli
New member
I'm new to this form of dance and to the forum, so forgive me if I sound ignorant on the subject, but it seems the more I read and watch the more confused I get. There's a lot of opinions out there as to what defines belly dance. For example, I've watched quite a few performances on youtube with comments from others that say "this isn't authentic" or "there is very little belly dancing in this performance" while some say the exact opposite about the same video.
So...
What is your definition of belly dance? What makes belly dance true belly dance? What makes a performance or "style" not a true belly dance? Is there a specific give-away move that makes or breaks it? A costume? Music?
Here's my view on the subject so far (I'm still developing my views)...
I personally find it hard to pinpoint anything that could be considered "authentic" due to the debates surrounding the origin. I think of it almost like ballroom dancing in that there are different styles that are acceptable in the category (salsa, tango, waltz, etc.) but they're all considered ballroom dancing. They all evolve and add new elements almost every year, otherwise it would be a very stale dance. Just my opinion thus far...
So...
What is your definition of belly dance? What makes belly dance true belly dance? What makes a performance or "style" not a true belly dance? Is there a specific give-away move that makes or breaks it? A costume? Music?
Here's my view on the subject so far (I'm still developing my views)...
I personally find it hard to pinpoint anything that could be considered "authentic" due to the debates surrounding the origin. I think of it almost like ballroom dancing in that there are different styles that are acceptable in the category (salsa, tango, waltz, etc.) but they're all considered ballroom dancing. They all evolve and add new elements almost every year, otherwise it would be a very stale dance. Just my opinion thus far...