so, not only bellydancing

[Lydia]

Hi all i just was peeking at dear Michael...who i think is 1 of the coolest dancers i have ever seen,please keep in mind i know nothing about irish dancing....i jus love this show ,,riverdance,,...
but please read the comment that people write under the clip...So its not only Oriental dancing that people can not agree on ...this style is not good this color not match,that is not at aalllllllll how it supose to be !!lol enz...
Now i look at dearest Michael and think ok uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu lol can never win i geuss...have a great day everybody...uaHmcCp77JE

 

[lizaj]

I prefer these:

YouTube - Monkey River Dance

 

[Lydia]

What a pitty i can not open the clip

 

[kayshier]

I prefer these:

YouTube - Monkey River Dance

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[AngelaJP]

Lydia, they're incredible dancers, especially your dear Michael. Is that the Irish costume? The high cut pants and super extra large shirt he's wearing?

From LizaJ: I prefer these: YouTube - Monkey River Dance

Hahahaha! Liza! They are the cutest! :lol:

 

[Nur Al Leyali]

can i just say he is so cute. Is he single cause i want to marry him hahahahahaha. He is adorable. And his lil fast feet too. awe so cute.

 

[Mosaic]

Wow! real precision dancing, great timing! I enjoyed that!
Talk about flying feet!
~Mosaic

 

[Maria_Aya]

I'm a real Riverdance fan !!! have all their DVD's lol
And this is one of my favorite dances they do:
Michael Flatley and Maria Pages in a irish-flamenco wonderful dance war !!



enjoy

 

[karena]

Good example Lydia. I can imagine to Irish dancers this may well be like BDSS? We have a programme called Dancing on Ice here (like the ballroom one, only ice dance. Celebrities allegedly learn to ice dance). Now my Dad is an ice dancer, and I used to do it too, and he hates the programme. He enjoys similar programmes, and watching ice dance, but when you know something about the subject you can see straight through it. They are essentially being pulled around and do some really simple steps, but to Jo public it's ice dance. Someone here once gave a singing analogy too. It's good to remember that it's not just BD, it's all such things. So rather than seeing BD as the sole victim, we can see it as part of a process that happens with things, be that a good or bad thing.

 

[Lydia]

for me i feel i would have lost if i never saw riverdance...it came to dubai when dubai was still a ,,baby,, like 10 years ago...and i was just mezmorized and it gave me so much new reasons to never give up dancing,i think they are the coolest,what ever the irish commutity thinks ...and i never saw or watch irish dancing before that, so i feel it was good irealy became a fan of irish dancing not to do but to watch...and so many people with me ...the whole of Dubai was talking about this amazing ,,riverdance,,.so perhaps its not so bad to have versions around that are not 100 procent what the book says how it should be....have a great ,,idea ,,everybody

 

[Jane]

Maybe somewhere there is a list like ours full of Egyptians debating about country western line dance and how to do it with authenticity and spirit! :dance:

 

[Sita]

Good example Lydia. I can imagine to Irish dancers this may well be like BDSS? We have a programme called Dancing on Ice here (like the ballroom one, only ice dance. Celebrities allegedly learn to ice dance). Now my Dad is an ice dancer, and I used to do it too, and he hates the programme. He enjoys similar programmes, and watching ice dance, but when you know something about the subject you can see straight through it. They are essentially being pulled around and do some really simple steps, but to Jo public it's ice dance. Someone here once gave a singing analogy too. It's good to remember that it's not just BD, it's all such things. So rather than seeing BD as the sole victim, we can see it as part of a process that happens with things, be that a good or bad thing.

Yes, you are right. My grandfather was an Irish dancer when he was younger (won medal and trophies) and he hates Riverdance it is not worth speaking that word without getting the full lecture.
His dance was the old style (or sean nos; I think is the correct term). Traditional Irish dancing is very strict, with rules which tend to be inflexible. The upperbody torso, shoulders, hips even face/head must remain upright and stiff. The arms are also stiff either straightdown or with the hands bunched in fists on the hips.
One reason I was given about the arms held at the side or the lack of arm movement was because women had to hold up their skirts when dancing (however I have no way of knowing how true this is.)

The use of arms and expressive upper body and face (which should remain expressionless) is one reason why my Grandfather hates Riverdance and why it can be reffered to as non-traditional or a hybrid/fusion form. Among others is the use of non traditional rhythms, the dancing space itself which is traditionally quite small with most solos almost stationary and also the reputation od Michael Flately as an show-off, arrogrant and narcisstic man( though this was expressed to me using different words ).

He changes the tone of the dancing a lot; even just by the flamboyancy of his clothes he makes it very show bizzy and flamboyant which has upset many purists.

There are like Egyptian many different styles from the various regions Munster style I think is now the mainstream style. There are four types of Irish music and associated dances are the jig, reel, hornpipe, and set dances. There are also several main Irish step dances. They are the reel, the light jig, the heavy jig, the single jig, and the hornpipe. Also divisions are made to do with soft or hard shoe. Like MED its quite intricrate and indepth.

My personal experiences of irish dancing and ceili's are that you dance for ages and it kills your feet.:lol:

The comparison with BDSS is very appropriate and reversed is actually how I explain BDSS to my friends who do either Irish or Scottish dancing

Sita

 

[Sita]

Sorry to go on but for those intersted I found a good video that shows the difference between traditional and riverdance/michael flately and hopefully explains the debate clearer than my rambling :
the first is a clip of somene dancing a hornpipe



I hope you see the difference and the true soul of the dance in the first clip!

Sita

 

[Caroline_afifi]

I prefer these:

YouTube - Monkey River Dance

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Where the F*** do you find them!!!
classic...

On a more serious note, one of my favourite 'dance' movies is Billy Elliot.
I just love this story so much, and the fact that it is based on a true story makes it even better.
It is a great film about macho mens attitude to dance in a working class neighbourhood and is just fantastic.

 

[lizaj]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Where the F*** do you find them!!!
classic...

On a more serious note, one of my favourite 'dance' movies is Billy Elliot.
I just love this story so much, and the fact that it is based on a true story makes it even better.
It is a great film about macho mens attitude to dance in a working class neighbourhood and is just fantastic.

Then there's this......


YouTube - Baby Dabke - Aiwaa...

 

[Aniseteph]

I hope you see the difference and the true soul of the dance in the first clip!

I know diddlysquit about Irish dance but I loved the first one. I don't know how to explain, the music and the dancing was straightforward and honest and just plain spot on. :clap: