Why no BLUES belly dancers?

RedRob

New member
I know there's been lots of discussion elsewhere about maintaining integrity of belly dance by not mudding it up with other styles.

This question isn't about that.

While driving to a most beautiful hike (and swim) today in Stony Brook Park, I couldn't stop singing a nice, slow, blues riff in a 3-count... and I started envisioning, very clearly, how sensual, beautiful and well-suited this could be for a belly dance routine.

- the downbeats or the 3 could be accentuated by a coin belt or sharp isolation
- in between beats, a strong shimmy ended by some dramatic hip work, again...

I'm probably not describing it overly well, but it makes sense in my head.

In my > 2000 dancers I've recorded, I can't recall even one ever doing a really great blues belly dance...

Anyone ever see this?

:confused:
 

RedRob

New member
Ah HA!

Thanks for sharing that link... as they say "no idea is completely original" :)... I just *knew* it had to have been done by someone!

... but still, less often than I'd have thunk (and even in this video, the music was a 1-4-5 in the a 4-count, and not a 3-count)...hmmm....
 

lizaj

New member
:confused:Could it be that belly dance is from the Middle East?
Belly dancers tend to use ME music and I am sure you'll find a ME version of the BLUES.
 

Reen.Blom

New member
I think its a great Idea! Some blues songs i can really relate to, and they have so much soul, that just asking to bellydance to! Could be an awesome fusion piece!

The girl in the vid, is having so much fun, thanks for posting!
 

RedRob

New member
:confused:Could it be that belly dance is from the Middle East?
Belly dancers tend to use ME music and I am sure you'll find a ME version of the BLUES.

True (historically), but at least here in the US, there are enough different flavors/styles of belly dance now that I'm not sure the middle eastern music is even a requirement! I'm thinking tribal, ATS, fusion, goth, steampunk, etc. But I was actually thinking even "traditional" belly dance would work to blues in 3.... (the video is a good example)

The best belly dancers dance "from the inside".. so any music with soul, or which allows the inner self to dance with the rhythm, ought be a conduit for great dance.
 

lizaj

New member
True (historically), but at least here in the US, there are enough different flavors/styles of belly dance now that I'm not sure the middle eastern music is even a requirement! I'm thinking tribal, ATS, fusion, goth, steampunk, etc. But I was actually thinking even "traditional" belly dance would work to blues in 3.... (the video is a good example)

The best belly dancers dance "from the inside".. so any music with soul, or which allows the inner self to dance with the rhythm, ought be a conduit for great dance.

Oh I think ME music is a requirement. What is the dance without it?:confused::shok:

However I do agree that ATS and other developemnts have the world as their oyster but there are people who beleive these forms are NOT belly dance.
I dance ITS and Tribal Fusion and don't always stick to ME music when I do but then I don't expect to be labelled as a belly dancer when I do. I am happy just to be called one when I dance Egyptian style.
But it would be intresteing to see if we can identify a parallel to US blues (which I really enjoy as it was one of the first music genres of the US I was captivated by)in ME music..Anyone..beledi has to have that kind of element surely and popular songs everywhere tell love and loss stories in the same way. The life experiences sung about by great Blues singers will be true to every society.
 

maria_harlequin

New member
True (historically), but at least here in the US, there are enough different flavors/styles of belly dance now that I'm not sure the middle eastern music is even a requirement! I'm thinking tribal, ATS, fusion, goth, steampunk, etc. But I was actually thinking even "traditional" belly dance would work to blues in 3.... (the video is a good example)

The best belly dancers dance "from the inside".. so any music with soul, or which allows the inner self to dance with the rhythm, ought be a conduit for great dance.

A lot of the so called "belly dance styles" can be argued that it isn't belly dance at all, but loose fusions.

And traditional belly dance can't be traditional belly dace at all without ME music! :)
 

Reen.Blom

New member
Also some of those styles will be argued as BELLYDANCE lol, by people of different point of view... but we are not gonna go offtopic here... LOL
 

lizaj

New member


Sorry but I do think some kinds of music do NOT lend themselves to enhancing belly dance and it would take a skilful dancer to interpret the blues or rock n' roll and still belly dance in a meaningful way.
 

adiemus

New member
I love blues, it's my second-favourite style of music...and I think there are certainly elements of that plaintive lament in so many ME pieces while the syncopated rhythms of many ME beats do have that 'ring' of the blues off-beat.
But NO NO NO NOT bellydance if it's to the blues, just NO!
Cool to dance to, you could even flick a hip drop and shimmy in, but march right off to the bathroom now and eat a piece of soap for even thinking you could call it bellydance!
 

Shanazel

Moderator
True (historically), but at least here in the US, there are enough different flavors/styles of belly dance now that I'm not sure the middle eastern music is even a requirement!

I am really trying not to get steamed and say something I'll regret here, but this is one of the silliest remarks I've ever read on a forum that is not entirely lacking in silly remarks.

Do not give me any nonsense about middle eastern music not being a requirement for belly dance in the United States. I don't give a rip if you want to dance to the best of Billie Holiday or the worst of Elvis Presley, but don't expect any American belly dancer who respects the middle eastern roots of belly dance or the southern black roots of the blues to stand up and cheer because you decide to combine the two and call it blues belly dance.

Argh! Let's combine a few shimmies with the Hokey Pokey and call it playground belly dance, shall we? Or undulate to an old Jean Ritchie record and call it Belly Dance a la Appalachia. Or- this is a great idea! Play Happy Trails to You by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and call it Cowboy Belly Dance.

I'll try to make this the end of the rant, but I can't promise. Blues belly dance, my sweet stars.
 

lizaj

New member
Bring it on Shanazel - I can feel a blue denim bedlah with spurs coming on....

I've seen Eguptian dancers wearing outfits Elvis might have owned but they were EGYPTIANS and belly-dancing to EGYPTIAN music. Yes?

So are we all gonna meet up some time and have a ho-down to Farid Al Atrash.
Then again we could Salsa to "I'll tak' the High Road"
Don't forget the pirate hat and hoola-hoop
 

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
I am really trying not to get steamed and say something I'll regret here, but this is one of the silliest remarks I've ever read on a forum that is not entirely lacking in silly remarks.


True that!!

I'm sorry -- I grew up with Brian Setzer and I respect him as a musical darn-near genius, almost solely responsible for the swing revival in the 80s. He is a genuine fusion artist, and I think ...

sigh. There's no point.
 

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
I've seen Eguptian dancers wearing outfits Elvis might have owned but they were EGYPTIANS and belly-dancing to EGYPTIAN music. Yes?

So are we all gonna meet up some time and have a ho-down to Farid Al Atrash.
Then again we could Salsa to "I'll tak' the High Road"
Don't forget the pirate hat and hoola-hoop


In honor of A'isha, I'm going to grab my flaming baton, pointe shoes, and vintage Madam Abla and dance to "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" at the next bellydance workshop show.
 

Aniseteph

New member
:lol: Maybe that's what we all need once in a while - a "get it out of your system" hafla. All those mad props you fancy playing with, silly costume ideas, music that seemed a good idea at the time, terrible fusion concepts... and all video footage safely locked away for future use as aversion therapy.

Can you imagine how cleansed and refreshed and in love with proper belly dance you'd feel afterwards? :D :D :D
 
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