Bellydance

Some of you asked me to creat a thread about bellydance.
There are so many things I could say about that!
I have been practicing it for 3 yrs and a half now and I feel so different in comparison with 3 yrs ago. I started feeling different from the first classes. Bellydance it's something that every woman should try for herself: it's great for your body and your mind!
I never really liked my body, I'm still not really satisfied about it, but bellydance really helped me to be more relaxed. Most of all, when I dance, I feel feminine. Bellydance really helps you to find the WOMAN inside of you.
When I'm sad and depressed, I just bellydance and I smile again.
Bellydance has a lot of phisical benefits, even in the pregnancy, but I'm not gonna post everything or you'll get bored. If you are interested, just google it and you will find tons of stuff.

For those who don't know a lot about bellydance, just know that it has nothing to do with lapdance or striptease, I get this shit all the time. Bellydance is an art such as ballet or other kinds of dance. It has a long history and was included in arabic dances even though all tribes in all the world has always been practicing it (in its ancient forms), especially for religious rituals of fertility etc.
I am so pissed off when people compares it to lap dance.
When you see a good dancer, you should think that she dances with grace, that she is sensual, funny, whatever, but never erotic or even worse, porn. That is not the purpose of bellydance, which actually is used as a women's dance for the women (some arabic women party separate from men at weddings etc...).

There is no age to start bellydancing. My students are in their 40s and 50s, indeed.
Men can bellydance too, but most of times it looks gay. I'll show u my fav male bellydancer.


Ok, enough talking, I'm showing you some of my fav bellydancers, arabic or not. You will see the difference between the genuine egyptian style and the american.

BTW, remember, it's not that important what you do, but the style and the experessivity. The greates dancers don't do difficult things, but they express the arabic sentiment so much and they are wonderful.

If you have any questions, ask!


Orit Maftsir - Israel - genuine egyptian style.

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Aziza - Canada - american style.
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Nathalie - US - american style

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Bellydance superstars - USA
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Rachel Brice -USA- -Tribal fusion - BrothaAjax will like her

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Tito Seif - Egypt - my fav male bellydancer
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ThickShawty,

It is very common to find that type of dancing in the West Indies. They call it wining (pronounced wine-ing) or wine. Events like the Notting Hill Carnival (UK), West Indian Day Parade (New York), Miami Carnival (Florida), and of course The Trinidadian Carnival everyone dances that way.

Cheers!

 

I would like to see ThickShawty belly dancing.

 

Thicky Thick, I've enjoyed this thread. I think Nathalie is my favorite. I like her energy. Although, Tito could shake it in a skirt over me, anytime! Thanks for sharing, my dear. And I'm with Karma...I know you've posted some of your stuff on here before, but post us some of you dancing on this thread. Pweeeeeeeeeze??!!

 

Yes, Nathalie is great! Wait untill I post Sonya, u will see!

Unfortunately, for several reasons, I don't have any video of me bellydancing besides the one that I already showed you.
Those ppl ar muche better than me anyways!

 

Indian dances are completely different

 

I doubt that!!

 

Kuntry, those who I posted are LEGENDS of bellydance, not random ppl!

 

Not based on the youtube videos you posted. The similarities are there.

http://www.worldbellydance.com/history.html

There were many North Africans & East Indians taken as slaves to the West Indies. In addition to the Arawak or better known as Taino Indians moving about on those islands, the gyrating in Belly Dancing is intertwined in the West Indian’s style of dancing.

Bellydancers move slower, which is known as "Slow Wine."

You can view this girl from Guyana which offers similar patterns as a Belly Dancer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CywvJmpMGt8&feature=related

Cheers!

 

What you reported is right.
The dances, though become different with the time.
Comparing what the girl in the video is doing to bellydance is highly offensive for bellydancer (Not trying to arguing, just explaining).
The fact that you move the hips doesn't make you a bellydancer. Bellydance has a basic position to keep, it's not free as dancing raggaeton or something.

 

Fair enough!


Bear in mind I said the dancing were similiar not exactly the same

With West Indians offering such a rich culture ranging from African, Indian in addition to Asian and last but not least Spanish things will be added as the year’s progress.

If a Belly Dancer would get highly offensive she has a right to do so. At the same token, I would not be surprised if the Guyanese Girl would be rather upset for classing Chutney Dancing (using modern day Calypso music as reference) to Reggaeton. Chutney music is a product of Indigenous People and, Calypso stems from slave days of the Afro-Caribbean People.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chutney_music

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_music


I am not in any form trying to spark an argument. I am merely showing you the co-relation of Belly dancing and what West Indians or better known in the States as Caribbean’s call wining (wine-ing).


Cheers!

 

The question remains to be unanswered, when will we see THICK bellydance?

 

TS, I think it's awesome. I was at a Greek restaurant the other weekend and there was a belly dancer there and I was completely intrigued!!! I'm actually going to go take her class with a friend....looks like way too much fun

 

You guys already saw me dancing

 

You were right: dances are similar because people travelled in the history! And btw it's always been natural to women to move their hips-belly in oriental-african cultures. Thanks for your contributes btw

 

yay! let me know if u liked it!

 

I love bellydance! and always admire those who can do it in a professional way. so keep it up Thickie!

 

thanks, DI!
Hey, there's a chance I can have a video of me bellydancing on a stage. I'll keep you updated.

 

maybe I'll post it on the pic thread since I'm not sure here anybody will watch it... but that's me. I hope I got better now because that performance isn't that good

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