Photo by Peter Paradise
With so many various styles of bellydance to learn, how can you know what style is for you? Avienn believes strongly that a solid foundation of traditional bellydance is vital to truly understanding (and appropriately representing) bellydance as a Middle Eastern dance form. There are lots of amazing resources online and in print about various styles of bellydance from all over the middle east. A great starting point to learn about traditional dance and culture is Lauren Zehara's Belly Dance U Style Lab! It's a great resource that breaks down the basics of style, movement, costuming and culture of many different styles of traditional bellydance.
What is Fusion Bellydance?
Fusion bellydance is just that-- a fusing of dance styles together that incorporates the foundations of middle eastern dance and culture. Middle Eastern dance first began as social dances, not to be taught in a class or performed on stages, but to be learned in the community as a way of celebration and life. Therefore, most of what you see of bellydance in the United States at this point is some type of fusion, even in the more traditional styles. In the world of fusion bellydance, most often, you will see influences of modern dance, hip hop, or jazz to add a different stylistic twist on the foundational movements. Bellydance itself is emotive and expressive, and fusion bellydancers incorporate other styles of dance to continue to expand their ability to be expressive and find their voice in dance.
Below is a blog post that Avienn wrote about her love for fusion bellydance and her belief in staying connected to the traditional roots.
What is Fusion Bellydance?
Fusion bellydance is just that-- a fusing of dance styles together that incorporates the foundations of middle eastern dance and culture. Middle Eastern dance first began as social dances, not to be taught in a class or performed on stages, but to be learned in the community as a way of celebration and life. Therefore, most of what you see of bellydance in the United States at this point is some type of fusion, even in the more traditional styles. In the world of fusion bellydance, most often, you will see influences of modern dance, hip hop, or jazz to add a different stylistic twist on the foundational movements. Bellydance itself is emotive and expressive, and fusion bellydancers incorporate other styles of dance to continue to expand their ability to be expressive and find their voice in dance.
Below is a blog post that Avienn wrote about her love for fusion bellydance and her belief in staying connected to the traditional roots.
Building the Foundation as a Fusion Dancer
This blog post was written by Avienn in July 2016 and shared on Sahina Bellydance's blog.
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I spend a lot of time on youtube watching bellydance videos.
A lot. (See: figure right) And I know I’m not alone. I can feel you nodding along in solidarity from here. (Thanks!) |
Don't mind me. I'll just be here for 5 hours.
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I am a dedicated student to my lovely teacher, Sahina. She was my first teacher, and as such holds a special place in my heart. It was in her class that I was introduced to and steadily fell head over heels in love with the beautiful music, movement, and community of bellydance.
Sahina is primarily a Turkish and Vintage Oriental dancer, and brings her knowledge of the dance, history, and culture into every lesson. She is known for her graceful movements, perfectly pairing with her style of dance: light, raised, floating, elegant.
These are things I am naturally not. They are not words that anyone would use to describe me.
Sahina is primarily a Turkish and Vintage Oriental dancer, and brings her knowledge of the dance, history, and culture into every lesson. She is known for her graceful movements, perfectly pairing with her style of dance: light, raised, floating, elegant.
These are things I am naturally not. They are not words that anyone would use to describe me.
Thanks to the bellywife for catching a special moment. It is truly amazing to see a photo of yourself that shows how others see you, even if you don't see yourself that way.
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Sassy. Yes. Elegant. Not so much. But that’s okay -- we all grow and expand our skillset as we learn and explore new ways of movement. And I hold onto those small moments when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror with beautiful sweeping arm movements when I am in the zone with the music and movement and think to myself: Damn. Where did that graceful minx come from? |
When we get swept up in our love-obsession with bellydance, we find ourselves spending countless hours getting lost in what we endearingly call “the rabbit hole” or “the bellydance vortex”. We find dancers from all over the country, the world -- from different eras, styles, and cultures.
Below, you will find a scientific photograph of your brain while you are in the rabbit hole.
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And we watch. Sometimes (okay... often) on repeat. And we learn. And we share our newly acquired treasures with our dance-sisters, friends, supportive/begrudging partners, and the world (thank you social media!). |
This is your brain on bellydance. But there are probably more sparkles.
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And that is how I found the world of fusion bellydance, and the amazing talents of Kami Liddle, Rachel Brice, Ashley Lopez, Heather Powers, Serena Spears, Mira Betz, Zoe Jakes, Deb Rubin, April Rose…. if you pulled up my youtube history the list would be endless (and you’re welcome for how long you now will spend in the rabbit hole because of these links... #sorrynotsorry). I have traveled far and wide to be able to learn from these amazing dancers, find my voice as a fusion artist, and connect with my body and movements in new and exciting ways.
Sometimes I fan-girl a bit. That's cool, right?
I have fallen deeply in love with an expansive definition of bellydance that incorporates your own voice and meaning and spirit. Fusion dancers get to push boundaries, integrate various styles, and try (and sometimes fail- which can in itself be just as important) to create something new in our dance world.
I love the world of fusion.
But I will never stop learning and loving traditional dance.
And I think that you shouldn’t either.
The history, the culture, the stylistic differences between geographic areas over centuries. This is what I have learned to celebrate, respect, and honor with my dance. The foundational movements, knowledge of culturally appropriate (or not) aspects, and the rich community of people.
This is what I build upon to establish my own stylistic voice. Because by maintaining a strong foundation of traditional bellydance, you will have the knowledge, skills, and vocabulary that will ground your dance as you push the limits. And that is why I ensure that I never stray too far from the traditional world.
I take workshops, stay connected to my traditional teachers, and remain informed of the histories and cultures of different styles. Because it’s important to me that I keep in touch with the foundation of belly dance, both my own and of those who came before me.
I love the world of fusion.
But I will never stop learning and loving traditional dance.
And I think that you shouldn’t either.
The history, the culture, the stylistic differences between geographic areas over centuries. This is what I have learned to celebrate, respect, and honor with my dance. The foundational movements, knowledge of culturally appropriate (or not) aspects, and the rich community of people.
This is what I build upon to establish my own stylistic voice. Because by maintaining a strong foundation of traditional bellydance, you will have the knowledge, skills, and vocabulary that will ground your dance as you push the limits. And that is why I ensure that I never stray too far from the traditional world.
I take workshops, stay connected to my traditional teachers, and remain informed of the histories and cultures of different styles. Because it’s important to me that I keep in touch with the foundation of belly dance, both my own and of those who came before me.
