Join the 2,300+ Dancers on MySpace, http://www.MYSPACE.com/EtchingsDance

So You Think You Can Dance SEASON 5            Free Online Voice Lessons for Dancers          NEW DANCE FORUMS LIST

Dancing With the Stars    |    An Inside Look at Auditions 

Village Voice

Middle Eastern Dance / Belly Dance

BRIEF HISTORY OF BELLY DANCE

Belly Dance originated as a festive dance performed in celebration of fertility, religion, and birthing.  In many villages, dancing was an activity that only women would take part in without the company of men.  They would dance in a circle, each woman taking solo turns in the center.  It was thought that when a girl danced for the first time she became a woman.  Historically, belly dancing was not a co-ed art form.  Women performed for women and men performed for men.  

In Western nations, Belly dance gained its name from the exposure of the midriff in Belly Dance costuming.  The dance first appeared in America in 1893 during the Chicago World's Fair, where an Egyptian dancer named "Little Egypt" captured the crowd.   Soon, western women such as Mata Hari and the famous modern dancer Ruth St. Denis were imitating Middle Eastern Dance and adapting it to suit their own art forms.  

The movement vocabulary of belly dance most prominently includes isolation of the hips in movement, as well as isolations of the chest, shoulders, head, and hands.

Forms/Styles
Movement in belly dance constantly changed in reaction to historical events, region and social changes, but the root of belly dance always stems from reverence for fertility and eroticism.  The many different styles of belly dance come from regions such as Lebanon, North Africa, Egypt, the Arabian Gulf, Turkey and beyond.  These styles have fused in North America to become what is commonly referred to as American Tribal Style Belly Dance, which emerged about twenty years ago.   

Raks Sharq is a solo form of belly dance that is mostly improvisational.  The dance form emphasizes reaching inside one's self for the inspiration to dance.  In Egypt, many of the dancers of Raks Sharqui are over age 40 because it is believed that they have more life experience with which to find the inspiration to dance.

At the height of the Egyptian Film Industry, several belly dancers rose to fame and highly influenced Egyptian Belly Dance.  The fame of these dancers heightened the Egyptian love of belly dancing. 

In Egypt, there are three different styles of traditional belly dance:  Baladi, Sha'abi, and Sharqi.  Non-Egyptian styles of belly dance include Lebanese and Turkish belly dance.  

The western world was first exposed to Egyptian Belly Dance when Napoleon's army invaded Egypt and encountered the Ghwazee, a tribe of professional belly dancers and musicians.  The appearance and dancing style of the Ghwazee was, at first, distasteful to Napoleon's men.  However, over time, Napoleon's men were drawn into the dancing of the Ghawazee.  

Another category of belly dance is Turkish belly dance, or Tsifteteli.  Turkish dance is considered to be more free and expressive than its Egyptian sister because Turkish laws did not place restrictions upon the movements allowed while dancing, while Egyptian laws did.  Turkish dancers are also known for their use of finger cymbals, or zils.     

Belly Dance Links:  
Belly Dance Timeline

Yasmina's Joy of Belly Dancing

Glossary of Belly Dance Terms

The Oriental Dancer 
     
BDancer

ARTICLES AND NEWS
Egyptian belly dance 'in crisis'

Zoo Kingdoms - Animal information and pictures!

A Site for Gifted Children

www.SmartMovesFitness.com

Questions about advertising

How to advertise on this site.

Free Dance Clipart   Film    Books    Music   Auditions   Apparel   Shoes  Magazines   Clip Art   Posters   Marketing   Calendars       Dance Injuries            Cruise Line / Cruise Ship Travel Safety for Dancers

Contact:  etchingsdance@yahoo.com

 Dance Movies - Go to Menu



Ballet and Pointe   Jazz Dance   Tap Dance   Hip Hop Dance   Ballroom Dance   Modern Dance   
Flamenco Dance      Ethnic Dance    Dancers     Cheerleaders & Drill   Yoga
Musical Theater Dance      Dance on TV  

Dance Colleges   Dancers and Companies   Free Online Video Clips
Dance Competitions    Dance Resources


HIP HOP B BOYZ
DANCE ASSOCIATIONS

Ballet    Jazz    Tap
Hip Hop     Flamenco    Modern
Ballroom     Musical Theater    Cheerleading and Drill
Ethnic Dance   Belly Dancing   Clipart     Volunteer
Casting Calls / Auditions
The Ballroom Dancer  
SMART MOVES:  WINNING THE FITNESS CHALLENGE
 

Disclaimer

Visit our paid sponsors

Free Myspace Layouts and Free Videos for your Myspace - Glitter Text
Beyonce, We the Kings, Tokio Hotel, Snow Patrol, The Graduate, Jadakiss, Little Jackie
I'm from Barcelona, Karina, Varsity Fanclub, Fall Out Boy, Kate Perry,  and more.

Etchings Dance is everything dance!  Hip hop, jazz dance, pop-n-lock, tap, ballet, modern, lyrical, tango, ballroom dancing, flamenco dance & break dancing.  So you think you can dance, dance, dancing, dancer, dancers, auditions, casting, casting calls, studio, choreograph, routines, theatre, aerobics, fitness, funk, classes, instruction, hip hop, ballet, jazz, modern, tap, disco, african, belly, lyrical, irish, highland, breaking, popping, locking, macarena, electric slide, ballroom, salsa, waltz, tango, flamenco, cha cha, moon walk, acro, tumbling, figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, twirling, cheerleading, color guard, competitions, drill teams, poms, liturgical, health, injuries, recipes, manhattan So you think you can dance, season 4,  season 3, dancing with the stars, BALLET  JAZZ   TAP  MODERN   HIP HOP  LYRICAL   POP-N-LOCK   TANGO   BALLROOM   FLAMENCO  BREAK DANCING   You can purchase dance books and videos, dance clothes, dance shoes, dance accessories and just about everything dance.  We will list links to dance auditions, casting calls, dance magazines, dance competitions, dance festivals, dance schools, colleges that offer dance programs and dance companies.  Soon we will have the schedule for Etchings Dance Company and Etchings Dance Studio, known simply as "etchings".  Search terms:  hamster dance, break dance, musical dance, dance music, dance club, dance dance revolution, belly dance, dance lesson, so you think you can dance, i hope you dance, save the last dance, dance costume, hip hop dance, shall we dance, dance team, dance apparel, dance studio, dance move, dance school, dance instruction, evolution of dance, dance class, dance video, the dance, dance competition, dance with me, chicken dance, dance floor, hip hop dance move, ballroom dance, belly dance costume, line dance, dancing with the stars, season 7, dance recital, salsa dance, lord of the dance, dance steps, modern dance, tap dance, dance picture, square dance, dance company, Mexican hat dance, swing dance, Irish dance, dance clothes, dance clip art, jazz dance, dance skirt, learn to dance, dance song, dance party, hip hop dance class, dance quote, dance supply, Sadie Hawkins dance, dance band, last dance, ballet dance, Carmen Electra dance, Latin dance, dance art, praise dance, lion dance history of dance, discount dance, Indian dance, dance hall, fierce free  myspace layouts, break dance move, save the last dance soundtrack, everybody dance now, 8th grade dance, dance mix, first dance wedding song, dance tights, learn how to break dance, cha cha, samba, waltz, carrie ann, bruno, daing with the stars, so you think you can dance, auditions

Site Design by

www.wizardvisions.com