What do you think of when you hear Belly Dance? What do you think a belly dancer should look like?
Island Tribe Belly Dance
What do you think of when someone says “Belly Dancer”? Does it bring to mind the image of a young attractive girl in a swirl of chiffon and rhinestones dancing her way through the tables of a Middle Eastern restaurant or Hookah Bar? If you answered yes, then you’re not alone. This is quintessential mainstream idea of what a Belly Dancer should look like, made popular by a turn of the century Hollywood fascinated with anything oriental. This sparkly, scantily clad icon was later adopted by many of the Middle Eastern countries and has become the symbol of their national dance.
If you’ve had the chance to see Island Tribe Belly Dance perform recently, you would have noticed that the costuming and look of the dancers is far from this more popular ideal. The young girl has been replaced with women of all ages and sizes; chiffon can not be found in the layers of hand dyed cottons and silks and the rhinestones are overshadowed by antique hand crafted jewelry made in Afghanistan, Ragistan, and Turkey. Often turbans cover the flowing hair and the solo dancer is now a sisterhood of joy and laughter.
This new style of Belly Dance is referred to as American Tribal Fusion. True to its name, it was created here in the United States and incorporates a fusion of many different cultures. Large full skirts and postures come from the Spanish Flamenco. Joyous earthy moves from the tribal dances of North Africa and strong gestures from the Romany peoples are fused with Ballet, hip hop, and jazz. Dance styles from Egypt and Turkey blend with the Indian Katac while Tunisian and Baltic folk dances add zest and flavor. This is the new look of Belly Dance that is sweeping the world. Women from all walks of life have found a joy in dance, the artistic expression in costuming and for many, they have found themselves again.
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I saw the Island Tribe belly dancers at Indigo alley and was amazed. The video of them there is great. Check it out on searchamelia.
Wow . . . that's a great article! So happy I found BellyDance and only wish I had found it about 20yrs early.
Hey Nuri! Like you, I wish I had the opportunity to start belly dancing at a younger age. Oh well, I’m not a person to live with regrets or what ifs. I have a hold of it firmly now and plan on dancing for many years to come.
If you think you are too old, too young, too large, too small, too pale, too dark, too uncoordinated, think again. As Tribal Fusion Belly Dance embraces many cultures and the styles, it also embraces every women. Its instills confidence. It nurtures your soul. It helps you see the beauty that is within yourself.
Hey Nuri! Like you, I wish I had the opportunity to start belly dancing at a younger age. Oh well, I'm not a person to live with regrets or what ifs. I have a hold of it firmly now and plan on dancing for many years to come.
If you think you are too old, too young, too large, too small, too pale, too dark, too uncoordinated, think again. As Tribal Fusion Belly Dance embraces many cultures and the styles, it also embraces every women. Its instills confidence. It nurtures your soul. It helps you see the beauty that is within yourself.