Archive for the ‘Belly Dance Videos’ Category

An Email From the Middle East

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Several years ago I received an email from a woman in the Middle East. She was contacting me to let me know that she enjoyed my bellydance instruction videos. As nice as it was for me to read those words, it was what she said next that really grabbed my heart. She thanked me for the work I’d done to help keep bellydancing alive in the world. She went on to say that in her part of the world, it was becoming increasingly difficult to practice bellydance because of religious opposition. Since she and her fellow countrywomen loved to bellydance, but couldn’t do so openly, she was happy to see it carried on elsewhere.

I was so touched by this woman’s incredible graciousness. Some people in her situation would react with resentment or jealousy – it can be hard to be happy for someone when your own heart is broken.

I wonder how many times religious or political repression has driven bellydance out of certain cultures and geological areas, only to have it seeded in some other far-away place. The “Gypsy” Romani people migrating out of northern India and into the Mid East and Europe is one example, but over the millennia there probably have been very many.

To this very special Middle Eastern woman I say ‘thank you!’ right back. If bellydancers in the West have attained great heights it’s because we stand on the shoulders of giants. Middle Eastern women have carried the torch of this dance for a very long time. With any luck, they will continue to do so, with their other hand holding ours, as we dance this divine dance together, now and forever.                                                                                                 ♥♥

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A Quantum Leap Forward in Dance

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Watching some of the popular TV dance shows lately, it’s been great to see so many dancers with superb technique and a mastery of a variety of dance styles. People today are exposed to more excellent dancing than ever before. This is especially true because of the development of video, DVDs and the Internet. Dance students, teachers, and choreographers now have unparalleled educational tools provided by these technologies.

These days, we can sit in the comfort of our homes or studios and analyze the finest performances and instruction from the best dancers of every dance genre from around the world. Before the video and Internet revolution, you could attend a performance or class and when it was over, it was gone forever. Even if someone filmed it, the technology of the time required a film projector and darkened room to view it again – not very convenient! If you saw a dance on TV or in a movie, it was not always easy or even possible to see it again.

Now with video/DVD recorders and computers, you can copy dances from television, the Internet, video cameras, and other sources. You can then watch them over and over, and even view the movements in slow motion to see exactly how they’re done.

With so much excellence and inspiration in dance widely available, it’s no surprise to see so many accomplished dancers, and to see so much fusion of dance styles. Bellydance, African dance, and Latin dance, to name a few, have had a noticeable influence in today’s dance scene.

Of course, as a bellydancer, I’m especially excited by how bellydance movements and costume elements are being used so extensively in ballroom, modern, ballet, hip-hop, and other popular dances! Modern technology and traditional arts are sparking a quantum evolution in dance and it’ll be interesting to see where it lands us next.

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