Thread: How do YOU want to do it? Creating style

So I have a new instructor that I am taking privates with. We are working on my weakest part of dance, the veil. Starting from the very basics. She asks How do you like to wear your veil? I reply well I do like my other instructor does it. Then she stops me and says no. How does Angela like to wear her veil? I had no answer, she asks what is your style? I had no answer. I don't have a style of my own. Often I've heard the phrase; Make it your own. Develope your own style. I don't know how...

So I ask, How did you develope your own dance style?

That's a difficult question! How many teachers do you take classes or workshops with? What dancers inspire you? And why? By watching other dancers and deciding what you like or don't like about their style, you can determine what you want your style to be like.

For example, you say you like the way your teacher wears her veil. Why do you like that? Because she looks regal when walking in wearing her veil? Because you admire the way the veil is draped? Because the other dancers that you've seen didn't impress you when they were wearing their veil? Developing your own style means to me that you do the things your way because you know exactly what it looks like and you like it like that. I'm still searching for my style too, but watching other dancers really helped me define what I like to see in a dancer and what kind of style I want to develope.

I think seeing lots of dancers doing a wide variety of styles helps.

And give yourself permission to have your own likes/dislikes, even if you choose not to voice them.

This may not apply to you, Lucinia, but I'll put it here for the sake of the topic. Often, a teacher will say "this is good dancing" "this dancer is bad" and of course the students soak that up. I've even seen situations where students were encouraged to make fun of a really good dancer by their teacher -- usually it's more subtle & innocent than that. Teachers are human, and their pronouncements of "good/bad' mean 'I like/I don't like." So if you're loving a performance and your teacher (or someone else you respect) says "Hmmph, that's not even real bellydancing" you might choose not to argue, but don't change your opinion.

Youtube has made it SO much easier to see lots of dancers! In the old days (um, a year ago?) you had to fork out $40-65 for a dance video to see one dancer. Now you can sit down and watch a dozen dancers in an afternoon.

If you've only ever seen your teachers' way of wrapping a veil, then of course you'll wrap it that way. But if you've seen a dozen veil wraps, you can more easily choose -- or even invent your own. Same thing with ways to do a hip drop.

Taking from more than one teacher is, IMO, essential to developing your own style. Even if you have one main teacher and study with the others at workshops, or even on video.

This is a tough question. I took classes from a lot of different teachers.I also watched a lot of different dancers so I can pick and choose aspects from what I've been exposed to and modify them just for me.


I won't be dancing in a lycra set anytime soon because it would look odd as it is not my style. I could probably pull off a more kalegy style dress thing because I like to dance kind of bouncy.

I think it is really important to be able to change your style too.

Good question, Angela. I think that people don't realize that they each have their own style, without even thinking about it. Because everyone has their own way of making a move theirs. I've watched alot of dancers and have incorporated their moves into my dance, and so those moves have become part of my style. Some people may say "she dances like so and so, or you can tell she has studied with so and so". But untimately, it is how you do the dance and make it yours. Especially if you study with different teachers and study different styles. I have some neo-tribal, cabaret, and egyptian background, so it all melds together. I take what I have learned, and I choose the moves and styles that I like, and make that part of my dance.

Your own style is what developes over time. Usually you become very comfortable with your moves and automatically add your own personality and flair. You feel comfortable enough to experiment and make small changes to the moves and combinations you have learned. You make the moves your own.

Smile, relax and have an absolutely wonderful time dancing!

Cassiopeia

That's really interesting -- I'm completely the opposite. The only thing I feel really confident about in my dancing is that I have my own personal style.

I'd say studying with multiple teachers is a good idea. I know some great teachers whose students come out with excellent technique, but the ones who *only* study with that teacher still dance, well, exactly like her. Which isn't that interesting to watch after a while.

Also, choosing music that really matters to you is an important part of the process. Even if you're dancing classic Egyptian style, find a piece of Egyptian music that really moves you and just practice improvising to that and see what it inspires in you. :)

I think you define your style by just dancing, then other people comment on your style. Dance what is you and you will have a style! Dance what feels comfortable (always try other styles though because some of it may be you with practice and tailoring! Don't settle for comfort as your style is ever developing!).
I do feel style is difficult to explain even if you know what yours is! You end up saying that you are a combination of XYZ to define it, try to show it instead!

This is a wonderful thread; as I think about my "style" first of all, I know I have one because it's so hard for me to learn troupe choreo and move and "look" like everyone else! Also, not all belly dance moves look good on everyone, this I learned from more than one teacher in my baby belly dancer days. So, I was encouraged to focus on the moves that DID look and feel good on me (lotsa of class solo videos help to indentify what moves do or do not "work" well).

As time went on, I started to incorporate more of my own "persona" into my solo work - the more I got over stage fright, the more I was able to work on my goals of wanting to draw the audience into my love of Arabic music with a genuine warm smile, and be able to show them how much I loved doing sassy/flirty steps in breaks of music. Since I learned over time that my favorite way of performing is improvising to live music, the band was all-important, and I've had every experience from sheer heaven to dull, draggy inconsistent rythms, but knowing the basic structure of ME music is what carried me through.

It's interesting you mention the veil wrap; I think it is essential to figure out what veil wrap you like the best and then stick to it, because you've got to be able to dance your way out of it consistently and that means knowing where every single tuck is and how it's wrapped around a shoulder strap, at hip or in back of bra. I seldom varied my veil wrapping techniques, once I have it "free" then I can do into all sorts of fun spins, drapes, etc.

To figure out how you "like to wrap your veil" - first figure out what veil steps you like to do and that will help you decide how you want to wrap your veil. My wrap started out the same as my teacher, Aida Al-Adawi's but I modified it fairly quickly to suit MY favorite veil moves.

Hope this helps; it's tough to develop "own style" right off the bat, I we all have to start *somewhere*.

How about if your favorite style of dancing is diametrically opposed to what your teacher teaches? I'm not saying that I don't like the way my teacher dances but, I totally dig the old style of dancing where it's not so skeletal. I know it's bad for me but, sheesh, I can't help what I like!

I know I'm not going to be my instructor's mirror image. And I really don't want to be. After all, we're two different people with different personalities, no?

And I also dig the Rachel Brice fusiony stuff, too, SO THERE! :p

Interesting! I was thinking in the same way! Look to what moves look/feel good on you!
I think if you make your choices with each move when put together, BINGO! Your style! Still hard to put in words, just dance it!

I have had this problem more than once. I think the important thing is not the style that the teacher dances, but the way she teaches. If she is teaching mostly technical stuff that's important to know regardless of what style it is, she can probably still teach you a lot. If she is really only teaching you to do things that you're not interested in teaching, then it's probably time to find a new instructor.

Regardless of the answer to that question, it would still be useful to get some outside instruction. If it isn't feasible to take classes with multiple teachers, you can order some DVDs to introduce you to other styles of dance.

It's interesting. You can go to haflas in different areas and see dancers whose teachers are readily identifiable by their students dance style. When Ifinally saw Mesmera dance, I knew who Anahata's teacher was. I find that there are certain keys to the way differnet dancers move and if you find those you can figure out who their teachers were.

For me, personally, I believe that Belly Dance can't teach me everything I need to know for a good dance presentation. That there are other forms of dance / movement which can address an issue faster than if I were to go through belly dance class. A good Lyrical dance class should teach you how to milk the music. Burlesque is great for learning a kind of flirty, dahlal styling. Vinyasa Flow Yoga for flexibility.

All of these things help you to create your own style, your own thumb print. Which is, in general, good. And somedays the challenge is to dance like everyone else.

{{{HUGS}}}