Thread: Greek belly dancing vs. Turkisk

As I understand it, the Ottomans brought belly dancing to Greece. Please, correct me if I'm wrong. If this is accurate, am I right to assume that Greek belly dancing will have a lot in common with Turkish belly dancing as far as music, and movement?

Hi Paula,

I too, could be totally wrong but I think Turkish is alot of hip work and spins where Greek is alot of shoulder and chest work with some hip work. I'm not betting my life on this though.

Hopefully, Maria of Greece will see this and post her thoughts.

Good topic.......I'd like to know too......

Chryssanthi Sahar has written a very informative article about this subject, posted on orientaldancer.net: http://www.orientaldancer.net/articles/tsifteteli.shtml

D

The only belly dance I've seen to Greek music has been in AmCab style professional performances.

Most of the Greek dancing I have seen is folk; on the rare occasion that I've watched Greek folks do something other than folk dance (or the male/female "face to face" tsiftitelli; choreographed? prescribed steps?), looks an awful lot like your basic "social" belly dancing to me.

<shrug>

When I perform, I don't try to do anything that might be considered "authentic Greek belly dance" . . . based on what little I know, I don't think such an animal exists. Please correct me!

Deborah

Originally Posted by casbahdance

The only belly dance I've seen to Greek music has been in AmCab style professional performances.

Most of the Greek dancing I have seen is folk; on the rare occasion that I've watched Greek folks do something other than folk dance (or the male/female "face to face" tsiftitelli; choreographed? prescribed steps?), looks an awful lot like your basic "social" belly dancing to me.

<shrug>

When I perform, I don't try to do anything that might be considered "authentic Greek belly dance" . . . based on what little I know, I don't think such an animal exists. Please correct me!

Deborah

I'm inclined to agree. American Greeks certainly don't seem to want to own it. However, I've seen Maria of Greece talk about the Tsifteteli as being Greek belly dance, but like you say, it seems to be more of a social dance.

there is a greek tsifteteli group on bhuz
maria has listed a bunch of you tube clips if you want to go check it out.
i have danced in a greek folk dance troupe since high school. when we break into "tsifteteli" it's usually very informal, slow hips, very similar to a figure 8. no shimmies... it's hard to describe... i was brought up doing it that way. whether or no it is "officially" greek tsifteteli, i don't know. but it's the way my mom and all her friends dance and they're straight off the boat!

i didn't really help that much.. did I..

Here I am lol

Its funny, i had comended on tribe.net about the same subject today, so copying from there and adding also:

Hi ladies and gent :)
There is something that I read all over internet and its something that at somepoint have to be cleared.
There is NO thing as greek routine !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I teach greek tsifteteli from the era of 1920 to 1970 and we dont have such thing.
The term "greek routine" was invented by the greeks that were abroad and just wanted to listen to greek songs also, and was adobted by the system of AmCab and transformed.
Its not originaly this way, and if we wanna speak of authenticy, no way you got to wear a cabaret costume to it.
A full long beautiful dress or a salvare with blouse and scarf at hair is the wearing to go with.
We DONT use veil, we dont use sword, we dont use floor work at the extent that people think so (very minimized) and we certainly DONT use zills !!!
I know this may come a shock for you, but now outside of greece live 3rd, 4rth generation greeks that even dont speak a greek word so dont count 100 on what they say.
Yes you may continue doing it the way you do it, but keep in mind that the connection with original greek tsifteteli is zero !!!

Maria Aya, Athens Greece

and adding

About the article of Chryssanthi's, yes I agree about the roots of the dance but there is no obvious similarity if you see turks at turkey dancing it and greeks at greece dancing. And both places agree to this.
Surprizing special for the old way of dancing chifteteli (from 1920 to 1940) there are more similarities with egyptian baladi !!! (just keep the big hip circles out)

Its a free dance (same as authentic arabic) and no choreo is used.
But you can use a root choreo.

And the real thing is just... beautiful soulfull magical i just dont have words to describe it.

Danced from 2 eras, 1930 and 1960 at Planet Egypt on January, I think some bhuzers was there, and yes they said that it was nothing like they thought about "greek routine".

Photo from the day (or night)

http://www.planetegypt.co.uk/0701_su..._5757.jpg.html

http://www.planetegypt.co.uk/0701_su..._5761.jpg.html

Maria Aya

p.s. No one said to stop doing the "greek routine" just keep in mind that its just an invention.