Thread: Need a bellydance style idea

I'm participating in a bellydance show with my class in June and I'm doing a solo. I need to do something that's a bit different than just regular bellydancing. For example, last time I did a show like this, I did a tango bellydance. I was thinking of maybe doing like a samba bellydance routine...Any ideas????? Please!!

:cr:

Why do you need to do something different from "regular belly dancing"? A Turkish piece can often stand out, for instance. You could also go folkloric, if you know the forms.

I caution strongly against fusion things, unless you are familiar with both forms or have teacher/choreographer who knows both forms. Often times, you can look sloppy or be offensive (or both).

My teacher wants me to do something that includes another form of dancing because I do know other forms of dance. Also, since there are many belly dance routines that are going to be performed, she wants something a bit different to break the routine.
I'm not too familiar with turkish style dance or folkloric, but thanks for your ideas!!

There was a fabulous video clip posted here on Bhuz of a German dancer doing a samba/belly dance fsuion, but now I can't find it. Maybe someone will come along and post the link again.

Folkloric or Turkish can definitely break up a line of "yet another glorious belly dancer". So refreshing. Or a prop or zills - that noone else is using.

Originally Posted by jmejias

My teacher wants me to do something that includes another form of dancing because I do know other forms of dance. Also, since there are many belly dance routines that are going to be performed, she wants something a bit different to break the routine.
I'm not too familiar with turkish style dance or folkloric, but thanks for your ideas!!

Well...what other forms of dances do you know?

My teacher always wants me to dance with isis wings at her student show as I'm the only one who uses isis wings at her show. I also dance improv style. However, my current teacher does not dance with isis wings.

If you are confident enough to pull off a fusion dance then go for it, Jessica!

Currently, my teacher is encouraging her dancers to take Cuban salsa (dancing alone) so eventually the salsa moves could be used in our own belly dance moves.

Originally Posted by jmejias

Also, since there are many belly dance routines that are going to be performed, she wants something a bit different to break the routine.

Must be a lot of items then - my student show has 18 items - apart from one non-bd and one khaleegy all the rest are either "generic" or Egyptian and every one is very different.

How about asking your teacher for advice. She knows your background already and knows what else there will be in her show.

To be honest, though, fusion is really difficult to do well, and as a teacher I would want to be more involved in my student's attempts at it, to make sure that she (or he) was doing justice to both of the forms being fused. Maybe you can ask her for some private lessons to help on your preparation/choreography.

Originally Posted by dunyah

There was a fabulous video clip posted here on Bhuz of a German dancer doing a samba/belly dance fsuion, but now I can't find it. Maybe someone will come along and post the link again.

It's Nadine Fernández, married to a carioca and she has studied samba in Rio de Janeiro. She has a great clip up on youtube. She's our samba expert around. She does batucada there and tabla solo with a notable samba flavour.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPNc1ywgbkU"]YouTube- Nadine Fernández Samba-Oriental with Drum Solo[/ame]

Originally Posted by jmejias

I'm participating in a bellydance show with my class in June and I'm doing a solo. I need to do something that's a bit different than just regular bellydancing. For example, last time I did a show like this, I did a tango bellydance. I was thinking of maybe doing like a samba bellydance routine...Any ideas????? Please!!

:cr:

At the haflas around my town I made it a point to do either folklore (this time raks assaya) or classical Egyptian themes. Seeing the amount of fusion there, this is a way for me to stand out. Also zills would get me late into a line-up, but that's because zills are not obligatory for bellydancers in Germany and especially in haflas I haven't seen anyone dance with zils...

Originally Posted by Nouria

At the haflas around my town I made it a point to do either folklore (this time raks assaya) or classical Egyptian themes. Seeing the amount of fusion there, this is a way for me to stand out. Also zills would get me late into a line-up, but that's because zills are not obligatory for bellydancers in Germany and especially in haflas I haven't seen anyone dance with zils...

Hey Nouria, it's exactly the same over here :) Un-fusion is what stands out most in a show/hafla lineup lately, and almost nobody does zills.. what a luxury position to be in ;)

call me crazy, but if you did a tango fusion before (and assuming you know tango well enough to fuse it), why not try another tango fusion piece? Consider it further, take it to the next level, really consider what would make it a successful fusion. Rather than trying to do a sampling of fusion styles over a short period, it can be deeply beneficial to pursue a particular fusion in depth - makes you think more about what makes it a fusion, what elements are bellydance, what are tango, how they come together, how different music would effect it. That's what leads to successful fusion, not just going "oh, I like this song, I think I'll do a fusion to it" or "oh, this bit of costuming looks like it could work for that, I'll do a piece with it" - consider ALL of the elements.

You're probably thinking, but what if they're saying "oh, here we go, another tango fusion piece, what is she the BD Tango lady?" Well, not if it's good and makes an impact. Better to work a series of related pieces that can help you grow as a dancer, then to wander from fusion to fusion without much depth.

Originally Posted by rosehips

call me crazy, but if you did a tango fusion before (and assuming you know tango well enough to fuse it), why not try another tango fusion piece? Consider it further, take it to the next level, really consider what would make it a successful fusion.

Great advice. Fusion is best done with two styles you know really, really well. Having atempted fusion once the next time should be even better.

Originally Posted by jmejias

Also, since there are many belly dance routines that are going to be performed, she wants something a bit different to break the routine.

I think it's a good idea to have some "change of pace" pieces in a belly dance show to "cleanse the palate" for the audience, but why create a fusion? Why not just do a piece that's 100% one of the other styles you know? That would be even more effective than a fusion for waking people up!

I've been in the audience at belly dance shows in which there were a few dance performers that were NOT belly dance. I've seen flamenco, salsa, samba, Korean dance, Kathak, and Bollywood. I enjoyed all of these very much. These were not fusions, they were the "pure" dance forms. Honestly, I liked them better than I would have liked a fusion, because fusion often just comes across as a bland version of both forms.

I always "break the routine" just by dancing more traditionally and without any tricks or props.

There are so many events nowadays where everyone is doing fusion or overusing props because they want to be different, but they do it so half-assed from not being trained enough in the dances they are fusing or the props they are using, that in the end they are all the same: half-assed pieces with little entertainment or artistic value.

If you do a fusion piece, do it because you are trained in the dance forms you are fusing, do it because you love them, do it well. Don't look for something new just for the sake of being different... it tends to look obvious and pathetic.

Originally Posted by yameyameyame

I always "break the routine" just by dancing more traditionally and without any tricks or props.

My thoughts, exactly. Good, clean, "straight-up" bellydance without fusion, props or gimmicks is so hard to find at BD events. If you really want to stand out, be classic!

Originally Posted by yameyameyame

I always "break the routine" just by dancing more traditionally and without any tricks or props.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

My thoughts, exactly. Good, clean, "straight-up" bellydance without fusion, props or gimmicks is so hard to find at BD events. If you really want to stand out, be classic!

So is it why when I dance for fun in classical Egyptian style, without props, the audience seem to embrace my dance style more?

As a professional audience member, I can give you two low-cost ways that a student dancer can 'make it different.' 1) keep it short, shorter than you think it needs to be; 2) wear a costume that is sleek and simple: jeans, a pleated skirt, an elegant sheath dress.
For artistic guidance, see all the previous posts :)

Originally Posted by Jennah

So is it why when I dance for fun in classical Egyptian style, without props, the audience seem to embrace my dance style more?

Because when people go to a belly dance event, they want to see belly dance. They'll probably appreciate well-done usage of props, well-done fusion, etc, but that's probably not what drew them to the event in the first place.
Belly dance is pretty interesting and impressive on its own. Sometimes I think we're the only ones who don't realize this!

I have to report from saturday's hafla. Yes I stood out in the overall programme with my earthy saidi. But my costume...wearing a simple red saidi dress with the red-silver cabaret belt from my self-done costume, a turquoise headscarf and silver earrings - simple and folkloric, I thought that was quite distinguishable. No!

The amount of red costumes on that evening was amazing. Also dresses. Not favourable for their was a half-high red curtain in the back and the girl on the lighting shed an excess of red/yellow lights on them which where changing all the time, luckily I saw that and told her in time: I want more light, I don't want coloured light for I'm colourful myself and I want steady lights - so the audience actually might have seen my costume was red.

I also report another folkore number and a zill dance!
Maybe some trend to go the way we're talking about?

May I be angry with a close friend? As soon as she saw the twopiece I was doing last autumn, she ran and did the same without asking or telling me. No she said, my design is different. Ok I said, the lines of the svarowski chain have a little different curves, but c'mon...
She advised me to wear my red dress with that belt and turned up with a red dress and her belt. It's not a big issue but I said to her: why do you force me to partner my look with you? (we were not dancing together) Kind of it's not like making me mad but I don't find it ok neither, I'm a bit disappointed...

For the two big autumn events it's clear what I'll do: Egyptian classics, but not in red!

Originally Posted by jmejias

I'm participating in a bellydance show with my class in June and I'm doing a solo. I need to do something that's a bit different than just regular bellydancing. For example, last time I did a show like this, I did a tango bellydance. I was thinking of maybe doing like a samba bellydance routine...Any ideas????? Please!!

:cr:

How about some good old fashioned folkloric. There enough modern cab style to sink a battleship.

Maybe just dance to more contemporary (popular) music? A girl in our troupe did a solo to an Ozzy Osborne song, our teacher has done a solo to a Lenny Kravitz remix, and I am contemplating Tool for my first solo (toss up between Tool and Loreena McKennitt - yeah my musical tastes are that varied). Another friend who does more traditional stuff did a solo to a James Bond movie theme (forget which one.)