Belly dance is an extremely sensual type of dance. The history of belly dance goes back to the Middle East and North Africa. His technique is based on circular movements of the hips and waist and can be practiced by anyone, so belly dancing is also suitable for beginners. Find out more about the effects of belly dancing and the characteristics of belly dance.
Belly dance , as a dance with Arab roots, in the language of this ethnic group it is called " raqs sharqi ", which means "dance eastern "or" oriental dance ". On the other hand, the term "belly dance" was introduced by the French. In English, it is referred to as " belly dance ", which is a term used almost all over the world.
As you can see, the history of belly dancing is quite intricate, and we just discussed the nomenclature! It is comforting that learning belly dancing is quite simple -his movements can also be practiced by beginnersstarting their adventure with dancing. All you have to do is take courage and let yourself be carried away by sensual music, shaking your hips and chest, and you won't have to wait long for the effects of belly dancing.
Contents:
- History of belly dancing
- Characteristics and varieties of belly dancing
- Learning belly dance for beginners
- Belly dance effects
- Belly dance costume
- Belly dance music
History of belly dancing
Belly dance is an oriental dance from the Middle East and North Africa . It was officially established at the beginning of the 20th century and it is included in the group of contemporary dances. It is mistakenly believed to come from Arab countries, but the history of belly dancing dates back to ancient Egypt! After all, belly dance developed the most in Arab countries, hence the belief that it was created in these lands.
Initially, belly dance was practiced by women and for women! This surprising information refutes another stereotype, which is to perform belly dancing only to the delight of men.
Originally belly dance was performed during childbirth- then women gathered in a closed circle as a symbolspiritual connection with the birthing child, and thus an Arab child was born into the world. Circular movements of the hips and loosening of the lower body parts were supposed to support the delivery. This dance was also performed in Turkish harems and was intended solely for the entertainment of women.
Belly dancing is practiced almost all over the world today. Everywhere it goes, it takes on a new style and characteristics from the outfit to the specific movements of the hands, hips and stomach.The most notable style of belly dance is its Egyptian , the original variation. When learning belly dancing, the most important thing is to know Egyptian and Arabic folklore, which includes characteristic music, clothing and expression.
Characteristics and varieties of belly dancing
Belly dance has more than a dozen different variations , each of them has a different characteristic:
- Classical Egyptian dance- a rather static dance with a well-defined technical layer. A lot of attention is focused here on the proper dedication of the dancer's movement to specific musical instruments. The hand movements in this style of belly dancing are very expansive, and the individual parts of the body are clearly isolated from each other in movement.
- Classical Turkish dance- is a dynamic dance, intended for large stages, where the dancer can use all the space for movement with elements of Romani dance. In this variant, the dancer also uses acrobatic elements and jumps, while her body movements (mainly the hands) are soft and fluid. It is in this variation that the figure referred to as the "belly wave" was created.
- Beledi- is an extremely diverse dance with many types of interpretations, from cheerful and energetic movements to the more dramatic ones.
- Megeance- is a classic oriental dance, danced primarily at competitions. Megeance is the most popular in Russia.
- Drum solo- this is a fragment of a dance performance that is only performed for percussion instruments.
- Tribal- is a combination of oriental dance with flamenco and ethnic dances of North Africa and India.
- Khaleegy- comes from the Persian Gulf region and is characterized by flicking the dancer's hair from side to side while making sweeping head movements.
- Melaya Leff- this is a dance called Alexandrian. The main element of the dance is a large scarf, in which the dancer wraps herself and then flirtatiously unfolds from it, thus creating a sensual atmosphere of the performance.
- Raqs assaya- is an Egyptian folk dance whichis performed with the canes. This dance is also practiced by men. The most popular varieties are dancing with saidi stick and dancing with beledi stick.
- Debka- is a group folk dance from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Syria.
- Raks tahtib- this dance comes from Egypt and is performed only by men.
- Belly dance show- this is a kind of dance show. When practicing it, lights, a stage setting and various props are used. This dance is a combination of many other types of belly dance.
Other types of belly dancing include Ghawazee, Raks shamadan, Bellywood, Andalusian Arabic dance, Gothic Belly Dance, among others.
Learning belly dance for beginners
When learning belly dance, we must remember about the appropriate fluidity of movements and at the same time about the isolation of individual parts of the body. Hand movements are an inseparable element of shaking the hips and chest. They should be smooth and gentle, and the movement must flow softly from the shoulders to the palms and fingertips.
Beginner belly dancing starts with the following basic movements:
Horizontal circles- to make them, move your chest forward, then move it to the side, back and to the other side. Try to do it smoothly, making a circular motion of the cage. The bottom of the body should remain still, regardless of body movement.
Vertical circles- start by insulating the cage upwards, then sideways, pull it downwards backwards, and finish with a movement to the other side. The arms should be placed parallel on both sides of the body.
Circles with hips- to make this move, you have to stand with your legs together and push your hips forward, to the side, back and to the other side. Then perform this movement smoothly, without involving the top of the body. Rotating the hips should be dancing with slightly bent legs.
Watch the video how to dance these movements:
Belly dance effects
Belly dance mainly involves the movement of the abdomen, hips, chest and hands. If we practice this type of dance regularly, the results will come very quickly. We can expecttighter waistlineandlosing the fat around it . In addition, our hands will slimmer, we will gainflexibility and flexibility .
The technique of belly dancing is based on the isolation of the upper and lower parts of the body, so the effect that we can additionally achieve is the ability to move individual parts of the body independently of each other. Thanks to the variable pace of belly dancing, we can also improve your fitness and endurance .
Meet other types of dance:
- Viennese w altz
- argentinian tango
- rumba
- samba
- rock and roll
- kizomba
- bachata
- cha-cha
- jazz
- swing
- hip-hop
- breakdance
- dancehall
- pole dance (pole dance)
- zumba
- bokwa
Belly dance costume
Belly dance costume primarily consists oflong decorative skirts, colorful scarves and ornate bras .
Belly dance should be performedbarefoot . Decorative bracelets are often worn on the ankles. The dancer should haveexposed belly , but in conservative countries it must be covered, for example, with a transparent mesh. A belt with numerous beads and pendants is often attached to the hips, emphasizing the female figure of the dancer and exposing her movements.Shiny and colorful jewelryis also an inseparable element of a belly dancer costume.
Belly dance costume varies depending on what variation of this dance you choose. Long skirts, the so-calledgalabije , worn during folklore dances, such as saidi and beledi. A bra and a belt are an indispensable element of classical dances. However, when dancing with candlesticks, they will constitute the main part of the creation.
The most important elements of a belly dance costume are: colorful colors, a large number of eye-catching decorations, as well as elements of the outfit tailored to the character of the dancer and emphasizing her femininity.
Belly dance music
Belly dance music is to reflect the body language of the dancer, and the body, in turn, is to interpret the individual instruments and bars. In pieces for belly dancing we can hear instruments such as: accordion, darabuka, lute, kaval, kanoun, nay, rababa, oud, violin, saxophone, tabla and mizmar.
For example: the accordion most often gives a sign to a dancer to move the chest and hips, and a kanoun stringed instrument to the movement called shimmy. During the dance, it is also important to convey a specific rhythm with the movement, e.g. saidi - happy, masmoudi kabir - serious.
Famous belly dance music composers and performers include Saad el Soghayar, Amr Diam, Nancy Ayram, Mario Kirlis, Tony Mouzayek, Dalida, Issam Houshan, Umm Kalsum, Farid Atrache, Hossam Ramzy, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Warda, Alabina, Raul Ferrando, Hakim.