Turkish Belly Dance

If you took belly dance classes many decades ago you may have taken the classes from a Turkish dancer. Turkish belly dance is the foundation of what we call American Cabaret belly dance. From the costuming to playing zills and the dance itself, it is quite Turkish. If you were a belly dancer in the 1960s and 1970s, that is the style you danced.

Starting sometime in the 1980s the Egyptian style started becoming popular.  By the 1990s both Egyptian and Tribal had become popular.  As a result the Turkish style/American Cabaret became less popular, with fewer dancers learning the style.  I believe that some just thought it was outdated and some belly dancers evolved into the Egyptian style.

We are starting to see a new interest in this style of dance, and I am so glad that we are.

Two of the finest dancers in the field of Turkish dance are Eva Cernik and Elizabeth Artemis Mourat. If they are teaching anywhere in your area, you would greatly benefit from classes from them.  Or invite one of them to teach a workshop in your area.

Eva Cernik
The Second Awards of Belly Dance

Eva and Artemis are both featured in some of our performance DVDs and Artemis teaches Turkish Style belly dance.

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org

Belly Dancing is More than a Drum Solo

I know. It's that flashy, fast, dynamic part of a belly dance routine that we all love so much. Drum solo classes and workshops are almost always the most attended.  Its also part of the performance that people in general associate with belly dance. Its the part of the dance when we shimmy, and everyone loves to shimmy.

But belly dance is a lot more than a drum solo.  Without all the other parts of a belly dance routine the drum solo would not shine. Whatever your performance consists of: a full five part cabaret belly dance with veil, or just a couple of changes of pace in the dance, it's important for your dance to contain more than a drum solo.  Its the changes of pace that make the dance complete. Its adds dimension and interest to the dance as a whole.

So learn all paces of the dance. It will make you a more memorable performer.

Speaking of a change of pace, Sultry Slow Moves with Sadie is a great belly dance video.

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org