¡Hola de nuevo! desde Maryland nuestra querida Amartia bailaina y profesora de danza del vientre, nos trae una reflexión sobre nuestra danza en USA, ¡es muy interesante!
Bellydance in the USA- The Cabaret Perspective
Thank you so much to Rosa Mondaray for allowing me to share my thoughts on their blog. I have been asked to discuss Bellydance in the USA. Being a cabaret style dancer I can only speak to that style in the US and being from the East Coast, I am more familiar with the style in my area. I will try to touch on what I know of other areas of the US, but I am not an expert.STYLES:
So, what has influenced bellydance in the US? I think EVERYTHING has influenced bellydance in the states. There is no shortage of styles and new ones seem to be cropping up every day. There is everything from traditional Raks Sharqui to Sambabelly for Fitness. You can see lots of styles in lots of places. I have noticed that there is a concentration of a specific style in certain areas. For instance, in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area, there is a concentration of Egyptian style. This is not to say that other styles are not present but there is a high concentration of Egyptian style dancers and instructors.
In my experience, as you travel north towards Pennsylvania and New York, there is still Egyptian style but also the American cabaret style as well. Farther south, in Miami, Florida for instance, there is definitely an Egyptian trend as well but with a definite Latin twist.
There is also a tribal fusion contingent in the East Coast. I have noticed that the style of tribal on the East coast is a mix of ATS- American Tribal Style and of Tribal Fusion. We have definitely taken bellydance and “made it our own!”
COSTUMING
American costuming is also different. Again, this is style dependent but the majority of dancers tend to favor a fuller skirt with a traditional bra and belt. Egyptian costumes like Pharaonics and Fringe costumes like Bellas were/are extremely popular. Our audiences tend to associate that style of costume with the bellydancer “look”. Over time I have seen the straighter style skirt become more popular.
There are those of us (myself included) that favor a more modern look with less fringe. Again, our audiences dictate what a dancer can and cannot wear.
We also have our share of American costume designers. My two favorites are Eshta Amar and MAZ Couture. There are many many more! I am not sure if their designs are specifically “American”. I would have to ask the opinion of a European dancer. But with designers cropping up in the US, we are not limited to ordering from overseas.
WORK:
In terms of work, restaurant work is the majority of a dancer’s income. There used to be more opportunities for restaurant work before the recession but even now that is a large portion of a dancer’s steady income. I am including clubs and hookah bars in that statement. There are haflas and shows but it seems as though large theater productions are more prevalent overseas. Audience participation and interaction is a large part of a dancer’s show.
Competitions seem to ebb and flow in the US. There are those that value them and those that do not.
They are typically not the Olympic style competitions with multiple rounds like I have seen in Europe. I myself like competitions. I think they provide a good venue for unbiased critique and for networking.
So, there you have it: My take on Bellydance in the United States. I hope that you have enjoyed reading and thanks again to Rosa Mondaray Bellydancer for having me! Feel free to add your thoughts!
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