Video Favourites...



Since we (me and Miss Karma) started posting blogs we have covered a whole range of styles especially in our Star Stalker section....

So I thought I'd post a couple of my favourite video clips to show the 'un-ending' variety of styles in Belly Dance.

There will be 'purists' out there that will say that 'Egyptian is Egyptian' and 'Turkish is Turkish', but personally (in my humple opinion....don't want to step on any toes here), I think that most styles of Belly Dance now-a-days are a mix of all-sorts. OK, Fusion and Folkloric styles aside....(that's a whole other topic)....

At the end of the day it's your music choice and sometimes props that will 'kind of' dictate what 'style' you are dancing. Whether it be the more gradeful, flowing, emotive Egyptian or the flashier, showier, more bouncy Turkish.

Which ever it may be that 'shimmy's your fancy' they are all equally beautiful........Enjoy!!

Egyptian Style - Aziza



Turkish Style - Didem

Tribal Fusion - Rachel Brice

Tribal Fusion Duet - Kami Liddel & Zoe Jakes

Egyptian Caberat/Pop Belly Dance - Farfesha Belly Dance

ATS / Fusion Group - Irina Akulenko

American Tribal Style (ATS) - FatChanceBellyDance

Star Stalker Sunday: Didem

This week we featured a history lesson on the origins of Turkish belly dance and today we bring you a feature on one of Turkey's best belly dancers.

Didem Kanali, simply known as Didem, was born in 1986 in Turkey to a belly dancer mother and a drummer father. Her family is of Roma heritage, contributing to her style of dancing.

For a belly dancer who has gained a massive YouTube following, not much is known about her private life. As a Roma with limited education, it can be deduced that because her family made a living from performing live music and dancing, she developed her passion for belly dancing. 

 

Preparing for an appearance on the "Ibo Show"

In an rare interview on Turkish television, the stated that she was the first performer from Avcilar, a suburb not known for exciting night life. As she developed her skill under Sema Yildiz, she started making nightly appearances at Sultana’s Dinner and 1001 Nights Show. She danced here for four years as well as a spot on the “Ibo Show” alongside fellow Turkish dancer Asena. When Asena left the show following a controversy, Didem initially only wowed the crowds with her beauty. It took the audience a while to recognise her talent. Audiences who have seen this dancer live has always been left mesmerised, but TV appearances does not do her justice. A live performance in a venue really showcases her skill and energy. 

Didem performance 

Didem Ibo Show performance 

Friday Favourites: Our favourite pins from Pinterest

Hey everyone

A little late, but it's here!

Here is the weekly roundup of our favourite Pinterest pics:

A little hair bling

I personally love this look - it adds a little mystery

I love the sheer skirt and the crossover detail on the top gives extra coverage!

Danger!!! This is a seriously sexy costume!

The beautiful Jillina plays up her fiery locks with a royal purple costume.

I love the makup, but I adore the traditional Indian jewellery

Zoe Jakes - always an inspiration for the weird and wonderful

Not sure if this is an artwork or a real life photograph - either way it's STUNNING!

The green and blue is gorgeous together and the skirt looks so flowy

Beautiful 1920's inspired costume. The photographer is a genius - this is the most striking photo I've ever seen!

Hope you enjoyed these pics - please let us know what you like and want to see more of and we'll show it to you!

Enjoy the weekend.

Happy shimmying

History lesson: Turkish Belly Dance

Turkish belly dance has its roots in the Turkish Roma (Gypsy) culture and is also influenced by life in harems and turn-of-the-century theatres in the capital of Istanbul. During the Ottoman Empire, entertainers from different backgrounds were trained as dancers, but they were never Turks as they considered public dancing to be undignified. Due to the Turkish occupation of Egypt, a sort of cultural exchange occurred, causing a cross-pollination of the dance form now known as Oriental belly dance. Another influence on Turkish belly dance was the harems which existed until its abolishment at the turn of the century. Servant girls, known as odalisques were trained to dance, recite poetry and play instruments for the entertainment of the Sultan. These slave girls were not of Turkish decent, because they were slaves imported from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Central Asia. There girls’ lives were not as glamorous as Hollywood would have you believe. When harems were abolished, some of these entertainers found a niche in the European style theatres of Istanbul.

In the 20^th century, Turkish belly dancing lost most of its slave roots and became so popular with tourists that Turkish women also started to learn the dance form. As with their Egyptian counterparts, many of these dancers also became film actresses, making a name for themselves in the East, as well as America. Of these, the most famous was Saliha Tekneci, Nejla Ates and Nesrin Topkapi, who was the first dancer to have her own show on Turkish television.

Nesrin Topkapi saidi routine 

Oriental dance today is performed for tourists at every turn, and some of the new generation dancers have obtained “Idol” status in television contests, such as Asena and Didem (find them on YouTube. . . they are amazing!)

Turkish superstar Didem

At the end of the day, Egyptian and Turkish style belly dance is much the same. The only significant difference is the use of the 9/8 rhythm used in the music. The dance form is also largely improvisational and makes use of floor work and zills. The Turkish form of belly dance is also considered to be much more liberal when compared to its Egyptian counterpart as it is not governed by Islamic extremists and this can be seen in their risque costumes and sensual dance moves. 

(Source: www.kristinamelike.com)

Star Stalker Sunday: Samia Gamal

Zainab Ibrahim Mahfuz was born in 1924 in a little Egyptian town names Wana. When her family moved to Cairo, her path crossed with that of Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance. Zainab was accepted into Badia’s dance company and was given the stage name Samia Gamal. She danced alongside Tahia Carioca and the two was considered to be Badia’s protégés.  After a while, Samia developed as a soloist and started incorporating elements of classical ballet and Latin American dancing into her improvisational style. She was also the first dancer to incorporate a veil in her dancing, after receiving instruction at the Ivanova Belly Dancing School. Samia was not only a belly dancer, but also a film actress. Her filmography included “She-devil.” “The valley of the kings,” “Jackal of the desert” and “Blood in the desert.” She starred alongside Farid al-Atrash, Nabil Al Alfi, Dalida and Kouka. There was a spark of romance between her and Farid al-Atrash, but the union didn’t last very long. Samia stared in international films as well, including “Ali Baba et le quarante voleurs.” (Ali Baba and the forty thieves) She married twice in her life, but none of the marriages lasted very long either.  She died in 1994 on December 1st in Cairo, but her legacy in belly dancing lingers on.  (Source: www.bellydance.org)

Friday Favourites...



Sista-hood of the BLING.....




Gypsy Tribal......love the patterned skirt

                

Something different but so striking



Vintage leg bling...if not, why not!




Dare to be different...harem pants



What's not to love...the backbend, the skirt, the colours...



Cream, lace & pewter.....timeless!



Traditional meets Tribal....both equally beautiful

                                                     


Inspiration for the eyes....



Love the pants.....



*All the images are sourced from social media sites that we subscribe to. All credit goes to the photographers and models / dancers in these beautiful images. We just want to share with our 'like-minded' belly babes a bit of inspiration....Happy Friday!