Gothic bellydance

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Tempest, Gothic belly dance performer/instructor, USA
Tempest, Gothic belly dance performer/instructor, USA

Gothic Bellydance is a recent and rapidly growing dance art movement, currently becoming very popular in both, the amateur and professional dance communities of the United States and Europe. [1]

Contents

[edit] History

Originating in the Middle East and North Africa, the art of belly dance arrived in the West within the trend of Orientalism. Exotic to the Western eye and mysterious in its roots, belly dance has always attracted interpretive dance artists who have woven it into many trends of Western culture. The new millennium brought a revival of popular interest in Goth subculture and Gothic art motifs in dance, and a new interpretive style, Gothic belly dance, was propelled to prominence.

Dance publications started exploring this new phenomenon [2], thousands of Gothic belly dance enthusiasts have subscribed to online discussion groups dedicated to this genre, leading artists started traveling across the US and overseas with workshops and tours, DVDs [3] featuring Gothic belly dance performances [4] and instructional materials have appeared on commercial retail shelves.

Gothic belly dance was born in the 1990s in US urban centers as a blend of Goth and world music, the movement vocabulary of belly dance and other dance forms, and Gothic fashion and aesthetics. Performing at Gothic-theme events and Goth clubs, dancers started to explore Goth music and adopt costuming styles incorporating Victorian, vampire, dark cabaret, silent-movie vamp, industrial and other visual themes related to Goth subculture.

[edit] The 21st century

As a modern and versatile world dance genre, belly dance has yielded an array of interpretive dance sub-styles compatible with modern music and imagery. Dancers performing Gothic belly dance usually retain their preferred technique - mostly modern cabaret and tribal fusion belly dance - but also bring new emphasis to the dramatic and theatrical features of their dance to match the intensity and vibe of Goth music.

Gothic belly dance discussion groups hosted by tribe.net, MySpace and other online community sites connected dancers from around the world, making possible workshops and tours, and helping this new genre to solidify and gain recognition within the larger dance community. In addition, the rapidly expanding global access to free online video resources at YouTube and similar sites has allowed artists to unify and combine their efforts in promoting and developing their genre - unconstrained by national borders, scarcity of funds or lack of support from their local communities.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] Information and discussion resources

[edit] Official websites of Gothic bellydance instructors