Belly Dance Styles
Belly Dancing articles - by Veda SereemModern Egyptian cabaret dancing is very controlled, elegant, refined and may even include some ballet. Muscular control is emphasized and movements are small and internalized. "Less is More" is the working philosophy. Egyptians must by law wear stomach covers, so many followers of this style do also.
It is widely believed that the wearing of navel jewelry has its origins in the early film industry days of Hollywood where exposure of the belly button was considered taboo. A Saudi woman told me that stones are placed in the navel to practice abdominal exercises and the stone being held in place solely by muscle control. As one accomplishes the muscle control you become more adapt so the size of the stone is increased.
Turkish style cabaret is "Anything Goes" seems to be more of the working philosophy. Dancers are very flamboyant, large earthy movements, leaps and pelvic movements are all part of the style. The Kashlimar is Turkish and is rarely danced in Egypt, where is was outlawed after the Ottoman Turks were ousted.
Lebanese cabaret dance is somewhere between Egyptian and Turkish styles. The dance is very dramatic, elegant in style with many poses, direction changes and power hip movements. Of course, when we get into the folkloric basis of the dance, there are many more dance styles than countries.
Beledi is the dance of the Egyptian countryside; it i also the music. When taken to the stag it becomes an "urban beledi" with more glitzy costumes. The usual costume is a fitted caftan slit up one or both sides called a beledi dress. A triangular headscarf is also commonly worn. Many Egyptian folk dances such as cane and basket are performed in the beledi.
Gypsy dance is another style which is widely danced in the U.S. Gypsies originally from India and traveled thorough out the mid east and Europe bringing their dances with them. The Ghawazhees were originally Egyptian Gypsy street dancers.
Khaleeji dance is the dance of the Persian Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. The dancers were a very full often embroidered caftan called a thobe nashal. Most movements are centered in the shoulders and there is a distinctive hair toss.