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Directions in Dance

Exploring the decisions that affect artistic direction.

Teaching Bellydance - Physical Limitations and Pregnancy

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Space and Sound: The effects of live and pre-recorded music on dance

Many dancers, musicians and performing artists have tried their hand at digitally editing performance footage at some time, perhaps from live gigs or for promotional clips . I've been editing for many years, and have several sound engineers in the family who digitally master music. We've found these waveforms to be quite revealing, highlighting nuances that are sometimes difficult to pick up by listening alone. To observe audio as digital waveforms is always fascinating, as they show the 'structural form' of sound. In recent years, whilst editing dance performance clips, some interesting patterns and differences between live music and pre-recorded waveforms have emerged, that have spiked my curiosity. The main difference is the syncopation of sound with visual performance footage that to live music, compared to choreographed work to pre-recorded cd tracks. In 1998, when I filmed and edited "Bellydance Live" in Cairo, with an Egyptian band, where we d...

Cultural Appropriation & Enculturation in the Middle Eastern Dance Arts

Trio of dancers with Milayah Laff - photo courtesy Mahmoud Reda There has recently been much controversy about 'cultural appropriation', both in our dance circles and in popular broadcast media. As bellydancers, we will be affected by this issue at some point in our dance-lives; both individually and collectively. Bellydance is largely an appropriated, and often homogenized art form, utilizing bits and pieces from various cultural dances, many of which cross over in terms of historical transfer, innate movement quality, cultural motif and design. So how and where do we need to create boundaries that distinguish ethical use of another culture’s traditions, verses non-ethical treatment of cultural arts, or even worse… how do we deal with total ignorance of the matter? How can we become more discerning as artists, performers and teachers, and establish common ethical ground to better handle the way we understand cultural transference, and are more discerning with the ...

Sensory Bellydance - Somatic Approaches to Improve the Dancer's Experience from the Inside Out Article by Keti Sharif, Dec 2024 A Somatic approach to Bellydance movement focuses on enhancing awareness of the body’s internal sensations and fostering a deeper connection between mind and body. This approach contrasts with more externally-focused techniques, which might emphasise the performance of specific movements or adherence to prescribed forms. Instead, Somatic practices invite dancers to explore how movement feels from the inside out, improving the quality of movement by promoting fluidity, ease, and mindfulness. Bellydancing, with its sensual, free-form nature, is a highly Somatic dance practice, and can create a beautifully sensory experience for the dancer. Its blend of hypnotic rhythm and flow, contrasting accents and curves, and emotional content, easily lends it self to the Somatic space. Bellydancing in all its wonderfully diverse forms, celebrates the body with heightene...