Gothic belly dance, also named and separated in substyles as Gothic fusion belly dance, dark fusion belly dance and Gothic tribal fusion, is a recently founded dance art movement, distilled from the influences of
Middle Eastern dance,
tribal fusion,
Goth subculture
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...
, and
Neopaganism
Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various Paganism, historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of No ...
. Originating in the United States in the 1990s, it has spread to be practiced by amateur and professional dancers around the world, and it is growing with the spread of tribal belly dance formats.
History
Originating in the Middle East, South Asia (India), and North Africa, the art of
belly dance arrived in the West with the trend of
Orientalism
In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. In particular, Orientalist p ...
. Exotic to the Western eye and mysterious in its roots, belly dance has always attracted
interpretive dance artists who have woven it into trends of Western culture. As a modern and versatile world
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
genre, belly dance has evolved into an array of interpretive dance sub-styles compatible with modern music and imagery. The new millennium brought a revival of popular interest in
Goth subculture
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...
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, 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 featuring Gothic belly dance performances, and instructional materials have appeared on retail shelves.
Gothic belly dance was born in the 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-themed events and Goth clubs, dancers started to explore Goth music and adopt costuming styles incorporating
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
, vampire,
dark cabaret, silent-movie vamp, industrial, and other visual themes related to
Goth subculture
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...
.
Gothic belly dance is not just a US phenomenon. Its popularity has been growing in the UK and Germany where belly dance artists have been ''dancing darkly'' since the early 1990s. Early Goth dancers did not have a label for what they did, but thanks to the Gothla dance festivals, Gothic belly dance came to be recognised in Europe.
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.
The 21st century
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.
In 2007 Southern California-based dancers and instructors, Tempest and Sashi, launched the annual Gothla, described by the ''
L.A. Weekly'' as "a "Gothic hafla" that combined weekend-long workshops with a Saturday festival featuring 12 hours of performances and merchant booths where dancers could find costumes and accessories."
Gothla UK was also first held in 2007, in
Leicester, England, and is now a highly successful festival covering three days, usually in July. International teachers are joined by UK teachers such as Lucretia (Christine Emery), Fulya (Lynn Chapman), and Akasha (Heike Humphreys) to offer a range of themes not often covered by general belly dance events from
Steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
and 1920s to zombie and vampire belly dance.
Notable performers and troupes
*
Neon (dancer)
Neon is a contemporary belly dance and stiletto dance performer, instructor, and choreographer based in New York City. She is also the founder and owner of Stratostream Entertainment - World Dance New York, a US entertainment company publishing dan ...
* Mahafsoun (Canada)
* Deva Matisa (Germany)
* Ariellah (USA)
See also
*
American Tribal Style Belly Dance
*
Improv Tribal Style Belly Dance Improvisational Team Synchronization, Improv Team Sync, or ITS (formerly Improvisational Tribal Style) belly dance is a style of group dance improvisation, often associated with Tribal Fusion and belly dance. ITS is performed by a group of dancers c ...
*
Tribal Fusion (dance form)
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a modern Western form of belly dance that was created by fusing American Tribal Style belly dance and American Cabaret belly dance. Artists frequently incorporate elements from Popping, Hip Hop, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabare ...
*
Goth subculture
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...
References
External links
What is Gothic Bellydance - The Complete FAQ
- The Gilded Serpent magazine
Linux Journal
- Included in types: Bellydance & Software
Review: Raks Gothique with Tempest
Ohanesian, Liz. "Dancing 'the Dark Side' at Gothla US 2009," ''L.A. Weekly''
Retrieved on 2009-03-10.
{{Gothic
Belly dance
Goth subculture