Taconeo from "Carmen"

Flamenco rhythmic footwork is called "Taconeo". This clip from Carlos Saura's movie, "Carmen", is an excellent example of the different rhythmic combinations of Taconeo.

Elements of "taconeo" include...

Planta: Ball of the foot

Tacon: the heel of the foot. It also refers to the drop of the heel from the planta or golpe position

Punta: the toe of the foot. It also refers to striking the floor behind or in front of the standing leg with the tip of the toe, immediately rebounding to approximately the ankle of the standing leg. Thus, the point of the toe makes an audible sound on the floor.

Golpe: the full sole of the foot striking or stamping upon the floor. Golpe also refers to rhythmic acceleration.

Por Tarantos

A vintage flamenco clip from the 1970's. "Por Tarantos" is a very somber and serious dance that belongs in the "cante jondo" family.

Flamenco dance uses costume as an extension of the dancers body. In the introduction, she masterfully plays with the "manton" (shawl) like a matador and exaggerate her movements with the long train of her ruffled skirt called "bata de cola".

The finger snapping is called "pitos" whereby you snap pinky, ring, middle, and index finger consecutively after the other.

Saiidi by The Indigo

The Indigo, tribal bellydancing troupe spearheaded by Rachel Brice. This is a clip from the Bellydance Superstars Show.

Turkish Drop

Dilek, Turkish bellydancer from San Diego, performing to Karsilimas. A popular 9/8 Turkish rhythm. She does a flawless Turkish drop in this dance. The Turkish drop is when you spin and drop to floor in a backbend.

Another example of Turkish drop.

Don't do this at home kids.

Fat Chance Bellydance

Fat Chance Bellydance, the dance phenomomen to hit San Francisco. Carolena Nericcio had the idea to fuse flamenco and indian forms into bellydance creating what is known as American Tribal Bellydance. With this fusion, she also influenced elaborate costuming with long flowing skirts, headresses, and adornment of jewelry creating a "tribal" look.

American Tribal Bellydance is more earthy and grounded than the other bellydance forms and focuses on group choreography rather than solo dancing as demonstrated in cabaret style. You may not notice because the dancers are perfectly synchronized but ATB is based on improvisation. There is no set choreography, subtle cues from the dance leader tell the group when to transition into the next move.

They're even better when you watch them live, so beautiful and mesmorizing!

Rachel Brice Solo

Rachel Brice, a bellydancer from San Francisco, was responsible for putting American Tribal style on the map and gaining the respect it deserves in the bellydance world. For years, it was not regarded as a legitimate bellydance art form until Rachel Brice joined the BDSS (Bellydance Superstars) and proved them wrong.

Tribal bellydance is more athletic than cabaret style. It requires even more muscle control and flexibility. With Rachel's background in yoga, she executes snake-like movements effortlessly. Watching this clip you can't help but wonder whether she has a vertebrae at all.

Floorwork - Commentary

A cheesy clip but an accurate explanation of floorwork. Floorwork is no longer practiced in bellydance throughout the Middle East since it was banned in the 1950's. Today it is a standard practice among American bellydancers.

Floorwork - Cabaret Style

Here is a short clip showing Cabaret Style floorwork.

Floorwork - American Tribal Style

Here is an example of a dancer doing floor work American Tribal Style. ATB or Gothic Bellydance is known for it's snakelike movements.

Fifi Abdo

Fifi Abdo, one of the most celebrated bellydancers in Egypt. Back in the day her shows were thought of as "controversial". The attention and commotion gave her even more notoriety. She then became one of the most influential bellydancers in Egypt if not the world.

Nagwa Fouad

In 1958 , 15 year Nagwa ran away from her Alexandria home to Cairo. She found a job as a telephone receptionist at the Orabi Agency for the stars of the Egyptian Cinema. She supported herself and step-mom who had followed her to Cairo.

Nagwa had been entranced by the dancers of the 40's and 50's. To Nagwa Na'ema Akef " moved like magic". Na'ema, Tahiya Karioka and Samia Gamal personified the belly dance tradition in the Middle East. They had left and indelible impression on the young girls mind. Nagwa's dream was to dance.

When Orabi spotted her dancing while on the job and told her that she should be up on stage. He persuaded Nagwa to rent a costume for 50 piastres from Ne'mat Mokhtar. He helped her get a few shows at the Sahara City Tent, which was frequented by tourists. A few months later she was already dancing at the Auberge Nightclub run by Mohamed Abd el Nabie. Her early start was to be marred by her arrest for dancing professionally at an illegal age - Nagwa was not yet 16! "They arrested me and the adab police (vice squad) detained me until we convinced them to change my age," Fouad laughs.

After her release, Nagwa went on to perform at the Abdeen Casino where she met Ahmad Fouad Hassan, a producer of stage shows. He convinced her to perform live at the Adwa El Madina , the most prestigious music and dance show during that era.

Nagwa married Ahmed Fouad Hassan, the late musician and conductor. He gave Nagwa Fouad her "first big break", giving her a chance to appear in the popular 1960s stage show Adwaa Al-Madina (City Lights), which had featured such superstars as Shadia, Abdel-Halim Hafez, Fayza Ahmed, and Sabah. She married Hassan and divorced him 6 years later.

Nagwa's fame skyrocketed in 1976, when composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab wrote an entire musical piece exclusively for her belly dancing. Titled Qamar Arba'tashar, literally meaning Moon of the 14th, the composition served as a transition for Nagwa from traditional oriental dance to more of a choreographed stage performance "It was like a dramatic dance where I was able to combine Tahiya Karioka's style with Na'ema's acrobatic style," she says.

-gobellydance.com

Tahia Carioca

Tahia Carioca, dancer and actress from the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema. Mohamed Abdel Wahab is credited for having said that Tahia was able to show a great deal of movement in very little space. When she danced Raks Sharki, her style was purely "oriental".

Raks Assaya

Egyptian men's cane dance or Raks Assaya is an exciting Egyptian folkoric dance performed with a cane. The dance has its roots in El Saiid or upper Egypt, south of the country. Originally a men's dance that prepared them to fight with warring tribes, the Raks Assaya was also often displayed at times of folkoric festivity. The dance required martial art like concentration and skill to wield long, heavy staffs called 'taktib'.

An example of the women's version of the Saidi Cane Dance

Eva La Yerbabuena

There's something about Eva La Yerbabuena that always reduces me to tears and it's her Duende. It seeps out through her pores, it resonates from the core of her being. Duende is the flamenco term for being in a state of possession. Hard to describe in concrete terms, but when you see it, you'll know it because it is absolutely breath taking!

I saw duende in her tonight. I was so mesmerized, I almost got run over by a car! LOL!

Sword Bellydance

The sword dance or sabre requires a great deal of balance and movement control as demonstrated by Suhaila's Bellydance group.

You can just about balance the sword anywhere. On the head, chin, hip, or wrist, just to name a few.

Morrocan Chaabi

In this clip a Chaabi band is playing at a wedding. Chaabi is Moroccan pop music. Check out the female dancers. Moroccan dance is characterized by a back and forth swaying of the head, lots and lots of hair tossing! These folkloric movements came from a ritual trance dance where women would toss their hair, swaying their head in a back and forth motion to induce a trance-like state.

The Ouled Nail - Algeria

Documentary about the Ouled Nails, a Berber tribe of "dancing girls" from Algeria.

Tunisian Dance

Tunisian dance is characterized by sharp, twisting movements of the hip. Unfortunately, the dancer in this clip is not the greatest example. Her movements are more tame compared to the authentic Tunisian dance. The hip movements should be powerful, fast, and sharp. Although, I do like when she balances the pot on her head.

Doing the hip movements are killer by the way. I can't last more than 5 minutes without having a stitch on my side. Ouch!

Lebanese Bellydance - Merilla

A fine example of Lebanese Bellydance but mediocre use of the veil. The movements are more exaggerated and dramatic compared to Turkish and Egyptian. Shakira dances this style. Can you tell? Lebanese dancers also like to wear 3 inch stiletto heels.

The music being performed by the orchestra is Alf Layla, a Lebanese classic.

Khariya Maazin - Ghawazee

Khariya Maazin the last living survivor of the Maazin Ghawazees. The Ghawazees are tribe of dancing girls in Egypt. They are the precursor to bellydancing.

I wish the clip was longer to show their full movement range but their dance is characterized fast, up and down hip movements accompanied by the stomping of their feet. She doesn't do it in this clip though.

Egyptian belly dance - Saidi

Mahmoud Reda's troupe performing Raqs Baladna Saidi. Saidi is performed in the Egyptian countryside. It's a folkdance as opposed to cabaret (raqs il sharqi) which you commonly see in the nightclubs of Cairo. I love how they're perfectly in sync!

Suhaila Salimpour - Desire

I'm not a big fan of Suhaila's style. Her style is too provocative for my taste and she mixes in other styles like jazz and modern dance. But I do love this choreography! I'm dying to learn it. She actually makes her students sign a contract not to teach or perform this dance in public. Unfortuntely, the video is a bit dark.