5 Reasons Why I'm Passionate About Oriental Dance
When I started belly dancing, I started due to its elegance. After some time, I discovered it is so much more than that:
1. Oriental Dance is a highly communicative dance. It is for sure a dance of sharing with the audience. In the Arabic world it is a social dance and that is its origins, only in the beginning of the 20th century did it came up first time on stage. So, it’s natural that it is so close to people. I love how I can give and receive to and from the audience when I am performing, it’s true communication.
2. It’s an extremely expressive/emotional art form. It really is about expressing your deep feelings. The Arabic classical songs are rich in instruments and beautiful lyrics, which just makes you go out of yourself and dive deep in the music. Besides, the technique is so organic and natural to our body, with little rules, for you to express what is inside.
3. One thing that fascinates me about this dance is how versatile it is. You can be super dramatic and strong, or sweet and elegant. You can be soft with a veil, or strong with a drum solo, pick your choice according to your mood and personality.
Besided the classical style, the dancers also dance several arabic folklores! In the image, you can see me dancing Saidi, an arabic folklore.
4. Oriental Dance is the oldest form of dancing, it is full of wisdom and history, it is also an ethnic dance, from the Middle Eastern World, full of culture. Therefore, this dance is a world, there is so much to learn, so many styles from so many regions and countries, there is never a stop on your discovery and study.
5. Finally, it is a soloist dance, that allows me to do whatever I want: I can choose my music, choreograph it, practice it and perform it, when I want, how I want and where I want. I don’t have the trouble of needing a partner to sync, nor a group.
What about you? Tell me what you love about our dance.