Belly Up
Skilled belly dancers still the night away at Paper Heart
Skylar Audesirk
|
The Valley's first showcase of Middle Eastern dance troupes, titled Troupeapalooza, is coming to The Paper Heart in Phoenix this Saturday.
Observe a full lineup of sassy, hip-shaking women from many local dance troupes, including Dakini Devi, Bedouin Tribe, Apna Punjab and Black Opal as they perform various styles of Middle Eastern dance, including cabaret, Bhangra, jungle belly, tribal, tribal fusion and fusion.
Cabaret features a blend of comedy, song, dance and theatrics. Bhangra involves lively singing, as well as a variety of ethnic instruments - such as the dhol drum - that relate to harvest celebration, love and patriotism. Jungle belly merges traditional African dance and Middle Eastern belly dancing. Tribal is an ethnic-interpretive, archetypical belly dance developed in America. Tribal fusion combines modern belly dance with an assortment of other contemporary and traditional dance forms, such as popping, flamenco, Kathak and breakdance.
Belly dance is a Western name for an Arabic-style of performance dance, incorporating many styles of ethnic folk dance, developed from social dances native to the Middle East. In Palestine, belly dance is performed by men and women of all ages during casual gatherings and community celebrations, such as weddings. Natives learn the dance at an early age through informal observation and imitation of practiced elders.
The popularity of belly dance began to grow outside of the Middle East during the Romantic movement in the 18th and 19th centuries as Middle Eastern dancers began performing at world fairs and artists began depicting various interpretations of harem life in the Ottoman Empire.
Now, belly dance appears across the globe. In America, a theatrical adaptation of the traditional folkloric Middle Eastern belly dance is currently the most prevalent form and is commonly seen in nightclubs.
Now's your chance to get in on the action.
Troupeapalooza Belly Dance Show, The Paper Heart, 750 N.W. Grand Avenue, Phoenix, 602.262.2020, Saturday, April 28, 7 p.m., $6
Be the first to comment on this story