Countries Worth Visiting To Learn More About Belly Dance
Posted: Thursday, March 05, 2009
by Paul Symonds
http://www.investsicily.com
Belly dance is a type of dance that originates from the Middle East and spread afterwards to Mediterranean areas including Northern Africa. Nowadays, belly dance is practised by women all over the world and everywhere you can find good belly dance teachers and bellydance festivals, conventions and events.
However, there are some countries that are worth visiting if you would like to learn more about the cultures that belly dance originates from. In some of these countries you will be able to take belly dance lessons from very skilled local dancers and teachers, who will help you give a deeper dimension to your style. In other countries belly dancing in public is not allowed and it is maybe only performed by women privately in their own homes, so you will not be able to take lessons or see shows, but visiting these countries can nevertheless be culturally interesting.
Turkey is the second most popular country for belly dancers, where, just like in Egypt, it is possible to buy belly dance items and clothes, take dance lessons and see performances. The Turkish belly dance style is quite different from the Egyptian style, so it is worth travelling to both countries to have a wider range of experiences.
Other countries culturally very interesting and where belly dance trips are organised are Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon. Each of these countries has its particular style of dancing and, particularly in Lebanon, people are tolerant towards public belly dance performances and the Lebanese satellite channel LBC even has a reality TV show, called called Hizi Ya Nawaem or World Belly Dance Championship. However, it is not always safe travelling to Lebanon, so it is worth checking the political climate before you go.
Last but not least, the USA are worth a visit from belly dance enthusiasts, especially for those who are interested in tribal style belly dancing, which was invented in the USA. The USA was the first western country to rediscover belly dance when it was prohibited in its countries of origin, thanks to the influx of immigrants and of different cultures that it received over the years. California in particular is home to some of the best belly dancers in the USA, such as Suhaila Salimpour (daughter of Jamila Salimpour, who inspired a whole generation of belly dancers), Jim Boz, Jenna, Michelle Joyce and the Belly Dance Superstars. One of the biggest belly dance festivals in the world, Rakkasah, takes place in California every March. There are famous belly dancers on the East Coast too, such as Morocco who is based in New York and, having been involved in Middle Eastern dance for over forty years, is an authority in this field.
So, my advice to all belly dance enthusiasts is that it is really worth travelling if possible, in order to learn about the beautiful art of belly dance in all its forms, in different cultural settings. It is fascinating to meet dancers from all over the world who, in spite of their cultural differences, have in common the passion for this ancient dance form.
Paul writes about Belly Dance advice and Belly Dancing news.
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