Raqs Sharqi (Belly Dancing)

Despite it’s westernized name “Belly Dancing”, Raqs Sharqi uses movements in every muscle group of the body. It is, fundamentally, a solo improvisational dance using it’s own unique dance vocabulary and story that is fluidly integrated with the music’s rhythm.

Raqs Sharqi dancers internalize and express the emotions evoked by the music. Appropriately, the music is integral to the dance. The most admired dancers are those who can best project their emotions or stories through dance, even if their dance is only made up of simple movements. The dancer’s goal is to visually communicate to the audience the emotion and rhythm of the music.

Many see Raqs Sharqi as a woman's dance, celebrating the sensuality and power of being a mature woman, although men have been known to dance in this style as well. Young dancers are believed to have limited life experience to use as a catalyst for the dance and therefore may not evoke the feeling and emotions required to be a successful dancer until later in life. In Egypt all popular female dancers are above the age of forty and are much revered for their beauty and dance ability!

I teach a form of Gypsy style improvised Belly Dance rooted in the Egyptian style, with a mix of Lebanese, Moroccan, Turkish, etc... Classes are continuous, meaning that you may join at any time as I teach the beginner class 8 core moves which are repeated and worked on until perfected, before moving ahead.
For more information on classes, click here.

Watch & listen to Taraf de Haidouks - probably the most renowned Gypsy musicians in the world (12 musicians ranging in age from 18 - 74 years). Featured in many films by award winning Gypsy filmmaker Tony Gatlif.