(Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on October 21, 2011. The links in this article were extracted then)
It is near the end of the year again. And that means that it is time to list the top Oriental Dans videos on Youtube.com for 2011.
This year, I made an effort to include what is going on in the Middle East as well as in the West. While most practicers of the ancient art can be found outside the Middle East today- Russia now boasts the most famous school of belly dance in the world and there are more dancers in the U.S. now than in all of the Middle East- it is important to remember that the dance scene there is still a vibrant one. In fact, Cairo, Egypt remains the holy city of belly dance, as it were. Every dancer hopes to perform in Cairo one day. As the mother of the dance, the Middle East has much to teach us concerning the art. You will notice that the various styles of dance there are less concerned with precise choreography, costuming, and skill than elsewhere. Instead, the focus is on the emotion and joy of the dance. And, since belly dance can be a storytelling dance, the instinctive understanding of the native tongues and rhythms of the music lend an easier quality to the performances than the carefully studied and even more carefully applied efforts elsewhere. Both the native expressions and the ever evolving styles of the West represent beautiful, artful performances of a dance as long in history as human life is and all are pure joy to watch and participate in.
So let's get to the videos! I have listed them here in no particular order or arrangement. Each year that I endeavor to make this list it becomes harder to narrow down the number included. The popularity of Oriental Dans is growing and it is even beginning to take a place in mainstream culture that it has never had outside of its countries of origin. This year, there are 28 videos of joyful, bouncing, intense, and sultry performances. Have fun!
1. I start out with a bit of cabaret. Youtube user RahelClaman has uploaded for us a video of presumably one of her own performances that she has titled "Rahel Bellydancing at VFS Impact Awards 2010". This is a three-part performance featuring familiar songs from the Belly Dance Super Stars canon: the first song is "Warda", followed by "Sahra Saidi", and finishing with "Sexy Saidi". This is an excellent example of cabaret in the West and what most folks commonly think of when presented with the words belly dance. Rahel is sweet, graceful, skilled, and wonderful to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejhct4mBy5Q&feature=channel_video_title
2. Next is a bit of American Tribal Style (ATS) belly dance (a uniquely American take on Oriental Dans). User danomoon offers us a view of his wife's dance troupe WildCard BellyDance. He has titled this video as "WildCard BellyDance - Tribal Style Hafla 2011" and it gives us the group-feel inherent in that style. In this ensemble dance, both zills and swords come out to play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBJrdH3_g7w&list=FLxtmPHopi2cvhUfICpcOW5A&index=1&feature=plpp
3. Ansuya Rathor is one of the most celebrated dancers performing today and is a regular on the Belly Dance Super Stars Tour. User dreamtymefilms has uploaded for us a fairly good sampling of her cabaret fusion style that they call "DreamTyme Bellydance Presents: Ansuya Rathor on Maui". Besides Ansuya's energetic and mesmerizing skill, what I really enjoy about this piece is that one can actually hear the beautiful zing of the zills. Usually, the overdubbing of the music later silences such nuances, but here they ring out clearly. And that is appropriate since Ansuya is possibly the most skilled with zills in the West. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtnteZZnOv4&feature=related
4. Now for a taste of the Middle East in our list. User sheihamar gives us Sabah performing happily with her orchestra in Israel. "Orit Maftsir!!! Sabah's Yana Yana" is a joyful experience. I love the way Sabah sings along as she dances. Clearly, this is a dancer who enjoys her work and she is good at it, too! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjCBoJFGApQ
5. Over the years, Tribal Fusion (an outgrowth of ATS and the most popular form of Oriental Dans on Youtube) has continued to evolve as more and more is fused into the style, so we will see as we continue down our list. User genocida gives us Morgana performing her interpretation of the Immortal Serpent legend: "Immortal Serpent - Morgana (2006)". Morgana usually performs the Gothic style, but this is much less dark and sometimes one forgets that she is human and not a snake! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoarXuaYjGI&feature=related
6. In the world of belly dance, Petite Jamilla (another veteran of the Belly Dance Super Stars Tour) is known as the Queen of Turns or the Spinning Queen. User aaishayunuen's "Petite Jamilla" aptly demonstrates why. It also is an example of the diverse musical styles that are finding their way into the belly dance repertoire. For this performance, Petite Jamilla chose "Ajaja" by Ramses, a prog-rock band from Germany who often uses Middle Eastern rhythms in their music as well as Arabic song titles. Notice there are two veils in this performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KIII7g8-WQ
7. User PersephoneUnderw0rld uploaded the next video on our list. This is Tribal Fusion in its typical evolved form. Sherri (a.k.a. Cherchez La Femme) mesmerizes her audience with an intense solo performance and (as always with Sherri) fantastic music. Her bedlah (costume) almost reminds one of an owl and what hooked me is the opening few seconds. Does anyone else remember the 1980s Jim Henson film "Dark Crystal"? Then you'll recognize those first few haunting notes. It is also nice that one can hear the tinkling of her hip scarf and other ornamentation on her bedlah. To fully enjoy "SHERRI at TRIBAL CHIC'S SHOW (2 of 2) Luz de Gas, Barcelona", I recommend getting a firm hold on your chair. You just might forget where you are! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aBXBYhnHog&feature=feedrec_grec_index
8. More cabaret in this video and the most beautiful bedlah I've ever seen! User nucleoddv shares with us Ju Marconato of Brazil doing her stuff. In "JU MARCONATO BELLY DANCE", we get a very nice sampling of her take on the smooth, graceful methods of the Egyptian style. Well done, Ju! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVT53PG0fcg&list=FLxtmPHopi2cvhUfICpcOW5A&index=3&feature=plpp
9. The lady in this video needs no introduction in the belly dance world. The undisputed ruling queen of Tribal Fusion, Rachel Brice shows us how a drum solo should be danced in this video uploaded by taliajazel. "Rachel Brice insane belly dancing" is an example of why this Belly Dance Super Star is often imitated, never duplicated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDNCPR-u3rE&feature=feedrec_grec_index
10. Back to our Middle Eastern dancers, this is Fifi Abdou dancing with a live band. Fifi is a legend of the dance and you can easily see why. Her movements are easy, unforced, not over-thought. If one listens very, very closely, one does hear her zills at times. There is nothing shy in this clip. Fifi shows us what vitality is. User malikaalia's "Fifi Abdou Bellydancer" is worthy of repeat viewings- an excellent place to learn new moves to possibly incorporate into your own dances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvFJ7c_1t0g&feature=related
11. User 927272246 shares with us a sword dance worthy of a movie about Cleopatra. "Sword Belly dance" is an ensemble performance drenched in candle light. Watch out! There are a lot of swords here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZhBB8OTccY
12. User MarimarBd has a reputation for top quality Oriental Dans videos and here is yet another example. "Sharon Kihara - Tribal Fusion Belly Dance" is a stunning example that belly dance, and in particular, Tribal Fusion, can be performed to anything. Sharon's music here is a combination of animal sounds and more. What she does with it is equally fascinating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRbjrug8Irw
13. User BellyJae offers us vintage Tribal Fusion in the form of Avasa. I first came across "Avasa" in 2006 and was fortunate to rediscover it by accident. The simplicity of both her movements and her bedlah speak to the era of Tribal Fusion to which it belongs. This video is all about attitude, and it is awesome! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7X45EXe8r0&feature=feedrec_grec_index
14. "Petals of the Fire" uploaded by dervishashirin shows us what that world famous school in Russia is producing. This dynamic performance revs up the pulse and has something in common with interpretive dance. Christina Vlasova does an amazing mimicry here that you will watch over and over. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTqZ8GyF2qw&NR=1
15. User shakti10's "BELLYDANCER SAIDA -DERBAKE" shares the performance of one of the premiere belly dancers in the world today. Saida demonstrates dancing the derbake in Argentina. She is a good example of both the West and Middle Eastern aesthetics of the dance. Her skill is undeniable, her costume gorgeous, it is difficult to get more precise than this choreography; and yet the pure joy of dancing still shines through in her performances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJmBV47hm9w
16. User seraswan offers us "Sera Solstice: Rakassah West solo 2009" which demonstrates Tribal Fusion as the ever evolving art it is. Sera incorporates jazz dance into her style for a truly interesting and innovative dance that captures the viewer in wonder. I would really like to see more of this in the future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPaAj1kUcd4&feature=related
17. User DaughtersofDurga has uploaded "Rachel Brice and Mardi Love Perform at The MASSIVE Spectacular! 2008". This features two members of the world famous dance troupe the Indigo, all of whom are Belly Dance Super Stars. In this performance, these amazing girls reach back to the beginning days of Tribal Fusion and show us a retrospective interpretation of the vintage style that they helped to create and continue to take to every imaginable level as it evolves. In fact, this piece has more in common with ATS than with Tribal Fusion as usually performed today. Clearly, they are just having fun with this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxiCQXBtHG0&feature=feedrec_grec_index
18. User ammura gives us a glimpse of belly dance queen Suheir Zaki in "Suheir Zaki". A legend of bellydance, Suheir shows us again the graceful, fun, and easy style of Egyptian cabaret. She has a modesty and fluidity to her dance (despite her bedlah, which is unusually revealing for a Middle Eastern dancer) that makes one think one is watching a ray of sunlight dancing in and out of shadows. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu58AV6BsBo&feature=related
19. AmaliaMaya offers us one of her own performances with "Tribal Fusion Bellydance - Orientalia 2007". Amalia demonstrates Tribal Fusion with a fearless, take-no-prisoners attitude. Her bedlah is striking, particularly the headpiece. And I really like her choices of music for this. The overall effect is almost intimidating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ez8dhip_U&feature=feedrec_grec_index
20. wannabeonutubetoo gives us another performance by Petite Jamilla in the upload "Petite Jamilla Bellydance Superstars". I really love Jamilla's pants here. And her performance is splendid, almost exhausting. Here the Queen of Turns has more curly hair and demonstrates that she is just as skillful with the rest of the dance as she is with spinning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVwEztD9xnU&feature=related
21. I really can't say much about this video. The information included with it is in a language that I am not familiar enough to attempt to guess at what it says. User samantarizzato shares "Hadara Nur e Bia Fernandes - Dupla Campeã do Mercado Persa 2011" with us and I can say that these two ladies have perfect synchronicity. This is simple Egyptian cabaret, no frills or very many obvious embellishments, but done most beautifully. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhVfQAqhSmY&feature=feedlik
22. This upload by blackzebra72 is of one of my favorite dancers. Marina here demonstrates for us the Turkish cabaret style. My all-time favorite performance by Marina has apparently not found its way to Youtube yet, so this will have to do. "Marina Bellydance" is a traditional cane dance and Marina may be small, but she's a little riot of joy and energy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDAcQG5I9x4
23. User patinka gives us one of her own performances with the video "Patricia Tribal Fusion Solo Nov 2006". Patricia is an excellent dancer. This performance, which she bills as a tribute to Belly Dance Super Star Kami Liddle, fuses Bollywood movements and poses for a dance that I certainly watched more than once. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rixKfrgGrvY&feature=feedrec
24. Back to the Middle East we go with a view of another belly dance legend. User Alice1968World gives us "NELLY FUAD Balady" which is just what it says: Nelly Fouad dancing to a baladi beat. This was filmed in the 1970s, I think, hence the multi-frame shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRFKOU8sf4s
25. User TaiChiDancer has uploaded for us a clip from a cable television show that features the Ultra Gypsy Dance Troupe. "Ultra Gypsy" is an ensemble dance of gypsy fusion Oriental Dans with Jill Parker as lead dancer. If you watch carefully, you'll also be able to pick out Rachel Brice in what may be her only performance while wearing her hair down. The music is a live band and was composed especially for this performance. Here is some of the best belly dancing you'll see anywhere. And the joy that infuses this piece is contagious! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydMv17AsMJo&feature=feedwll&list=WL
26. User StudioEast shares with us one of the most powerful dances on this list. "Irina Akulenko - "Justice" from "Tarot - Fantasy Bellydance" DVD" is another dance that holds something akin to interpretive dance. Irina is wearing a very simple bedlah for this sword dance in which she personifies the concept of justice. She has embraced the idea that justice is blind by wearing a blindfold and the idea that it is in servitude to higher ideals by offering up the sword to an unseen figure at the end of the dance. She incorporates some Bollywood dance moves and the music she has chosen is simply beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XGIRLwcw4o&list=WL47056B2CA70145A1&index=5
27. User anmagi offers us a compilation piece of various lovely moments of the Indigo Dance Troupe's 2010 tour in "The Indigo "Serpent Rouge Tour" 2010". This is an excellent example of this amazing dance troupe's whimsical take on Tribal Fusion belly dance. The troupe is made up of Belly Dance Super Stars Tour veterans Zoe Jakes, Mardi Love, and Rachel Brice and this video was recorded at the Market Theatre in Seattle. Although the video is quite long, it is so entertaining that one hardly notices. Unfortunately, I don't know who the male dancer is, but in order to clown with the dance so well he must be a good dancer himself, so I wish I knew. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WXo-xmSahA
28. For our final video, we return to the Middle East and user sheihamar for "Arabic bellydance- Orit". It appears that the dancer here is again Sabah with a risque piece- she removes some of her bedlah to change the look and feel for the second part of the dance, something that is sometimes viewed as vulgar in Oriental Dans wherever it is performed, but particularly in the Middle East. Still, as before, there is a collective joy to this performance that is rare in other parts of the world. If one listens very carefully, one will hear the crowd singing along to the song, even though it is played as an instrumental. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c35uT8EvBq4&NR=1
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