Belly dance to burlesque?

Sapphira · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2006, 10:56 AM

Hi,

I have been belly dancing professionally for four years now but have always had a love of pin-up girls and general burlesque cuteness.

How can I progress from belly dancing to burlesque? Any tips on how to change my existing belly dancing performances? Do I need to wear nipple tassles? Should I strip?

I've done shows at Rudegirls and Whoopee and they went well but I'm thinking of making a more burlesque style part of my show.

I've also read in several places that burlesque was inspired by belly dancing a la Little Egypt.

Any tips?
Sapph

Miss BabyBones · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2006, 01:39 PM

hiya!

its so good that theres a link between belly dancing and burlesque!

theres lots of performers out there into both, me included!

personally i think all versions of belly dance are fab, including burlesque style ones.

good luck making new acts, im sure they'll be wicked!

xxx

honey-moon · #3 (**permalink**) 04-10-2006, 02:25 PM

well hi there baby I did'nt recogise you from your pic there.
I must say you did a brill job of your bellyburlesque at
volute on saterday

Foxy · #4 (**permalink**) 04-10-2006, 04:56 PM

Hi Sapphira.

I also started in bellydance. I still use Egyptian and Turkish moves in all of my routines. I actually can't stop myself.

When I do a bellydance as a burlesque performance I add elements like removing veils, cute bunces, winks to the audience and frilly pants. all stuff my bellydance teacher would chringe at.

Kittie does an amazing bellydance involving candles and wine.

Lilly Dumont also has bought her conciderable bellydance skills to the burlesque stage with her own very unique twist.

and it not just us even the classics from Mata Hari to Bettie Page have used bellydance in their acts.

Most iportant thing i think is to have fun with it.

xx Fox

Lily Dumont · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2006, 07:23 PM

Hi Sapphira.

I have to admit, this is somethign I've been thinking about more closely for a while. I did do a bellydance/burlesque routine (shedding the skin of the snake, etc) but. for various reasons I've curtailed that act. Basically, I (like Foxy) can't stop myself from using BD moves and principals in the dancing I do, burlesque wise. However, I become more and more aware of the BD community's problem with striptease - bellydancers get unfairly labeled as exotic and erotic when it's a middle eastern danceform. Not that it's not sensual, but it's not stripping. So in this vein. I'm now very reticent to do a "bellydance act" as such. Sometimes it edges closer, but. if I'm hired to do a bellydance, I do a bellydance and if it's a burlesque act they want, they get one.

So my (very convaluted!) advice is. if you want to get into burlesque, you have a BRILLIANT foundation dance-wise and can definately use a lot of moves in burlesque (things like the bump and grind, shimmies, hits, etc - all BD and burlesque staples!) butin terms of acts, maybe steering a little clear of bellydance directly might be a good way to go. Then, if they want a dance of the seven veils, a salome sword dance (I've got one of those in the works.!) or something edging towards a more BD skill area, you have a headstart.

Princess Farhana adopts this method, as far as I know - she's very cabaret BD-wise (and apparently the kitch transfers to burlesque!) but keeps the two in very high esteem (bellydancing isn't "better", just different) but very seperate. She wrote a great article for the Guilded Serpent about BD and burlesque, I'm fairly sure it's still available online, if you want to go and have a poke?

Hope this has been some food for thought, even if you disagree.

Kittie · #6 (**permalink**) 04-11-2006, 01:05 AM

Hi Saph,

it was great to meet you tonight at the meeting - i hope to wor with you soon.

Regarding making the Belly Dancy - Burlesque connection it's quite simple - CONTEXT and SITUATIONAL COMEDY

That's how i encorporate my belly dancing in to a Burlesque routine. Burlesque literaly means 'to satire' or parody, so come up with a character and a little story and tell it through dance, mime and the occasional novelty item.

My belly dance act is a 'Tribute to Hathor' or'Isis' - it begins as a very serious veil dance and the audience are led to believe it's a reinactment of an ancient ritual dance - 'a beauty rite'.

The irony is. that it sure is an ancient beauty rite, but it's all too honest and 'ohh the pain of it all!'. that's where the hot wax comes in.

Anyway,

keep us posted!

Lily Dumont · #7 (**permalink**) 04-11-2006, 01:36 PM

I agree with Kittie. The thing I suppose I object to (and that I know fellow BD enthusiasts are touchy about) is when there isn't that context - when it's just naked belly dancing. I saw one performer (who shall remain nameless.) who wanted to transition from BD to burlesque and the act basically ended up with this person dancing for a couple of minutes. then taking all their clothes off (and I mean ALL, no wink and tease). It felt very cheap, both on the side of BD and burlesque. and I suppose this is what I'd guard against.

And the hot wax thing sounds interesting.

Sapphira · #8 (**permalink**) 04-11-2006, 06:20 PM

Hi guys,

Kittie, it was lovely meeting you last night, too! I'll be seeing you at Lost Society very soon!

I take your point on the satire and parody angle. It'll be good to show you what I do to get some honest critique.

Lily, thanks for your input, too. When I see burlesque shows, I totally notice loads of borrowed or adapted belly dance moves, so I can see how easy it would be to incorporate them.

Also, the reason I put this idea to the forum was because I DO have a problem with belly dancing getting confused with stripping and anything too salacious because it is a very sacred and sensual form of self expression and I, too, have seen someone (perhaps the same someone) belly dancing and taking all their clothes of and it was quite off putting and inappropriate. I just read Princess Farhana's piece on Guilded Serpant only a few weeks ago so we must both be 'on the same page' - boom, boom!

Anyway, I've certainly got some ideas from y'all.

Cheers!

PS. It wasn't me at Volupte on saturday night! Soz. x

Shogunmiyu · #9 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 03:29 PM

Hi Sapphira!

I'm Ben, and I have been bellydancing for four years, but I'm not a pro sadly. I can easily imagine a link between burlesque and bellydancing: two very sensual, sexy and entertaining, not to mention beautiful dance types. Although bellydancing for me is a form of expressing yourself, it's beautiful to watch and certainly raises the pulse!

Just like burlesque!

Miss Luna Eclipse · #10 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 11:04 PM

I agree with what everyone has said on here. I teach belly dance for my living, and its really hard getting booked for shows, and everyone expects you to be a stripper. I adore burlesque! But its not belly dance (obviously). Ive started doing a lot of belly/burlesque routines and like it was mentioned above there is definietly context required. I try and ham up the routines as much as possible, very cheesecakey. I think it works good that way. Especially as burlesque isn't burlesque without a bit of a giggle!!