Sharon Kihara, Belly Dance Superstar
Most belly dancers have heard of Rachel Brice, that wonderful Tribal dancer from Bellydance Superstars. But as I was watching my Superstars DVD, another dancer kept catching my eye. Rachel has wonderful technique but I find her style cool and clinical -- and next to her was a sinuous dancer with warmth and style as well as technique. I discovered her name was Sharon Kihara, and I’m thrilled to find she has released a Tribal Fusion belly dance instructional DVD.
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Tribal Belly Dance – belly dance American Style
Many people assume that Tribal belly dance is an authentic Middle Eastern belly dance style. Not so! Tribal is American and proud of it. This article explains its origins.
There are now many “fusion” variants of the original American Tribal Style. Recognising that ATS itself is a modern invention, tribal dancers are very open to and accepting of new evolutions of the style.
Preparing for Performance
There’s a law somewhere that says whatever can happen, will happen! A few weeks ago, my belly dance teacher was performing at a wedding, when the fastening of her halter neck top snapped. She had no choice but to stop dancing and tie the ends together, or bare her all to the audience!
Last week I was surprised to see another belly dancing friend posting on Facebook that she’d almost flashed the audience when one of her bra straps failed, and I realised just how common such mishaps can be.
Better Stage Presence for Belly Dancers
Before I took up belly dance, I was a flamenco dancer. After a show, audience members would often pick me out to tell me how much they enjoyed my performance. It was strange, because I was far from being the best dancer in the troupe. I’ve always thought the difference was my stage presence.
Michelle Joyce has some excellent DVD’s which explore the difference between just doing the steps and actually performing.
Belly Dancing for Pregnancy
Belly dance is a great preparation for childbirth, because it trains all the muscles necessary to support the baby during pregnancy, and enables the mother to bounce back far more quickly after the birth.
Amira has a prenatal belly dance DVD, great for those who want something gentle and relaxing. Here’s Amira herself, proving you can belly dance while you’re pregnant -- here she’s at 5 months.
