An Opposing View
South Africa’s Dance Community Thrives

A huge group dance done on World Bellydance Day
by Alexandra Graham
photos by Paul Gilowey
posted October 24, 2011
This article was inspired as a response to this article publised on Gilded Serpent on September 15, 2011,"Three South African Dance Pioneers"
It is difficult for an individual to speak on behalf of an entire community, but I feel that I should at least attempt to dispel what I believe are some current misleading and misrepresentational thoughts about the Belly dance community in South Africa.
As in any community or industry, you will find strife and troubles in our Belly dance community. The usual issues do arise such as a dancer charging too little (or too much), teachers stealing students, and bad-mouthing other dancers.
In an industry filled with artists, it is no real surprise that people are butting heads, and with such a strong online community, it is becoming increasingly public as well.
Nonetheless, we are still a closely-knit group–with, perhaps, a handful of people who have decided to set themselves aside from the mainstream of our community. Unfortunately, we find that those are the same dancers who are giving their opinions and critiquing the rest of the community and its dancers.
As a country, South Africa is known for its diversity in environment, religions, cultures and people. The same could be said about our Belly dancing styles. Different areas and major cities boast a variety of styles in their own right, with certain styles being more prevalent in particular areas.

Taken at the International Oriental Dance Festival.Two
vendors who always got very involved, shouting to the
ladies and dancing along!
While Tribal Fusion is a constantly growing newer style of Belly dance, there are still many in the community who speak out and voice opinions such as: Tribal Fusion is not a “legitimate” form of Belly dance. Many studios teach Tribal Fusion employing an ATS (American Tribal Style) background and movement vocabulary. What many studios are doing now is a westernized cabaret form of Belly dance that borrows from the Classical Egyptian form as well as Turkish and adds in Western elements that would appeal and resonate with Western audiences.
The diversity of South African Belly dance is most evident at several festivals that are held throughout the year. One of the biggest festivals is The Oriental Dance Festival that is held on the last weekend of October. It is a 2 day festival, held at the Waterfront in Cape Town and boasts performances of over 60 national studios as well as a few international artists. A festival and event that is more largely known would be The World Bellydance Day, which is celebrated on the second Saturday in May. These kinds of festivals bring together Bellydancers from all over and inspire and show us that we are growing as a community.
Competition is a new concept for Belly dancers in South Africa, with the first Miss Bellydance South Africa Competition held in 2009. Talking about dance competitions is a fairly dodgy topic because often, dancers are unsure about whether they agree with the concept of competitions or not. Luckily, for those in doubt, the Miss Bellydance South Africa website lists all the aspects that the judges (national and international) consider such as artistic interpretation, technique, and expression–to name a few. The competition winners have all been of a high quality and this competition is a logical way to show off how high our standards are when it comes to quality in dance.
Unfortunately, since South Africa is a small country; we don’t have as many performance opportunities that one might find in the USA or the UK. Restaurants are wary of hiring dancers and there are few appropriate restaurant venues for such an activity. However, many dancers turn to other sources of performance opportunities such as themed birthday parties, bachelorette parties, corporate functions, and festivals of all kinds.
A community should be more than just a supply of services and agendas. A truly supportive community is one in which everybody can participate with dignity and respect for themselves and one another, one in which the physical and social backgrounds play no part and create no barriers.
From personal experience, I can say that South Africa ticks all these boxes, despite its few diamonds in the rough.
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Ready for more?
- 9-16-11 3 South African Dance Pioneers, Reaching Out to the "New Woman" of Their Country
One should dance with the fullness of knowing her role in life, honoring that knowledge in its purity, and following the ideal of Middle Eastern feminine essence rather than dancing from a competitive space. - 2-5-09 Fire in your Belly: My Dance Story
I’ve always wanted to be a dancer. I vividly remember when I was four years old and had just started ballet, the driveway became my stage and the African sun my spotlight as I did plies, twirled, and pitter-pattered on tiptoe to a growing audience of passers-by. I remember curtsying to a young schoolboy who stopped to stare. Today, I realise it wasn’t my extraordinary dancing that
stopped them in their tracks. - 7-27-05 Calling all professional dancers! How much do you charge?
Over the years, we dancers have unwittingly kept the general rate ridiculously low in restaurants and nightclubs. - 7-18-05 Rhythm and Reason Series, Article 3, Community Warfare
Time and again I hear dancers deplore the fact that in many parts of the country there are warring camps among dancers; that is, groups that openly oppose each other and that try to keep all useful information and all jobs to themselves. - 1-16-05 Rhythm and Reason Series, Article 8, Leadership Risks
When you lead people, you take certain risks. One such risk is that of self-revelation. - 4-14-06 Rhythm and Reason Series, Article 10-How to Avoid Being Eaten by Sharks
Not so fortunate are those people who feel threatened most of the time, limping from one extreme response to another. - 10-18-11 Belly Dance Costuming Evolves, Photos and Commentary from a Rising Star of Costume Design
Video interview with author. "Because our colorful dance form is still living, changing, and evolving day-by-day, the costume designers will inspire us endlessly. This movement is a never-ending energy flow full of elegance and ferocity, sensuality and femininity. I hope that I will be a part of this wonderful Oriental dance life for a long time." - 10-18-11 A Month in Cairo, Egypt, Report No. 2: Housekeeping, Internet, Costume Shopping, Reconnecting with More Friends
When I think of my first trip here in 1977, I can see what amazing changes have occurred since then – most of them for the better. - 10-17-11 Sunday Photos from Rakkasah East- October 2010
Barakat, Basema, Dena Shazadi, Fatima, Fire Blossoms, Ghada Girls, Habiba, Laura, Leila, Rega, Saiedah, Shadia, Tempest, Willow, Yuliya, Zenaiede - 10-14-11 Saturday Photos from Rakkasah East- October 2010
Amity, Anka Kusu, Belly Mystic, Bliss, Calixta, Desert Moon, Dorothea, Eddie Kochak, Scott Wilson, Serpent Secrets, Fantasha Dancers, Isis, Jamileh, Kelebek, Latifa, Lily… - 10-13–11 Friday Night Photos from Rakkasah East- October 2010
Desert Embers, Dharma, Fahtiem, Leila Haddad, Mystic Wiles, Nadia Layla, Najma, NightShade, Phoenis, Raks Shiva, Troupe Shahibat - 10-12-11 Bellydancers "Gotta have a Gimmick!", Excessive Use of Props
I get the impression from watching such performances that a prop wasn’t incorporated in the show because it helped the dancer express an emotion in the song, but the property was intended to be the focus of the performance.
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