Belly Dance Styles

There are many branches of the Belly Dance tree! Each region of the current Middle East and North African map has its own “flavor” or emphasis on certain movements and individual rhythms in the music. However this dance predates any modern division of country, and thus shares a movement vocabulary common to all. This basic way of moving, isolating each part of the body in focused designs, or “sacred geometry”, is sometimes known as “Classical” or “Pan-Arabic” style. This is what you will learn in classes taught by Dhyanis.

In America, where artists are free to create and fuse movement styles, Belly Dance has diverged into new forms known as “Tribal” or “Tribal Fusion”, which incorporate other movement styles such as hip hop, flamenco, Indian or burlesque. If you resonate with these fusion styles, you will still need to learn the basic bellydance movement vocabulary to begin.

To get started, you can order “Absolute Bellydance Basics” from our online store, or check the schedule of beginning classes in Marin.