Autumn Ward: Rose of Damascus ("Medieval Belly Dance" )

Update 22 Sept 2010: For more background on this dance, please see
http://autumnward.blogspot.com/2010/09/rose-of-damascus-medieval-belly-dance....

Cultivated since antiquity in Central Asia and the Levant, the beautifully perfumed Rose of Damascus was carried from Persia in the saddlebags of returning crusaders, arriving in Europe in the 13th century. This "fantasy/fusion" choreography sets the vocabulary of Middle Eastern dance to music from 13th-century Florence, Italy, suggesting a fanciful cultural exchange. Live performance from Venus Uprising presents: Fantasy Belly Dance; at the Merce Cunningham Studios, West Village, NYC; September 2007. Videography by Scott Shuster. Music: "Flos ut Rosa" by Rondellus. For more info, please see websites: AutumnWard.com and VenusUprising.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bellydance
• bellydancing
• bellydancer
• belly
• dance
• dancing
• dancer
• renaissance
• faire
• medieval
• middle
• ages
• tribal
• cabaret
• fantasy
• fusion
• theatrical
• artistic
• rondellus
• flos
• ut
• rosa
• autumn
• ward

[goddessacelestial]

I really love watching this performance and was wondering if you have an instructional dvd of it for sale?

[AutumnWard]

@goddessacelestial Thank you! I don't teach this choreography, because the music is so unpredictable. (To learn more, see my blog post linked in the description below this video.) I teach "Enchantress," another choreography with a medieval concept, on "Fantasy Bellydance:Magic," and I teach the foundations of the basic technique I use in all of my dances on "Beautiful Technique." Both are available from my website and other outlets. Search here on YouTube for clips.

[ByzantiumCA]

Lovely fluid dance style ... what is the music?

[AutumnWard]

@ByzantiumCA "Flos ut Rosa," by Rondellus

[Kandire]

I love this dance more everytime I watch it. Wouldn't you consider uploading on youtube more of your dancing in this style? And thank you for sharing this one.

[AutumnWard]

@Kandire I would love to upload more, if there were more to upload! Developing and rehearsing high quality work is expensive and time-consuming, and it's very difficult to muster the resources to create a non-commercial artistic project like this one. I really appreciate the encouragement, though, and knowing that the work is valued makes it easier to contend with the challenges of getting it made. I too hope I'll have a new "medieval" belly dance to post sometime soon!

[DimentiaMorte]

This performer is such a beautiful dancer.

[meegomae]

Music: "Flos ut Rosa" by Rondellus Maria&Robert Staak, Estonia

[torayume]

Astonishingly beautiful. Just when I think I've seen everything that's being done in modern ME fusion...I would love to see her live. Have to find a way to get back to New York...

[bgamma]

So unbelievable Autumn! Please, do consider coming to Brazil!

[AutumnWard]

@LeylaAlJamila This dance is a theatrical work with a fantasy concept. There is more information in my blog. If you are interested, look for the link in the description underneath the video.

[Marozma]

Absoluteley stunning!! 

[TULSABRACADAVER]

Great!

Best regards from Mexico City!

Tulsa Nadezshada



[alm8bob]

really awesome.. I wish I could dance like that... keep the good work...

[frostidew]

@AutumnWard Thank you :))

[bellydancerocks321]

I have been learning from your Beautiful Technique DVD. It has a wealth of information, little nuances that I didn't learn in class or from any other DVD. It's wonderful.

[seeyouinthegraveyard]

This is beautiful dancing, incredibly fluid and fairy-esque. I recently got your Beautiful Technique DVD I can't wait to watch it!