Introduction to Bellynesian with Sonia

Available at http://www.hollywoodmusiccenter.com
In this DVD Sonia explains the fundamentals of Polynesian dance as well as how they can be incorporated into pure Bellydance styles. She provides a valuable new resource for dancers to expand their dance horizons and vocabulary to create their own unique combinations and fusions. The DVD includes Sonia performing the choreography taught during the instructional with live percussion as well as her performing on location in Tahiti. 88 minutes total. Includes a bonus music CD!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• sonia
• belly
• dance
• polynesian
• bellynesian

[Quothtraven]

First off, how dare you say this looks ridiculous? What's shown in this video is an example of Tahitian dancing. This video doesn't show the two styles merged, just Tahitian. It is ignorant and idiotic of you to insult an entire culture, just because you don't like how their style is. Second, who made you the artistic police to decide who can express their art how? You are an idiot. Don't talk anymore, you will just embarrass yourself with your ignorance.

[Ericachild]

I like this style and I wanna learn a bit of it. Tahitian dance has always fascinated me!!!

[oOHulaGirlOo]

@Quothtraven We are not talking about some hip-hop dance, that can be changed. This is a cultural dance with a background that says the dance should be done a certain way and to a certain kind of music. It is insulting to the culture to express it in a different "artistic" way, because it itself is an art, not a canvas. It is like taking a beautiful work of art, and trying to paint over it. It will only be a mess.

[oOHulaGirlOo]

@Quothtraven Ummm lets think. They might be mad because they are taking the traditional dance of Tahiti. A cultural dance. And changing it to suite themselves, and then change the name. So then people won't even know where the basis of the dance came from. That is not okay, not at all. It is like taking a native American dance, changing like a couple steps, and changing the name of it, and making money off of it. Then no one knows the culture, the stories, the history.only the washed out image

[rositapastel1]

mala tecnica polinesia!!!

[bellydance64]

i have it great dvd

[bigbrowneyesSHINE]

i have such a hard time with my Ruru's. even thought it seems so simple (shimmy-ing) i still cant do it very well.

maybe theres like a special technique?

or maybe its just me.

[jade401]

ya it was box, afata right?

the same technique exists in bellydancing

well i guess its similar not the same

[Quothtraven]

What meant I by "just tahitian" is that when saying "-nesian" I think it implies an amalgamation of all the pacific island cultures rather than focusing on one as she does here. They should have called it belly-hitian or something instead. Oh, but now they can't, 'cause I just coined the term : P

Now the idea of comparing/contrasting tahitian w/ belly dancing on the dvd would seem educational. That makes me want to buy the dvd. I think its great when people want to try new things with their art

[Quothtraven]

There is a shimmy technique in Tahitian dance, but I don't see a lot of troupes use too much. It's more like a quick moment rather then being drawn out. I don't have a problem with her tahitian dance, although I think her tamaus are very subtle, but I'm guessing that's how she tailors it to belly dancing. But then, even how you tamau varies from troupe to troupe. That may be just her style. The dance here just didn't seem like a true fusion to me, at least from this video.

[jade401]

yes the shimmy combo with hip slides is more bellydance but correct me if im wrong there is a tahitian move equal to the shimmy called ruru right?

so its just the hip slides thats bd; anyway like I said, if you're an experienced tahitian dancer, you may not be pleased with sonia's tahitian, i think its good but im not a tahitian dance critic, her main goal is te fusion, but apparently sonia danced in a polynesian dance troupe in the pacific islands before discovering bellydance;

[jade401]

Ya you are right it is just Tahitian dance. Do you dance Tahitian? This might be more beneficial for bellydancers, but if you dance tahitian, you will be able to sift the tahitian from the bellydance and on the dvd she dances with a tahitian dancer comparing and contrasting it with bellydance so thats educational and helpful

if you dance tahitian yourself, then sonias tahitian may leave you not satisfied, im no tahitian dancer but i don't think she's a pro at tahitian