| Raqs Sharqi is performed by both women and men, | | | | Some mistakenly believe that Turkish oriental dancing |
| usually performing solo, to entertain spectators in public | | | | is known as iftetelli due to the fact that this style of |
| or private settings. Despite its alias of "belly dance", | | | | music has been incorporated into oriental dancing by |
| Raqs Sharqi dancing uses movements in every | | | | Greeks and gypsies, illustrated by the fact that the |
| muscle group of the body. It is fundamentally an | | | | Greek belly dance is called Tsifteteli. |
| improvisational dance with its own dance movement | | | | However, Turkish iftetelli is more correctly a form of |
| vocabulary, fluidly integrated with the rhythm of the | | | | wedding folk music, the part that makes up the lively |
| music. | | | | part of the dance at the wedding and is not connected |
| In Raqs Sharqi, the dancer internalizes and expresses | | | | with oriental dancing. |
| the emotions evoked by the music. Therefore the | | | | Even though Turkish belly dancing has deep roots in |
| music is integral to the vocabulary of the dance | | | | the Sultan's palatial harems of the Ottoman Empire, |
| movements. | | | | Turkish belly dance today is closer to its Romany |
| The most revered Raqs Sharqi dancers are those | | | | (Gypsy) heritage than its Egyptian and Lebanese |
| who can best project their inner emotions through | | | | sisters, developing from the Ottoman rakkas to the |
| dance, even if their movement vocabulary is very | | | | oriental dance known worldwide today. As Turkish law |
| simple. The dancer visually communicates to the | | | | does not impose restrictions on Turkish dancers' |
| audience the emotion and sounds of the music. | | | | movements and costuming as in Egypt, where |
| Many see Raqs Sharqi as a women's dance, | | | | dancers are prevented from performing floor work |
| celebrating the sensuality and power of being a | | | | and certain pelvic movements, Turkish dancers are |
| mature woman. Sohair Zaki, Fifi Abdou, Lucy, and Dina, | | | | often more outwardly expressive than their Egyptian |
| who are all popular dancers in Egypt, are all above the | | | | sisters. Turkish dance also remains closer to its |
| age of forty. This school of thought holds that a | | | | Romany roots because many professional dancers |
| dancer has limited life experiences to use as a catalyst | | | | and musicians in Turkey continue to be of Romany |
| for dance until she reaches "a certain age". | | | | heritage. |
| Egyptian-style belly dance is based on the work of | | | | Turkish dancers are known for their energetic, athletic |
| belly dance legends Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka, | | | | (even gymnastic) style, and particularly, until the past |
| Naima Akef, and other dancers who rose to fame | | | | few years, their adept use of finger cymbals, also |
| during the golden years of the Egyptian film industry. | | | | known as zils. Connoisseurs of Turkish dance often |
| Later dancers who based their styles partially on the | | | | say that a dancer who can't play zils is not an |
| dances of these masters and who have risen to | | | | accomplished dancer. Another distinguishing element of |
| nearly the same level of stardom and influence on the | | | | the Turkish style is the use of the Karsilama rhythm in |
| style are Sohair Zaki, Fifi Abdou, and Nagwa Fouad. All | | | | a 9/8 time signature, counted as 12-34-56-789. Turkish |
| rose to fame between 1960 and 1980, and are still | | | | belly dance costumes can be very revealing, with the |
| popular today. | | | | belt sometimes worn high up on the waist and split |
| In Egypt, three main forms of the traditional dance are | | | | skirts which expose the entire leg, although dancers |
| associated with belly dance: Baladi, Sha'abi and Sharqi. | | | | today are costuming themselves more like Egyptian |
| The most important non-Egyptian forms of belly dance | | | | dancers and wearing more modest "mermaid"-style |
| are the Lebanese and Turkish. | | | | skirts. The Turkish style is emphasized further by the |
| Egyptian belly dance was among the first styles to be | | | | dancer wearing high heels, and often platform shoes, |
| witnessed by Westerners. | | | | to perform. |
| During Napoleon's invasion of Egypt (the campaign | | | | Famous Turkish belly dancers include Tulay Karaca |
| which yielded the Rosetta stone, leading to the | | | | and Birgul Berai. |
| translation of Egyptian hieroglyphics), Napoleon's troops | | | | When immigrants from Turkey, Armenia, and the Arab |
| encountered the Ghwazee tribe. The Ghwazee made | | | | states began to immigrate to New York in the 1930s |
| their living as professional entertainers and musicians, | | | | and 1940s, dancers started to perform a unique |
| with the women engaging in a little prostitution on the | | | | mixture of these cultures in the nightclubs and |
| side. They often had a street dedicated to their trade | | | | restaurants. Often called "Classic Cabaret" or |
| in the towns where they resided, but some were also | | | | "American Cabaret" belly dance, these dancers are |
| quasi-nomadic. At first the French were repelled by | | | | the grandmothers and great grandmothers of some of |
| their appearance, heavy jewelry and hair, and found | | | | today's most accomplished performers, such as |
| their dancing "barbaric", but were soon lured by the | | | | Anahid Sofian and Artemis Mourat. |
| hypnotic nature of their movements. | | | | |