I love that they’re combining Bollywood and Bellydancing. My two favorite dance forms! Of course this video is from 2006 so I hope they’ve upgraded their Bollywood choreography. Yes, Indians love dancing with their hands but it’s not sign language! They should hire Simon from Kenya to show them how it’s done. 🙂
I’m definitely going to be starting up a Bellywood group here once my homies feel ready to take it up with me!
With 6 years of touring performing over 700 shows in 22 countries the Bellydance Superstars have earned the accolade given them by the Sunday Times of England “ the most important dance troupe in the world.” They have taken an ancient art form previously seen in clubs and restaurants and turned it into a mega show to compete head on with the likes of Riverdance and Stomp. They have also added to the interpretation of Bellydance much as Cirque de Soleil has added to the interpretation of the Circus. They have given bellydancers worldwide the confidence that their dance art can now present them with the opportunity to dance in the world’s most prestigious venues just like any primo ballerina. The BDSS has in fact opened doors and invigorated the art of Bellydance beyond recognition. And they are just beginning!
They have also inadvertently ended up as cultural ambassadors between East and West prompting the accolade from the Sunday Times. Now they add to that momentum by adding new cultural elements from India blending them to the already rich tapestry of Bellydance they have created so far. The new show will merge traditional, and Tribal Bellydance with Indian dance styles rich in costuming and exciting emotive, infectious music. We are calling it BOMBAY BELLYWOOD. Cairo meets Bombay in San Francisco and New York with a touch of Buenos Aries and Chicago
To be sure, the Bellydance Superstars are not purists, and proud of it. They see the art of Bellydance as a living art capable of absorbing new elements and spreading its wings to captivate ever more people in ever more cultures. Indian dance has also morphed in unique ways so that the term Bollywood means different things to different people but to all it spells exotic India today. The Bellydance Superstars motto could be “creatively true”. Don’t loose the essence of the dance art but don’t be afraid to expand its horizons. Yes there is a reason this troupe is important.
In 2010 the BDSS added China and Japan to their touring turf and now bellydance is exploding in the region as the fastest growing dance form. Meanwhile the Tribal style which first originated in San Francisco as a unique American interpretation of bellydance with other ethnic additions was little known outside the country until the BDSS began extensive international touring. Now Tribal is everywhere and driven almost entirely by the BDSS profile and the BDSS Tribal dancers past and present. In the USA Bellydance remains one of if not THE fastest growing dance art with schools in every city big and small. Part of the appeal is its health benefits and most health clubs offer bellydance lessons. But more important it is a very feminine activity in the most positive way and inclusive of a broad range of ages, sizes and shapes. In that Bellydance has the advantage over almost all other dance forms. We see in the Bellydance Superstars audience not only fans of the troupe and the stars within it but also deicated believers in the art itself. We see ladies whole lives have become richer because of Bellydance. Yes there is a reason the Bellydance Superstars are important!
We are excited to take BOMBAY BELLYWOOD to the world to further advance the cause of Bellydance as well as to show the richness of Indian dance forms. We promise continued dedication to the art of dance and to delivering a great evening’s entertainment. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Dance. Long Live the Bellydance Superstars.
I’d love to see that show!
