In August, we’ll learn about some of the different sub-styles of belly dance. Our first is Greek belly dance. In class we’ll discuss some of the differences in the instruments, the movemement styling and a little bit of history.
This week’s song is titled “Greek Belly Dance Routine”, but the actual classic song they are playing is “Ta Mavra Matia Sou” which means “Your Dark Eyes”. It was originally recorded in 1978 with lyrics by Manolis Aggelopoulos.
It is a Greek adaptation of the Egyptian song, “Nebtidi Mnain el Hikaya” , recorded by Abdel Halim Fafez in 1975, which had entirely different lyrics. the song has become a beloved Greek classic in its own right.
You can read the translated Greek lyrics here. The version we are dancing to is instrumental.
Skills in this week’s combination:
- Horizontal Figure 8s (forward and backward)
- Undulations
- Travelling Hip Circles
- Snake Arms (Greek Style)
