Untangling the roots of Goth bellydance…

Goth fusion bellydance, or Goth bellydance, has been emerging as a style unto itself throughout the last ten years, pioneered by artists such as Tempest in the US and dancers and troupes such as Mai’sah and Raqs Gothique, and Saahirah Rayvn and Sisters of Ishtar in Australia. It came into being long before then however, partly from the longevity of Goth subculture and partly from some dancers' refusal to wear colourful lycra bedlah and cheekily flutter around a stage lip-syncing to Nancy Ajram songs.

Put simply, Goth bellydance is a darker, more dramatic form of bellydance that draws on a different set of influences to define itself. It is strongly influenced by Goth subculture and it is largely practiced by women, despite the gendered nature of the Goth scene itself. It rose to prominence around the same time as tribal fusion bellydance, which itself evolved from the deconstruction and reinterpretation of the movement vocabulary and costuming of American Tribal Style (ATS) bellydance. In the US Jill Parker and her troupe Ultra Gypsy broke away from traditional ATS in the late 90’s to focus on more dark, theatrical works as part of their repertoire. This brought the potential of a less traditional style of bellydance fusion to wider audiences there (interestingly enough, Jill's troupe did involve a number of male dancers). More recently, and more internationally, Rachel Brice and The Indigo have been drawing on a wide range of influences to create their own distinctive blend of urban dance fusion and dark cabaret. Many of these influences are similar to those which Goth bellydancers also draw upon.

Who are the practitioners of this dark art?

Goth bellydance retains the core foundations of both cabaret and tribal bellydance but goes on to merge it with stylistic elements of Goth subculture (primarily visual aesthetics and music). Mel Rogers, teacher and performer of tribal fusion bellydance amongst other styles, has always preferred to draw on darker elements of the dance in her own work, and it is no surprise that so many Goths embraced tribal fusion and started to infuse it with their own style. It seems obvious that Gothic and related sub-cultures were attracted to these new styles. At last here was a way to express themselves through bellydance without having to go against their preferences. The darker style of these new bellydances also attracted performers wishing to express different emotions within the dance. Tribal fusion bellydance became a welcome outlet for more alternative-looking dancers who perhaps did not feel entirely comfortable in regular classes. Many dancers who started with tribal fusion were soon inspired to move into more blatantly Goth styles of bellydance.

Goth bellydance can be split into two distinct tribes:

1.                 Goths who bellydance - dancers who are Goths 24/7, who wear the clothes, listen to the music, dance at the clubs, and live the lifestyle every day.

2.                 Non-Goths who bellydance - dancers who explore the darker elements of themselves though borrowing the trappings more normally associated with Goth culture and music.

This is not to say that bellydancers from both camps do not cross their respective boundaries from time to time! Some of the most exciting dancing comes from experimentation, whether it is a Goth exploring their ‘lighter’ side or a cabaret dancer delving into a moodier aspect of her onstage persona. According to Mel, “Traditional forms of bellydance should always be honoured but dance should also be allowed to flow and evolve. Dance is not a static art form and should never be forced to remain exactly the same.”

The many attractions of the dark side…

Many bellydancers have been drawn to ATS for the strength and empowerment engendered by its unique movement vocabulary and styling. And while tribal fusion retains this, it also builds on it to create its own contemporary interpretations. Goth fusion takes bellydance to a darker place, particularly subverting traditional stereotypes of female dancers by turning the gaze of the audience back on itself, often seeking to confront rather than comfort. It challenges traditional notions of beauty and explores different facets of character in the same way that the warrior-fierceness of the ancient Egyptian lion goddess Sekhmet provided contrast to the warmer life-giving energy of the cat goddess, Bast.

Undeniably one of the biggest attractions to Goth bellydance is its visual style; from costuming and make-up to choice of props, use of persona, lighting and other onstage mise-en-scene. Ma'isah, director of Melbourne troupe Serpent Skirt and owner of a Yahoo web discussion group dedicated to Goth bellydance since 2001, agrees that the main look is, “Black, lots of it, and fishnet and chains and D-Rings. Costumes lean towards the industrial bellydance look of black and dark colours contrasted with metal accessories. It is in essence taking our goth club wear and music and modifying it to a modern/tribalesque bellydance base.” Mel Rogers adds that, “Darker colours, metallic embellishments, funky pants, chunky tribal jewellery and adapted folkloric wear like Assiut material and mirror belts have also been embraced by dancers wanting a contrast to the glitz and other colourful attributes of contemporary cabaret costuming”.

There are many different types of Goths (Glitter Goths, Romantic Goths, PVC Goths etc.),who provide a rich source of influences from which Goth bellydancers can find inspiration for costuming and make-up. This includes particular historical eras such as Medieval, Renaissance, Victorian, Edwardian, 1920’s and 1930’s; subcultures such as Punk, Metal, Cyber and Steampunk; ethnic influences from a myriad of cultures and other genres or themes of interest including Burlesque, Circus and Vaudeville and Mythology.

Props are used to complement the chosen look and they generally tend toward the dramatic in the form of swords and daggers, veils, fans, masks and fire (candles, poi, staffs, fire fans). When performing Goth bellydancers often adopt a persona to help tell a story or they may choose to evoke the vampish spirit of 20’s silent film star Theda Bara, or they may become a feisty warrior goddess like Kate Bush in her Babushka music video, or even become a character that the dancer has created specifically to tell a story - a technique that both soloists and troupes use for striking effect. Lighting and staging in professional shows add to this deliciously dramatic brew – dry ice, shadows, dark draperies, chandeliers, candlelight, spotlights, anything that evokes a dark, disquieting mood. In contrast, stark minimalist styles (think German Expressionist cinema of the 30's) can also be re-interpreted for contemporary appeal to suit the context of the performance and to serve the creative vision of the dancer.

Music is another key component of the Goth style. It is rare for Goth fusion bellydancers to use pop songs and traditional classical Middle Eastern music, rather they choose a darker palette of sounds that spans heavy industrial beats, drum n’ bass, electronica, all the way through to lush, atmospheric fusions of Eastern and Western music. In terms of actual bands, Ma'isah lists Gothic industrial/electronic bands such as Covenant, VNV Nation, Brudershaft, Front 242, Front Line Assemble and Switchblade Symphony as primary sources of music for her dancing, in addition to Goth/steampunk bands like Johnny Hollow that use dark electronica and cellos, and artists like Stellamara and Wench that use a lot of Near and Mid-Eastern instruments and/or vocalisations and create haunting soundscapes. Some dancers have even started mixing their own music which is an exciting development in itself! While Goth bellydancers generally prefer different styles of music, they are not adverse to dancing to a traditional live drum solo or a suitably moody taqsim piece, the main difference would be that they would give it a darker spin than a cabaret or tribal dancer would. Ultimately, it is the music which guides the structure and aesthetics of the dance.

The final component of what sets Goth fusion bellydance apart from tribal fusion or other fusion styles is tricky to define; it is that certain something, that subtle blending of stage presence, musical interpretation and pure spirit that elevates a dancer from being pleasantly watchable to utterly spellbinding. While Goth fusion maintains traditional bellydance movements at its core, it is this other intangible quality, combined with the costuming and stylistic elements, that truly sets it apart from other bellydance styles. Mel states that, “Intensity, sorrow, passion, anger, fear and power are some of the key emotions used to bring a performance to life’’. Although other dance styles might touch on these in choreography as well, they generally do not have to sustain them for the length of the performance. Whether a performance is choreographed or improvised, a Goth bellydancer must have both the technical skills as well as the strength of character necessary to maintain the illusion. It is not as simple as donning a Goth-inspired costume and moving moodily around a stage; audiences can always distinguish someone who is faking an emotion from someone who is dancing from the heart regardless of what style they are dancing in.

Smashing misconceptions.

One of the most contentious issues is about what Goth bellydance actually is. Purists do not regard it as a true form of the dance because it does not conform to traditional styles (cabaret or tribal)

 and it can be confronting for people who are not familiar with the concept of Goth subculture. In contrast there are those who believe that it is just bellydance with black costumes and does not present anything particularly new or innovative.

Dancer, teacher, writer and costume designer Tempest, one of the most well-known faces of Goth bellydance in the US, has spent a large amount of time and energy educating diverse audiences about the phenomenon of Goth bellydance and disagrees with this polarisation between what is acceptable in bellydance and what is not. “Gothic bellydance can be based on traditional cabaret or tribal style movement vocabulary/musical interpretation (or both) - where it differs from traditional bellydance is in several specific areas. Gothic bellydance is the fusion of bellydance with the music, aesthetic, and theatrical qualities of the Goth subculture. The performance must be dramatic and theatrical, which means having an underlying story (either explicit or subtle) that is expressed through the movements, music, and costuming - and most importantly - strong stage presence.” While a goth fusion piece might look entirely different from a cheeky cabaret number or a spirited folkloric dance, it still draws upon the foundational elements of what constitutes good bellydance – technique, training, and the ability to inject one’s personality and spirit into it.

In regard to the actual movements, Tempest explains that Goth fusion takes core elements of bellydance and remodels them according to the kind of performance that is being presented. “The movements themselves take on one of two qualities - either very slow and exaggerated, or hard-edged and sharp - depending on the story and music. Because of the diversity of the Gothic subculture - a performance that embodies the Romantic or Neo-Victorian aesthetic will generally be softer and slow, very elegant, where an Industrial or Cyber performance will make more use of staccato, pop-and-lock, and very strong actions. That is, taking traditional bellydance movements and "gothifying" them - you can (and SHOULD) still recognise the bellydance base in the heart of the movement and how it is applied to the music.”

“Bloody goth bellydancers – who do they think they are?!”

As with any new style of dance, Goth bellydance has its admirers and exponents and it also attracts its fair share of critics and detractors. Posts about Goth bellydance on Tribe.com or the Bellydance Australasia web group often provoke some interesting discussions between members. To educate people about Goth bellydance, Tempest created the online Gothic Bellydance Resource which answers all the most common questions that people have about the style and gives tips to aspiring Goth bellydancers, as well as a series of performance and instructional DVDs exploring different aspects of the style.

Brisbane-based dancer and teacher Saahirah Rayvn specialises in goth fusion, and is dedicated to educating the wider Australian dance community about the beauty and diversity of Goth bellydance. She runs the Black Widow School of Bellydance and the Sisters of Ishtar Gothic Bellydance Ensemble student troupe and is also a strong presence on the Bellydance Australasia web group. “Goths collectively are tagged with misconceptions by a mainstream society, a society that feels the need to label and file everything they face today. Gothic bellydancers not only face this issue but also the age old argument - should bellydance be fused or be kept pure?” Saahirah believes that Goth bellydancers should always be prepared to step up and handle challenges faced in the pursuit of their art, whether it is through responding to unusual questions intelligently, or informing people about Goth bellydance and its roots. Her advice – which could apply to any style of bellydance - is to, “Treat other dancers the way you want to be treated, respect your bellydance roots and always behave in a professional approachable manner around your bellydance peers, audience and at events.”

Educating audiences, particularly in Australia, is an arduous task, undermined by the lack of large-scale performance opportunities that could expose audiences to this style of dance alongside other more familiar styles. In other urban centres of the world there are whole festivals and shows dedicated to the presentation and celebration of Goth bellydance. In Australia, Goth bellydancers now have a more visible presence. They tend to find performance opportunities at less-mainstream outlets which might suit their target demographic but don’t often introduce them to a wider audience base. Since audiences – and indeed other dancers - may not understand what is being presented, the dancer often has to work harder to command the same levels of recognition and respect. Ultimately, it is all about respect. Saahirah agrees, “To get respect we must respect the dance form and our peers. Gothic bellydance is not everybody’s cup of tea and dancers should keep this in mind. It’s OK not to like everything you see - however its not ok to flame and judge others who have worked very hard in their dance.”

The dark future…

So where does this leave Goth bellydance in Australia today? It is difficult to predict, and ultimately creates more questions than answers.

Where will it go next? As tribal fusion evolved from ATS, what will evolve from Goth bellydance? Will it achieve a cohesive and comprehensive dance vocabulary of its own? Is this a sustainable style in a country like Australia? Are audiences interested enough? Will audience education create more performance and teaching opportunities for Goth bellydancers in Australia? And what about the boys – where are the male Goth bellydancers and troupes? Will the largely scattered Goth bellydance communities of Australia start to pull together to create festivals and events of their own? And will they then start being invited to perform at international ones? And ultimately - will Goth bellydance achieve the respect it deserves?

I throw down my sword in challenge and wait…

Resources:

Gothic Bellydance Resource:  http://www.gothicbellydance.com/gothicbellydance/

Tribe.com – Gothic Belly Dance: http://gothicbellydance.tribe.net/ 

Bellydance Australasia web group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bellydanceaustralasia/

Raqs Gothique web group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Raqs_Gothique/