Turkish Style Oriental Dance is energetic, joyous, assertive, passionate, and spontaneous. It is characterized by aggressive hip movements, complex pelvic articulations, exciting zills, powerful drum solos, sensuous taqsim, fun stomach play, extended veil work, and a wide array of mysterious gestures.

Learn this fun and exciting style of belly dance with expert dancer and historian, Elizabeth Artemis Mourat! First Artemis teaches a brief history of Turkish Style Belly Dance, including contributions of the Turkish Romany people, and describes how it is distinguished from Egyptian Raqs Sharki.

Artemis explains the slow and fast Romany 9/8 rhythms used in Turkish Oriental Dance, and the difference between the Romany 9/8 and the Cabaret Karsilama. She demonstrates how the rhythms are used in Turkish Oriental Dance.

She then teaches the Turkish Oriental technique of isolations, articulations, turns, and steps typical to this dance, with complete breakdown and demonstration. She also teaches hand gestures unique to Turkish Oriental Dance which are a direct inheritance from its Romany roots. These gestures include:

* Knee & Hip Punches
* "Extension Cord"
* "One Potato, One Potato"
* Body Cuts
* and more!

In the last section, Artemis puts it all together into both slow and fast combinations you can use in your own Turkish Style dancing.

This video also includes a fun and exciting improvised Turkish Oriental Style performance by Artemis!

Produced by Susan T. Evans ~ IAMED
Producers of the Best Belly Dance Videos in the World!