Tribal Belly dance in Eastern Europe

European tribal styles: Bulgaria - bulgarian dances

Bulgaria is one of the most interesting countries in respect of tribal style bellydance. Up to now it has kept the unique blend of East meets West. Dancing in troupe on oriental beats (swinging 7/8 beats!) is one of its features.

Dance from Dobrudza
The dance culture of Bulgaria - the dobrudza region - is still alive and has preserved much of it's authenticity. Bulgarian music uses much 5/16 (Pajdusko horo), 7/16, 9/16 and 11/8 beats and is swinging like hell!
Their music and rhythms has a drive which is lacking in the modern European so called 'dance music'. Their use of unusual structures is a prove of the Bulgarian genius.

Dobrudzans dance with their knees always bent and their backs hollow. To get the feel of Dobrudzan dancing stand with your feet apart and bend your knees as far as you can comfortably with your feet flat on the floor.
The dancer of 18 the century lithograph is not perhaps not Bulgarian as dancing with a bare belly was not done by Bulgarians. It might have been a gypsy dancer.
When a Dobrud_an dances he uses his whole body. There are some dances for women only. Women's movements are more fluent with slight shoulder twists. Bulgarian music and dance are unique in many aspects. Lively melodies on uneven but swinging rhythms.
Recently Rachel Brice also turned Balkan. And as the term already explains Romani Tribal Belly Dance has connotations with the Rom gypsies.

Het repertorium van Bulgaarse dansen is bijzonder uitgebreid en gevarieerd. Bulgaarse dans is gebaseerd op een reeks interessante maar in de West-Europese dansen niet of weinig gekende en dikwijls in een oneven maatsoort ritmes. Bulgaarse volksdansen worden uitgevoerd op typische - soms complexe - Bulgaarse ritmes. voorbeelden zijn de 'Pravo horo' en 'Pajdushka', de nationale 'Rachenica' en de 'Dajchovo horo' en de 'Kopanica'. Deze authentieke tribal danscultuur leeft nog altijd in de Bulgaarse samenleving.

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