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About the Art
While the exact origins of what the modern world calls “bellydance” are unknown, for most it conjures images of women dancing in sheer costumes for some exotic sultan. While this image may be historically inaccurate, this image still plays on the fantasy of many American and European audiences. For many it conjures images of harem girls, “I Dream of Jeanie”, or Princess Jasmine.
Modern bellydance has taken a very different form than those fantasy images of older times. Many dancers look to the Middle East where “bellydance” is a dance of the people. Often times audience members of all ages and genders will join in the show for audience participation. Though many American audiences still retain the belief that bellydance is sexy, just like any art form, it wears many faces. It is a form of expression that can be everything from uplifting and playful to dark and moody. As with any other dance, this is a performance art that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages!
Bellydancers are featured at a wide variety of venues. In traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, bellydancers are often featured as performers at weddings, restaurants, and nightclubs. This tradition has carried on through Europe and America, making bellydancers a fun, exotic, and memorable entertainer for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and showers. Nightclubs, restaurants, hookah bars, and cafes employ bellydancers to help set the mood for their establishment. Many renaissance festivals, local fairs, and cultural events host bellydancers as part of their event. This is a fun and enjoyable entertainment that is making it’s way into American culture!
About Kisaya Rayne
Henna by Otherwise Quite Good
In the spring of 2000, I had my first real experience with bellydance. After the suggestion and encouragement of my friends, I attended a class someone I knew was teaching. I always thought bellydance was not my thing. All those glittery costumes and plastered on smiles just seemed to false to me. Even so, I decided everything need it’s fair chance. Little did I know what I would find in bellydance!
At the class there was this beautiful woman wearing a long, full skirt, choli, bra with real Turkish coins, a belt of ethnic jewelry, and a turban. She looked positively exotic! The way she moved was earthy, strong, and powerful. Her expression was natural and beautiful. This was nothing like what I expected of bellydance! I learned this new image came with the label of “tribal”. I fell in love and have been dancing since!
For the past ten years I have been studying various aspects of tribal, as well as “tribal” and community dances of many cultures. While I favor American Tribal Style, Gypsy fusion, and Gothic fusion, I have been known to include the elements of all the various styles of dance I’ve learned over the years, from “East Coast tribal” to African to what little Flamenco I’ve studied. I’ve fallen in love with the community spirit tribal style bellydance embodies and hope to bring that spirit to the world around me through classes, performances, and events.
What’s in a Name?
Photo by Stacy Nixon
Photo by Stacy Nixon
While there may not be a huge amount of history behind the name Kisaya, there is one legend that I’ve found which caught my attention. It is supposedly a little known Sumerian story about a girl who was adopted as a servant and slave by a wealthy family. Her mother chose to marry her against her will to another servant of the house, but Kisaya resisted. This isn’t your average love story where she sought to marry her true love. Instead, she simply fought for her independence, feeling women of all classes deserved their freedom. Had she her choice, she would never marry. As old legends would have it, her step-mother produced a contract proving that Kisaya was bound by the contract and had to hold to her commitment. I chose the name because of her strength in choosing to resist the role society placed upon her.
As for Rayne, in another spelling, rain is nature’s way of washing all things clean. It is the cool spring rain that helps bring life back to the earth after the cold, hard winter. It is the cool, refreshing shower that cleanses away the sweat and grime of the summer heat. It is that which keeps the rain forest vibrant and brings monsoons to keep the desert alive. It is a tribute to that essence that I take the name.
Kisaya Rayne Tribal Bellydance
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