Belly dance as "raks sharki" as it's called in the West is a fun and energetic dance perfect for all occasions. Shows are all family friendly and can range from traditional props to full modern theatrical specticals! Shows begin with a dramatic entrance followed by a performance of a few pieces such as fire sword or fire fans and new LED wings or a more tame Egyptian cane dance and veil. After the show, I will go into the audience and get your guest up to dance with me while playing finger cymbals. Audience interaction is always optional but a great way to get the party started and everyone on the dance floor! Solo and group performances are available. Look through the videos below for traditional and modern examples.
Serving all of south Florida (Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens,West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, South Beach, Hollywood, Southwest Ranches, Cooper City, Wellington, Royal Palm, Naples, Orlando)
Examples of Traditional Belly Dancer Shows Video
Traditional shows can include veil, sword, isis wings, zills/ finger cymbals, shamadan/candelabra, Egyptian cane, double sword
Belly dance drum solo at City Place in Palm Beach South Florida
Classical Belly dance in Miami South Florida
Sword belly dance routine at Harriet Himmel Theater in West Palm Beach, South Florida
Belly Dance Clips from Boca Raton wedding in South Florida
Modern Belly dance and Fire Dance/ LED Glo Show Examples
Modern show cans include fire headdress, led/glo isis wings, fire palms, zip poi, fire orb, fire fans, burlesque feather fans, fan veil, fire belt,
Fire sword belly dancer at Charity Event in Downtown West Palm Beach, South Florida
Fire Belly dance routine in West Palm Beach Florida City Place
Fan Veils at City Place Family Fun Fest in Downtown West Palm Beach Florida
Glo/ LED wings belly dance show at Taverna Opa City Place Palm Beach Florida
Burlesque feather fan fusion belly dance in Miami Florida
Fire Sword Belly dance fusion show in Palm Beach Florida Gala for the Society of the Four Arts
Live Belly dance Performance Gallery
Studio Gallery
History of Belly Dancing
Cheeky Belly Dance’s authentic, talented, beautiful, and professional belly dancers will leave you wanting more. Belly dance has a long and contested history but it came to America first at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 where Little Egypt performed. Little Egypt was not of an Middle Eastern descent and was arguably an orientalist exploitation but regardless this demonstration brought belly dance to the American eye. In Arabic, belly dance is called “Raqs Sharqi (rah-iss share-kee),” and is also dubbed oryantal and arabesque. Belly dance is popular throughout the Middle East and Balkans but now you can find it nearly anywhere in the world. Historians date the dance from as far back as 3000 B. C. Belly dance absorbs the dance styles around it including Romani dance, Bollywood as well as modern dances such as ballet, hip hop and ballroom.
A common misconception is that belly dance was intended as entertainment for our male counterparts. Quite the opposite is true. Likely, odalisques performed for the harem. Despite popular conceptions, the harem was the women and children of the royal family, not a plethora of women for the Sultan. Odalisques were village girls selected for their skill and beauty to entertain the women first. Women were not allowed to perform in public in the Ottoman Empire which also led to many men performing in drag, very similar to men performing as women in Shakespeare’s plays. In modern times it is more subliminal, a celebration of the female spirit. It has been taken by women’s groups and feminist alike to experience an awakening of female energy as well as a popular dance style for Middle Eastern restaurants and night clubs The female anatomy lends itself trainable to the many complex movements that characterize traditional Middle Eastern Dance: intricate patterns of movement, where single parts of the body move independently. It is truly an art, and when performed gracefully and with skill, there’s no mistaking it for anything other than remarkable.
Quintessential Middle Eastern dance requires an intimacy with the music that summons it. “Listen to the music, and dance to it!” Sounds easy enough. As we know, music is more than noise or a succession of sounds, particularly so in the case of this genre. Together, the rhythms and melodies tell a story; sometimes a very long story, otherwise known as a saga. The ability to really hear the music with more than the ear, and interpret the emotions conveyed in the lyrics takes genuine talent. This occasion is rare, but when it happens, you recognize it for what it is: awesome.