Hi everyone, I'd like to open a thread about a subject that I'm particularly interested in, Turkish Roman women who also perform Orientale dance. I know there are some! I feel like the 'fusion' of Roman dance and bellydance (and other Roman dance fusions) is sort of a heated topic, but here I'd like to discuss Turkish Roman women who perform Orientale dance in cabaret costumes in public.

This is what I've got. I have a pretty cool dvd called Iste Super Oriental and has Roman women bellydancing. There are also (Im guessing) non Roman women dancers, Tulay Karaca and Burcin Orhon, but the only Roman woman's name I can gleam from the many dancers is Firuze Sultan. But anyway, they bellydance, they put Roman movements in, it looks authenticly Rom and totally cool. I also have a book called Oriental Belly Dance by Kemal Osdemir (while not the deepest read is a great reference to Turkish Oriental dancers and costumes of the eras) that references "gypsy dancers in Sulukule" with pix.

So what I wonder is where do Roman orientale dancers perform? Weddings or clubs? Who do they learn bellydance from? And also in my understanding of the Roma as a modest people, is it accepted in Turkish Roman culture to see a young Roman woman wearing bedleh and dancing in public?

The dancing I have seen on this video is unlike anything I've seen so far on youtube (as far as Roman/bellydance goes. They dont dance like Orientale Reyhan, or like Reyhan Tusuz, they don't look like the dancer discussed on the Tarkan thread, they play zills, its great!) Iste Super Oriental is manufactured and distributed by Saut Wa Soora Co in LA. I got it on ebay but its pretty low quality-doesnt play in my laptop, doesnt play on some dvd players.

I hope to hear some opinions and feedback about this subject! xoxoK