I've heard for a long time about how highly skilled Asian dancers are, and they did not disappoint - so much talent!  They are professional and polished.  They also embrace many different styles of belly dance, from the more subtle classic Egyptian style to the flashy Argentinian and Russian styles to a variety of fusion styles.  Many of these dancers are also classically trained in other dance forms as well.  The dancers I met seek to present belly dance at a very high standard of artistry and technique.  And along with being great dancers, they are savvy business owners.  

I was touched by the warmth and kindness of the dancers in Asia.  And I saw several similarities to many other belly dance communities I've encountered in my travels.  It's really interesting and inspiring to see that no matter where you go, the dance brings everyone together for the same reasons: passion, art, self-expression, interest in other cultures and creativity!  

The lively duet, "BellySister" performed at the show "Parthenon" when I was in Singapore.  They present high energy choreographies in beautiful and unique costumes!

Chrsitine Yaven of Jakarta, Indonesia was the first dancer to formally introduce belly dance to Indonesia.  She is a master at the classic Egyptian style of belly dance.  She is also extremely knowledgeable in the history, culture and music of Middle Eastern dance.

Ang Mee Mee and Zoe are the owners and Artistic Directors of "Dance99," a studio in Penang that offers a ton of dance classes in various styles.  The number 99 symbolizes eternity in Chinese culture, so the name of their studio means "Dance Forever!"  These women teach classes almost every day of the week and produce numerous theatrical shows each year.  They are well-versed in a variety of dance styles.

Darren has spent his life studying dance, including majoring in it during college when he attended a prestigious performing arts school in Singapore.  He is a master at a variety of styles in dance.  He has put his own mark on belly dance by creating a style that is uniquely his.

Brancy of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a former gymnast, which puts an interesting twist on her belly dance style.  She is extremely skilled with props, including wings and double cane.  She is also trained in a multitude of other dance forms.  She was a finalist on "So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia!"  See videos of her performances in SYTYCD at the YouTube channel HERE.  Her choreographies are so musical and her execution of them is flawless!

I love the details of this dance.  It's hypnotizing and I can't wait to see what she'll do next.  The performer in this video, Yang Liping, is a famous Chinese dancer and choreographer who is also well-known for her peacock dance.  There are many movements which are similar to Belly Dance, like the snakey arms, body undulations and some of the posturing.  It's always interesting to see the similarities that different world dances have to one another.