Underbelly - A Documentary
Steve Balderson's
UNDERBELLY
A year in the life of dancer Princess Farhana
SYNOPSIS for UNDERBELLY
Belly dance… sensual and mystical, it’s origins shrouded in mystery, is the world’s oldest form of dance, one of the most pleasurable to watch and probably the most fulfilling to learn and practice. Belly dance disciples the world over claim the dance is highly empowering, spiritual and transformational.
Through a fortuitous chance meeting at the age of thirty-two, multi-faceted artist, best-selling author and rock and roll icon Pleasant Gehman discovered belly dancing. After years of punk rock rebellion, debauched cross-country indie- band tours, substance abuse and bulimia, this twist of fate literally changed her life. Embarking on a dance career with no training at an age when many professionals are considering retirement, she reinvented herself as Princess Farhana. She became an internationally acclaimed belly dance star, widely acknowledged as an innovator in the field.
“Underbelly” provides the viewer with a sneak peak into one woman’s transcendent journey as well as this unique, rarely seen world by tracing a year in the life of Princess Farhana. From Hollywood, California to The Mexican Riviera, from the United Kingdom to the prairies of Canada, from New York City to the heartland of America, “Underbelly” illuminates the world of belly dance, as it exists today. With views from the stage as well as the private off-stage world of the dancers, it covers the fundamentals and history of the dance, how it’s taught, how it changes and heals lives, and addresses the differences between the purely traditional styles and the myriad genres composing contemporary belly dance: from cabaret and tribal to fusion with burlesque and Gothic styling.
Candid interviews with stars and well-known authorities in the field such as Rachel Brice, Tonya & Atlantis, Rachel Lazarus Soto, Marta Schill, Samantha Riggs, and Kajira Djoumahna bump up against the opinions of starry-eyed students and hobbyists. Outrageous differences in opinion are offered by purists and pioneers alike. Performances by Princess Farhana, John Compton, comedian/dance Margaret Cho, Blacksheep Belly Dance, Jim Boz and Tempest illuminate the range of styles and how each artist puts a personal signature on the world’s oldest dance, as it’s performed today.
UNDERBELLY
A year in the life of dancer Princess Farhana
SYNOPSIS for UNDERBELLY
Belly dance… sensual and mystical, it’s origins shrouded in mystery, is the world’s oldest form of dance, one of the most pleasurable to watch and probably the most fulfilling to learn and practice. Belly dance disciples the world over claim the dance is highly empowering, spiritual and transformational.
Through a fortuitous chance meeting at the age of thirty-two, multi-faceted artist, best-selling author and rock and roll icon Pleasant Gehman discovered belly dancing. After years of punk rock rebellion, debauched cross-country indie- band tours, substance abuse and bulimia, this twist of fate literally changed her life. Embarking on a dance career with no training at an age when many professionals are considering retirement, she reinvented herself as Princess Farhana. She became an internationally acclaimed belly dance star, widely acknowledged as an innovator in the field.
“Underbelly” provides the viewer with a sneak peak into one woman’s transcendent journey as well as this unique, rarely seen world by tracing a year in the life of Princess Farhana. From Hollywood, California to The Mexican Riviera, from the United Kingdom to the prairies of Canada, from New York City to the heartland of America, “Underbelly” illuminates the world of belly dance, as it exists today. With views from the stage as well as the private off-stage world of the dancers, it covers the fundamentals and history of the dance, how it’s taught, how it changes and heals lives, and addresses the differences between the purely traditional styles and the myriad genres composing contemporary belly dance: from cabaret and tribal to fusion with burlesque and Gothic styling.
Candid interviews with stars and well-known authorities in the field such as Rachel Brice, Tonya & Atlantis, Rachel Lazarus Soto, Marta Schill, Samantha Riggs, and Kajira Djoumahna bump up against the opinions of starry-eyed students and hobbyists. Outrageous differences in opinion are offered by purists and pioneers alike. Performances by Princess Farhana, John Compton, comedian/dance Margaret Cho, Blacksheep Belly Dance, Jim Boz and Tempest illuminate the range of styles and how each artist puts a personal signature on the world’s oldest dance, as it’s performed today.
Click to view