Industry | home video |
---|---|
Founded | 2001 as Stratostream - World Dance New York in New York City, United States |
Headquarters | , |
Products | home video for women, all media |
Brands | World Dance New York, Alpha Spirit, Body Politics, Personality Cult |
Website | http://www.WorldDanceNewYork.com |
World Dance New York is a US home entertainment company, releasing and distributing special interest titles on DVD, video on demand, streaming media, iPhone and iPad apps, and a brand of women's dance and fitness home video products. It was founded in 2001 as "Stratostream - World Dance New York". "Stratostream" designates the company in the business-to-business environment, the home video industry, while "World Dance New York" is the publicly-recognized brand and the name of the consumer-facing operation of the company.
World Dance New York was founded by New York-based entertainment entrepreneur Neon (dancer) to respond to the demand for instruction and fitness programs based on women's solo dance forms. The rising popularity of fitness and self-help home video and interest in creative fitness (as opposed to traditional gym-style programs) among women [1] called for a wider range of movement disciplines and dance forms adapted for home video use. The first video releases by World Dance New York focused on belly dance and offered beginner instruction and workout programs for mass-market distribution and in-depth training programs for dance professionals.
In the years following the creation of the company, it established lines of video instruction and workout products for women in a number of solo dance forms, including belly dance, [2] stiletto dance, hip-hop dance, Brazilian samba, Flamenco, Bollywood dance, burlesque, [3] [4] exotic dance, go-go dancing, fire dance, hoop dance, capoeira, women's self-defense, and prenatal (maternity) fitness. It also started releasing instructional and workout products adapting partner dance styles such as salsa (dance) to solo practice and performance, [5] and added titles featuring traditional fitness disciplines, such as strength and flexibility at-home workouts for women, as well as yoga, Pilates, and stretching [6] programs.
Non-movement categories in the World Dance New York catalog include alternative modeling, styling, hair and makeup (fantasy, pin-up girl and vintage), [7] and esoteric arts.
Carolena Nericcio started the Fat Chance Belly Dance troupe, formerly American Tribal. FCBD/ATS developed a unique style of belly dance known simply as the FCBD style, of which the primary defining characteristic is group improvisation. It is generally performed at community events such as festivals and parades, with dancers typically favoring a look provided by wide-legged pants gathered at the ankles, tops known as cholis and full skirts.
Rachel Brice is an American professional belly dancer in Tribal Fusion style belly dance based in Portland, Oregon. She is the artistic director and choreographer for The Indigo Belly Dance Company and a frequent performer with the Bellydance Superstars. In June 2011 she opened her own dance studio in Portland, Oregon, called Studio Datura. There she hosts regular dance classes along with workshops from her 8 Elements™ Approach to Belly Dance training program.
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a modern Western form of belly dance that was created by fusing American Tribal Style belly dance and American Cabaret belly dance. Artists frequently incorporate elements from Popping, Hip Hop, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance, as well as movement principles from traditional forms such as Flamenco, Kathak, Odissi, and other folkloric and classical dance styles.
Gothic belly dance, also named and separated in substyles as Gothic fusion belly dance, dark fusion belly dance and Gothic tribal fusion, is a recently founded dance art movement, distilled from the influences of Middle Eastern dance, tribal fusion, goth subculture and neopaganism. Originating in the United States in the 1990s, it has spread to be practiced by amateur and professional dancers around the world, and it is growing with the spread of tribal belly dance formats.
Improvisational Team Synchronization, Improv Team Sync, or ITS belly dance is a style of group dance improvisation, often associated with Tribal Fusion and belly dance. ITS is performed by a group of dancers consisting of one of more leaders and followers. The dance relies on a shared vocabulary of movements, each initiated by the leader using a distinct cue movement. After the cue, a short choreographed movement sequence, or combo, is performed by the group. The leader chooses the combo based on their interpretation of the music, which is often done spontaneously during the performance. The result is a dance that appears choreographed, but is in fact structured improvisation. This format of structured group improvisation was first developed by Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman, the founder of American Tribal Style.
Alexandre Magno is a Brazilian born choreographer and director. His dance styles include hip-hop, jazz, ballet, samba, flamenco, tango, salsa, and martial arts. He has performed with Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Lido La Tourné, Ballet Hispanico, the Ringling Brothers Circus, and the Academy Awards. He also works with his own dance company, “Personna Dance Theatre".
Carmine T. Guida is a New York City-based, nationally recognized musician, teacher and performer. He is also a programmer and creator of online games and apps.
The Pin Up Girls are a girl group and dance troupe, founded by New York City native Vixen Romeo in 2005, which began as a burlesque-style performance group based in Los Angeles. Performing at Hollywood's most notorious venues such as The Viper Room Key Club and Roxy the girls quickly gained local attention with their girl-on-girl themed, tribal fusion belly dance, burlesque and hip hop routines. Between 2006-2008 The Pin Up Girls started to become poster girls for the lesbian scene with performances for Curve (magazine), a guest appearance on LOGO network's reality series Curl Girls, a web series segment on AfterEllen, a performance for the LGBT community hosted by Jane Lynch, and performances in Margaret Cho's Sensuous Woman Show. In 2008 The Pin Up Girls first recorded single "There She Goes...She's Real Fly" was picked up to be played on Showtime's hit lesbian series The L Word. In 2009 The Pin Up Girls music video, "There She Goes...She's Real Fly" premiered on Logo, on New Now Next Pop Lab. The Pin Up Girls' "Girl Candy," filmed in N.Y. and L.A., was released in 2011. The Pin Up Girls' "Pretty Things", featuring actress Elaine Hendrix, was filmed in L.A. by Director Joe LaRue in 2012 and was released in June 2012.
Zumba Fitness 2 is the second video game in the installment of the Fitness series, based on the Zumba program. It is also the sequel to Zumba Fitness (2010), later followed by Zumba Fitness Core (2012). Developed by Zoë Mode, it was published by Majesco Entertainment. It was released first on the Wii in November 2011 and then on Kinect for Xbox 360 in February 2012 under the title Zumba Fitness Rush.
Latin Jam Workout is a Latin Dance Fitness Program created by professional athlete and choreographer JP Santana. Founded in 2007 in Los Angeles, California, Latin Jam Workout combines techno and Latin music with dance and aerobic movements. It is a fusion of Latin dance steps such as Salsa, Merengue, Raeggaeton, Cumbia, Samba, Soca, Belly-Dancing and the faster-paced rhythms of Pop and Techno.
Belly dance is a Middle Eastern dance that originated in Egypt, which features movements of the hips and torso. A Western-coined exonym, it is also referred to as Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance. It has evolved to take many different forms depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style; with the styles and costumes of Egypt being the most recognized worldwide due to Egyptian cinema. Belly dancing in its various forms and styles is popular across the globe where it is taught by a multitude of schools of dance.
"Fiesta Buena" is a 2012 international hit song by DJ Mam's in Spanish and is credited to DJ Mam's featuring Luis Guisao, Soldat Jahman and Beto Perez. The song is written and composed by Mounir Belkhir, Luis Guisao and Soldat Jahman.
Raks Geek is a bellydance, flow arts, and fire performance company based in Chicago, Illinois. They were the first professional group to successfully combine bellydance and firespinning with geek themes in a consistent manner. They are most known for a viral YouTube video featuring a Wookiee bellydancing to a Klingon band playing original music in Shyriiwook, which was listed on UK Channel 4 TV's "50 Funniest Moments of 2012." They are the most well-known example of fusing bellydance with geek themes and are considered one of the top dance companies in Chicago.
Dawn Xiana Moon is a Chinese American singer-songwriter and bellydancer based in Chicago, Illinois. She is the first musician to blend traditional Chinese music with Americana, pop, and jazz. Moon is also the founder and producer/director of Raks Geek, the first bellydance and fire company of its kind.
Neon is a contemporary belly dance and stiletto dance performer, instructor, and choreographer based in New York City. She is also the founder and owner of Stratostream Entertainment - World Dance New York, a US entertainment company publishing dance instruction, performance, and fitness home video products for women. As a dance instructor Neon has developed innovative visualisation-based methods for teaching dance and dance fitness in an accelerated-learning format.
Stiletto dance is a dance form that emerged and evolved in the United States and Europe in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is named after the stiletto heel women's shoe style, since one of its distinguishing features is the wearing of high-heel shoes during performance.
Arab folk dances, also referred to as Oriental dance, Middle-Eastern dance and Eastern dance, are the traditional folk dances of the Arabs in Arab world. Arab dance has many different styles, including the three main types of folklore, classical, and contemporary. It is enjoyed and implemented throughout the Arab region, from North Africa to the Middle East.