Based waaay down in southern Maryland, Troupe ‘Hip’notic has been trying to describe their style since their formation in 2004, and had pretty much given up until they recently settled upon the term, “Eclectic Bellydance.” This describes both the dancers’ personalities and their dance style perfectly, as Troupe ‘Hip’notic is an eclectic group of women who respectfully borrow from traditional music and belly dance while incorporating contemporary music and dance styles. As a result, their dance is organic and constantly evolving.

As a professional troupe who are not fans of the ‘carbon-copy’ troupe image, they aim to merge the tricky concepts of synchronous group dancing, while encouraging individuality. They manage to fill their performances with the unique personalities of their dancers and their individuality in music choice, dance style and costuming without sacrificing cohesiveness. It is this diversity of dance styles, personalities, music choices and props which thoroughly engage and captivate audiences of all ages. It is not unusual for a Troupe ‘Hip’notic show to include a soloist showcasing classic Raqs Sharki style, an improvisational American Tribal Style (ATS) dance, and a popping and locking Tribal Fusion duet. Troupe ‘Hip’notic’s philosophy is that ‘dance is a journey’ and so all the dancers continually pursue classes and workshops with nationally and internationally renowned belly dance instructors, as well as technical training in other aspects of dance and performance. In addition to challenging themselves technically, the troupe also pushes themselves artistically by seeking out avant-garde venues and events to appropriately showcase their more theatrical or experimental pieces (ex. Vixen Variety Show and Belly Horror). ‘Dance is a journey, not a destination,’ and Troupe ‘Hip’notic is enjoying the adventure and would love for you to join them!

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