Tarik Sultan

To immitate a woman, means to act, dress, walk and use mannerisms that would cause the casual observer to think that a man was in fact a female and not a man. You often use the phrase that a male dancer should llok like a belly dancer, exactly what does that mean? I understand that what youare against are what you perceive to be the hipocracy and unfairness of rigid gender roles. I can understand where you are coming from and on certain points I may even agree, however, if you apply this to men, you have to apply the same rule to women as well.

The belly dancer image was created to display a concept of a certain feminine ideal. It is still very much about presenting a feminine ideal. Why is it that that you're not equally turned off by this construct? If we should disregard imposed gender roles, then you should also encourage female dancers not to wear lipstick and makeup. They should wear crew cuts and forget about all that cleavage and slits and wear shirts and slacks.

When you do Greek dance, you wear the gender correct costume. You don't wear a head scarf and apron like the women do. The fez, fustanilla, and vest are the clothes for men as dictated by the gender specific role for men in that culture. If we follow your logic, why be limited to this role. If you have no problem wearing makeup and long earings in Oriental dance, why not do the same in Greek dance?

Okay, so why doesn't the same apply to women. Couldn't you say that all that make up and chifon, not to mention paded bras an example of women trying too hard to prove they're "female"?

Like I've said before, Raks Sharki was designed to reflect a cultural ideal of femininity and glamore. However, no one ever thought in terms of designing the dance to reflect an ideal of masqulinity. Like it or not, all cultures have gender roles. In our civilization, there are gender roles as to how a man presents himself as versus a woman. Male Ballet Dancers don't wear tutus and point shoes. Male flamenco dancers don't wear long gowns with ruffled trains and male Hula dancers don't wear mumus. So why should male middle eastern dancers wear articles of dress and accessories that are traditionally and culturally worn by females?

Personally I love the fact that we are different. I don't want to see women who look just like the guy sitting next to me on the bus. I love the things that make her look like a woman as defined by our culture. I love her womanliness, curves etc, I love it and I love to see her express it through the dance. I just don't think that we should take that to mean that women are inferiour to us in spirit and intellect, or lack the freedome to determine their own destinies just because they have less upper body strength and flesh between their legs than I do.

By the same token, when I go out with my mother, I don't want people thinking I'm her daughter. I don't want to wear colorfull eyeshadow, or lipstick and loud rouge or jewlery that was designed for women because these things do not enhance my masculine beauty. Further more, these things do not match the image of masculinity in our culture and to wearing them sends certain messages. I am aware of the fact that at different times and cultures, men did wear these things, but that's not this time or this place. I love the way I look and I think I am beautiful and I love being a man and dont feel that I need makeup, (except to hide bad shaving scars) lipstick to be attractive. To be vulgar for a second, I don't want to look like a chich with a d%$k.:eek: .....No offence to any chicks with d&%ks out there:o

I don't feel comfortable with this concept and I don't think its fair. Women don't strive for their audiences to forget that they are women, why should I want my audience to forget that I'm a man. Do I have to be a unick in order to be a true artist? This just seems like one should be appoligetic for being a man and strive to hide it or in some way compensate for it. A good female dancers doesn't hide behind her feminity, she strives to intergrate everything, her appearance, expression and personality as well as her talent, I strive to do the same. As for stupid male tricks, i don't know what those are. You would have to tell me or show me. I can only say that because this is a female dominated activity, and because most men coming into it have no role models and because people do make assumptions about a guys sexuality when they do something that is a female dominated activity, they worry about the misperception and want to compensate for it. All male dancers have to deal with this, no matter what form of dance they do, except maybe hip-hop.

There is nothing wrong with the culturally defined gender images that we have. The problem is when we try to subordinate one sex to another or deny one sex the basic rights, privaledges and dignity we all deserve as human beings. I agree with a lot of your points of view, but on this one I'm afraid that I will have to agree to disagree with you, no matter how much I admire and appreciate you.