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Moon · 12-24-2007, 05:44 PM

Let me explain how I do it when I visit youtube:

- When I find a video of a not so experienced dancer who makes mistakes, doesn't dance 100% authentically etc. but is brave enough to perform at a student recital or for her family and friends, I seriously like to see that and I admire the dancer for her courage and enthousiasm.
- When I find a video of someone who never takes lessons or decided she was good enough after a few lessons, dances to Shakira in her own bedroom with suggestive movements and a wrong posture and labels it as bellydance, or makes an instructional video while they don't know anything about the dance, I give the video a low rating and suggest the person takes some more lessons herself first and what she's doing is not (yet) bellydance.
- When I see a video of someone labeling herself as a professional who doesn't dance with professional level, claims things about the dance that are not true and makes videos in which you can see all kinds of body parts which shouldn't be visible unles you're an erotic dancer, I also give the video a low rating and think this person gives the dance a really bad name.

I think this dance is better off when people dare to give critisize the too big egos of the last two categories in stead of saying "they're just being creative" or "they're just having fun". I must say, when I was just on this forum I thought some people were a little harsh, but when I got to "know" them better, I realised they were not anti-fusion, were not jealous of other dancers, they were only trying to protect what they love.
It might sometimes seem as if we don't like the creative fusion pieces of some people, but that is not true. Most people here don't like it when those dances are labeled as "bellydance" instead of as their own fantasy pieces.

Due to something that happened in my own bellydance class, I got very sensitive to the kind of students who only take a few lessons, then buy a professional looking costume and sell themselves as "bellydancers". They're the kind of people who give the dance a bad name.

I have never seen a beginner with a serious question get bitchy answers here, to be honest. I've only seen negative comments on videos of the last two categories. The kind of comments people make when someone hurts something they love.
Now, I will try to make my own negative comments more constructive and less bitchy-sounding. Maybe some of the others here will try the same, maybe they don't.
My advice is, don't read heated debate threads if they make you feel bad. But please don't be affraid to ask serious questions!

12-24-2007, 05:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
Moon V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 3,684	Let me explain how I do it when I visit youtube: - When I find a video of a not so experienced dancer who makes mistakes, doesn't dance 100% authentically etc. but is brave enough to perform at a student recital or for her family and friends, I seriously like to see that and I admire the dancer for her courage and enthousiasm. - When I find a video of someone who never takes lessons or decided she was good enough after a few lessons, dances to Shakira in her own bedroom with suggestive movements and a wrong posture and labels it as bellydance, or makes an instructional video while they don't know anything about the dance, I give the video a low rating and suggest the person takes some more lessons herself first and what she's doing is not (yet) bellydance. - When I see a video of someone labeling herself as a professional who doesn't dance with professional level, claims things about the dance that are not true and makes videos in which you can see all kinds of body parts which shouldn't be visible unles you're an erotic dancer, I also give the video a low rating and think this person gives the dance a really bad name. I think this dance is better off when people dare to give critisize the too big egos of the last two categories in stead of saying "they're just being creative" or "they're just having fun". I must say, when I was just on this forum I thought some people were a little harsh, but when I got to "know" them better, I realised they were not anti-fusion, were not jealous of other dancers, they were only trying to protect what they love. It might sometimes seem as if we don't like the creative fusion pieces of some people, but that is not true. Most people here don't like it when those dances are labeled as "bellydance" instead of as their own fantasy pieces. Due to something that happened in my own bellydance class, I got very sensitive to the kind of students who only take a few lessons, then buy a professional looking costume and sell themselves as "bellydancers". They're the kind of people who give the dance a bad name. I have never seen a beginner with a serious question get bitchy answers here, to be honest. I've only seen negative comments on videos of the last two categories. The kind of comments people make when someone hurts something they love. Now, I will try to make my own negative comments more constructive and less bitchy-sounding. Maybe some of the others here will try the same, maybe they don't. My advice is, don't read heated debate threads if they make you feel bad. But please don't be affraid to ask serious questions!