Belly Dance Forums - View Single Post - kids bellydancing- how appropriate is it

Mya · 12-28-2007, 05:25 PM

I definitely believe that it comes down to presentation - the moves used and the costuming. I was very iffy about it when i'd heard there'd be a kids performance at my first show with the old studio but when i saw it i didn't have a problem with it at all.
Kids in the shows were always dressed in harem pants, worn on the waist, not the hips and with only a small slit from the ankle to mid-calf.The tops were those handkerchief styled-diamond shaped ones - not with strings to tie but broad bands of cloth so that there was still quite a bit of cloth covering their backs. They had puffy sleeve type things on their arms as well. so add some sparkly edging and shiny colourful, material and they were pretty much covered and looked like kids,but still felt like they looked like bellydancers.
There were no sensual moves in the choreography - it was pretty much as midoria described hers above. one or two hip lifts, some simple veil work - but none of it "sultry". No undulations, no chest shaking, no oumis, no popping and locking. it was beautiful - the parents were happy, the kids were happy, the crowd loved it.

i think it's much harder to deal with the almost teenagers and early teenagers because they WANT to look like grown-up belly dancers or for the older ones they want to look sensual. I prefer then for the sake of performances that they do folkloric styles, even if they begin to learn the other stuff in class.

i agree that there is too much in this world that is ugly and forces children to grow up much faster than they should. they should never be put into a position where there is even the slightest potential for exploitation.

12-28-2007, 05:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
Mya Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Trinidad Posts: 678	I definitely believe that it comes down to presentation - the moves used and the costuming. I was very iffy about it when i'd heard there'd be a kids performance at my first show with the old studio but when i saw it i didn't have a problem with it at all. Kids in the shows were always dressed in harem pants, worn on the waist, not the hips and with only a small slit from the ankle to mid-calf.The tops were those handkerchief styled-diamond shaped ones - not with strings to tie but broad bands of cloth so that there was still quite a bit of cloth covering their backs. They had puffy sleeve type things on their arms as well. so add some sparkly edging and shiny colourful, material and they were pretty much covered and looked like kids,but still felt like they looked like bellydancers. There were no sensual moves in the choreography - it was pretty much as midoria described hers above. one or two hip lifts, some simple veil work - but none of it "sultry". No undulations, no chest shaking, no oumis, no popping and locking. it was beautiful - the parents were happy, the kids were happy, the crowd loved it. i think it's much harder to deal with the almost teenagers and early teenagers because they WANT to look like grown-up belly dancers or for the older ones they want to look sensual. I prefer then for the sake of performances that they do folkloric styles, even if they begin to learn the other stuff in class. i agree that there is too much in this world that is ugly and forces children to grow up much faster than they should. they should never be put into a position where there is even the slightest potential for exploitation.