Recnadocir: I reject the tyranny of absolutes, especially in the art of dance, which must always be free to borrow and fuse, to meld and synthesize, that art might ever be fresh, vital, and inspiring.[/quote]
Thank Goodness someone said this loud and clear.
Amen, Amen, Amen!!!
For all you male belly dancers out there, do your thing and do it well. Thatīs all I ask. And I know that you do!!!
My very first experience seeing a male belly dancer was on a trip to Egypt :eek: with a group of 20+ female belly dancers. Our guide, an Egyptian male, was of course aware of what we were and not only showed us a very good time during our trip, but jumped in during a "Belly Dance" party, with other non belly dancers and began to "belly dance" with the simple scarf (no coins) that he had borrowed from one of the girls. In no way, did he look or move too feminine even with the scarf and he was AMAZING!!! He made me forget, for a moment that this is a dance primarily dominated by women. Yes, there were several other males present when he did this. From that moment on, I totally shifted my ideas and opinions about males not having a place in this dance, especially since I have seen more and more perform. Itīs not to say that I donīt still have my hang-ups, but Iīm definitely more open and appreciative of good male talent when I see it.
At this point, I only care that itīs done right and itīs done well just as I expect from female dancers.
This dance is way too beautiful and liberating to be put into a box or god forbid forced to follow biased rules dictated by xyz.
Peace,
Tenica
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