Alexandros

Aisha i get your point but everybody has their own experiences and studies in bellydance, according to the institude of egyptiology in section of dance nowhere is writen that this dance springs from a feminine well and ofcourse you can check it! Also for the open minded according to your openion if the bellydance springs from a feminine well then the males are really open minded to do this! I dont like fight anymore for this if someboby wants to know the truth there is many ways and plenty of informations im really tired with all this negatives opinions about the males dancers and "why they dance" its too much for me in the year of 2007 some people to have this ideas. (And dont forget that in the word Women is inclunded the word Men)

Take care Alexandros

Aisha Azar

Dear Alexandros,
It is very easy to trace the dance back to its beginnings in the cities of Egypt (and in my opinion Lebanon and Turkey, too, though they are not so renowned) and to a time period about a hundred years ago when Badia Masabni took a dance that was based in folkloric movement, added other elements and filtered them through the Arab cultural mind and heart, and put her new creation on stage, with female dancers, for the entertainment of anyone who wanted to pay the price. Belly dance started as an entertainment for the stage, begun by women with a projection of the female charms in mind. There is no way to deny that.
Even if it is not stated at the Institute of Egyptology, this is still the history of the dance. I am sure that it also does not state there that the male of the species originated the dance! The thing about dance is that it rarely is even mentioned by such illustrious folk, because those who write history rarely see dance as important enough to mention. I do not want to argue either, and I believe men can do the dance as well as women, but I will not try to deny the realities of what the dance was and is and men as well as women need to recognize that truth to do justice to the dance. I am not stating that men should take on a feminine personal only that they should also not try to become Mr Macho Gedah on stage if they are claiming to do belly dance. if they claim to do Saidi or certain other gender flexible dances, then I have no issues.
Regards,
A'isha

Suheir

Khaled and Nour, lovely!

Amulya

Does it matter what the history is? Isn't it more important what it is now? The fact is there are male belly dancers now so it became a part of belly dance.

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