PrinceKayammer

Hello to everybody
Dear Aisha(my english are good?!!!!thank you!!!!) I completely agree with this point.I have see the same thing many times.I m just saying that maybe this male show is good because the male will not be "the male" but one of the dancers.And this is good both for the bad male dancers(sorry for the expresion I dont know how else to say) to understand that they are not great dancers because they are 'something special' and try harder as "usual" (sorry again) female dancers and for the good dancers not to be what they are because they are "male belly dancers" but because they are good dancers in general.I dont know if you understand what I am trying to say....
Dear Estha thank you for your beautifull words!I m happy that you like my performance.It s pitty i didnt met you....hope the next time.Respect to all
Greetings from Greece

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Prince Kayammerبرنس قيامر

chryssanthi sahar

I completely agree with Kayammer (geia sou Tasouli).
At a pure male belly dance show the dancers will be judged by the audience lot more objectively than if a single male dancer performs at a show with 30 females! Maybe in America the ladies go crazy if a man pops up at a belly dance show, but in Greece, where we have quite many male belly dancers, women react enthusiastic only when they see really good male dancers. I think that a pure male show is a very good idea, because the audience can compare males to other males and only in this situation you can distinguish the good from the bad dancers. This doesn't mean that the dancers will be observed as strippers. I've watched quite some male belly dancers live and I really enjoyed the performances of the ones that were good (like Prince Kayammer, Serkan, Malek, Horacio Cifuentes) but I hated the performances of some who were not good or not according to my dance taste (and believe me there are quite some of them in Greece and also in Germany).

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Oriental dancer and instructor of Greek origin, living in Germany
www.chryssanthi.com

Maria_Aya

I'm with Chryssanthi on her previous comment, as I have organized 4 theatre shows and always had 3 to 4 male dancers.
In Greece its so usual to have male dancers that audience are used to it and judge them from their dance and only.
But same time I agree with Aisha as i've seen what she described for screaming audience for male dancer that wasnt good. And I stood wondering as I had the greek experience....
As I am very close friends with Serkan, i knew his vision from years now, and I'm happy he found male dancers that are very good at their dance (also that in a small way helped him, as he met Prince Kayammer and Malek throu me ), have studied with many teachers, are professionals, and not just someones that got a belt saw a bellydance DVD leanred to shimmy and call themselves male bellydancers (this happens in Greece also, and the ones that do this are a joke).
So I'm wishing good luck for the show, I believe everything is in the eye of the beholder.
Also we have to mention here, that for arabic audience (and special men) will be extremly difficult to connect this show with their culture. As for them male dancing is connected with folk dance and not with raqs sharqi.

Kisses to all !!!

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... because Oriental Dance is the visual poem over the music....

Aisha Azar

Dear Prince, Cryssanthi, and Aya,
I have sponsored male dancers for many years and will continue to do so. Good male dancers have just as much to offer as females. But when they begin to EXCLUDE women, that is another story. I still feel that an all male belly dance review is demeaning to women, and it will set up the situation that I described above. I do not think women will be better behaved just because it is an all male show. I really have nothing else to add , but I hope that people will at least THINK about what I have said here and realize that this kind of show has some pretty negative implications on many levels.
Regards,
A'isha

Aniseteph

Can't leave you rep A'isha but IMO you've made some very valid points on this. I'm all for relaxing and enjoying the gents on stage , but there are issues. Rant deleted, don't get me started....

Aisha Azar

Dear Aniseteph,
It is nice to know that you understand I am not trying to cause trouble where there is none! Thanks for speaking up about it.
Regards,
A'isha

chryssanthi sahar

Excuse me Aisha, but I still disagree with you. I really don't find anything wrong about a male belly dance show. After all men are rare in our belly dancing rows and maybe they feel strange about their own status, so it is important for them to work with other men once a while, that may make them feel more normal. But I think the whole discussion here has the background of a cultural misunderstanding. I think in Greece women are less concerned about men excluding them from some areas or activities, because in Greece at the end the women always do what THEY want I don't know if you ever watched the movie "My big fat Greek wedding", but there is a scene there, where the mother of the bride tell her that it's not a problem to let the man believe, that he is the head of the family, because in any case the woman is the neck and the neck moves the head
Anyway, I don't want to become sexist the other way round. The fact is, I find an all male belly dance event absolutely o.k. and there is no argument which will convince me of the opposite. If you don't find it o.k., you have the right to, but it is just your personal opinion.

Anyway, guys good luck for your event and I really regret that I cannot be there.

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Oriental dancer and instructor of Greek origin, living in Germany
www.chryssanthi.com

Tarik Sultan

Want to talk about exclusion? Why is BDSS exclucively female? Is there room there for even one male dancer? It's not like we don't exist or that they can't find a good one. I don't see this as excluding female dancers anymore than Ted Shawn's all male dance group was excluding female dancers. This event, like Ted's dance group is not about excluding women, but about showing that men are here, we do exist and we are a part of this community. Its about showing the larger community that there is nothing strange about us. Its about moving us into the eye of the public so that we are no longer perceived as novelties or oddities. Nothing more, nothing less. Although one might ask why they chose to exclude the light brown 5ft 9 Jamaican Middle Eastern dancers from the New York Metropolitan area who like peanutbutter. Where's Al Sharpton when ya need him!?

Mark_Balahadia

A'isha has made some very valid points. In fact everyone has made valid points for and against an all male oriental dance show. I for one think it's great Serkan is organizing this event. However, I also wondered why have one in the first place. I've always thought it was best to have more variety in a show versus all women or all men.

The BDSS is all women because Miles Copeland wants to have his own personal harem. Obviously, men and their wee-wees are not welcome. Miles Copeland is so irrelevant anyway.

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badde 3eish!!! www.markbalahadia.com

Aisha Azar

Dear Mark,
And, actually how relevant is the BDSS, or an all male show to the realities of Middle Eastern dance? The BDSS is so mostly NOT belly dance or anything related to Middle East at all. Yes, why have an all male show in the first place? Regardless, it seems very sexist to me.
Regards,
A'isha