No hope - Page 4

Zorba · 05-23-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniseteph

If it's a friendly class and he is friendly in an appropriate way he will probably get looked on as an honorary girl

Yep - that's the way my dance sisters treat me.

Oh, and Khanjar - you may find this article of interest if you haven't found it yet (on my site's "articles" page):

Male Dance in the United Kingdom

Caroline_afifi · 05-23-2008, 04:54 PM

Oh! By the way Zorba,

One of the organisers of Majma who initially opposed the presence of men at the festival has now opend her new festival to men (Sirocco festival)
I was very surprised to see men there but it seems she had a good think and actually changed her mind.
Her turn around was a man who started going to some of her classes and was a student of Aliya Birch. It really made her think and now she says 'welcome!'. People really can change if they are open to it.

Zorba · 05-23-2008, 08:40 PM

I'm *very* glad to hear this! Thanx for the update.

I know of a certain teacher, semi-local to me who wouldn't teach men - and I couldn't really blame her as she had had a bad experience with a male "student" when she was a "baby teacher". She just happened to be active on Bhuz at a time when this subject was being discussed ad nauseum by the author of that article on my site (Mike Waldie) - read all his heartbreak, blah, blah - and publicly announced that it was time she "rethought her position". Bless her! She now has a certain male student who posts here from time to time - the guy saw my website and was intrigued!

khanjar · 05-24-2008, 04:48 AM

Well, I have just emailed a local teacher, the Rosie Mockler of Bellywobble.co.uk, who was mentioned earlier,her website does say 'Bellywobble for all', I await to see if that all includes males.

I have also found another teacher, Cara Bamford, whom I vaguely remember from the Mystic and Healing fayre held in my city, a lady who advertised her workshops at the fayre, where she states; '.........everyone welcome(men too!)'

speakercarabamford

Her Bio says she has classes in my city, but as of yet, I have yet to locate her contact details, would anyone here know her, or how to get hold of her ?

Just emailed two more, the more the merrier I suppose.

taheya · 05-24-2008, 06:17 AM

Good luck with your endeavour to find a teacher Khanjar- things are changing in the UK thankfully. I feel people are more accepting of male students and it is improving all the time. A real gem in the UK based in Brighton/Hove is Khaled Mahmoud who is a great dancer/ teacher from Cairo. I know it is quite far from you but it is worth checking out when he is doing workshops for the day cos he really is wonderful! Here is his website:
khaled-goldenhips.co.uk

Dipali · 05-25-2008, 12:55 AM

You Brits are really weird

you lot started all the perversion in the world and now deny a male who wants to start Belly Dancing?

Khanjar, I been involved with Belly dancing for the last 5 years, Never took a formal class from a teacher but I learned a few movements of the dance from my friend who is a teacher , and a few videos. I don’t perform publicly , neither I have the intension to do it, but I just enjoy the dancing in my own way. I did dance few times in a restaurant ,but that was more of a fun and token entertainment for all the belly dancers who are female. I got asked to join a few classes by different teachers and never really faced any gay- rumourish kind of things. But in your case its a bit difficult it seems, but I hope you will find a teacher and have a great time dancing.

khanjar · 05-25-2008, 01:33 AM

Weird, of course we are, well some of us anyway hahaha.

We started all the perversion in the world ?

I will learn this thing by hook or by crook as I am one of those that gets an idea, and I just have to follow it through or else forever wonder and I don't like wondering.Life is to be lived!

My plans with learning this dance are also for my own enjoyment, a more enjoyable form of exercise to good music, as to ideas of performing, like EEK ! But who knows what the future may bring.

As to thoughts on all this division that seems to exist between the sexes, if the sexes are kept to separate activities, the division will always exist. I work with women, their abilities, no different from my abilities and we get on fine, work, laugh, joke, women are just people, as are men, the anatomical difference is just not even thought about, neither is thoughts of dating, as a result I have some very good female friends.

Oh, and if you are wondering, I am not gay, it is just that I am happy with my friends and do not wish to complicate things, as I feel the same also applies to them.A compliment perhaps, I am seen as no threat

Dipali · 05-25-2008, 03:05 AM

Hello Khanjar,

I will be the last person in this forum to speculate about somebody else’s sexual preference. I just wanted to generalise the topic, how male dancers face discrimination when they want to join a belly dance class, we have a few male dancers in Australia and it appears to be quite acceptable here.

Regards

khanjar · 05-25-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dipali

Hello Khanjar,

I will be the last person in this forum to speculate about somebody else’s sexual preference. I just wanted to generalise the topic, how male dancers face discrimination when they want to join a belly dance class, we have a few male dancers in Australia and it appears to be quite acceptable here.

Regards

Hello Dipali,

I know you were not questing about my sexuality, that was just me I think, as a general statement to all who wonder here, and perhaps my need. Sad I suppose having that need, but it comes from living in a society where people just like to speculate and label others for whatever reason.

I have three emails out to big names in my area, not asking to join their classes, but asking if they can recommend a teacher who will teach males in my area, I await the replies.

Eshta · 05-25-2008, 11:53 PM

It strikes me as...shall I go for 'ironic?... that it's ok to instantly suspect a man on the grounds that 'naturally' any guy phoning up about dance lessons MUST be a pervert, but it's ok to accept girls who phone to ask if you can 'teach [them] to shake it like Shakira?" or the ones who come along 'because the pole dancing class was full"?

To suggest it would be indecent to have some leering man in the class always makes me think "don't flatter yourselves, luvs!" If men want to leer at women in lycra, there are so many easier ways of doing it than fight your way into a bellydance class!

Hang in there Khanjar, I think things genuinely are starting to shift in the UK, although I know little about your neck of the woods.

05-23-2008, 08:40 PM	#33 (permalink)
Zorba Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 862	I'm very glad to hear this! Thanx for the update. I know of a certain teacher, semi-local to me who wouldn't teach men - and I couldn't really blame her as she had had a bad experience with a male "student" when she was a "baby teacher". She just happened to be active on Bhuz at a time when this subject was being discussed ad nauseum by the author of that article on my site (Mike Waldie) - read all his heartbreak, blah, blah - and publicly announced that it was time she "rethought her position". Bless her! She now has a certain male student who posts here from time to time - the guy saw my website and was intrigued! __________________ -Zorba "The Veiled Male" http://www.doubleveil.net "There is nothing sadder than a veil, that is for sale."

05-24-2008, 04:48 AM	#34 (permalink)
khanjar Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	Well, I have just emailed a local teacher, the Rosie Mockler of Bellywobble.co.uk, who was mentioned earlier,her website does say 'Bellywobble for all', I await to see if that all includes males. I have also found another teacher, Cara Bamford, whom I vaguely remember from the Mystic and Healing fayre held in my city, a lady who advertised her workshops at the fayre, where she states; '.........everyone welcome(men too!)' speakercarabamford Her Bio says she has classes in my city, but as of yet, I have yet to locate her contact details, would anyone here know her, or how to get hold of her ? Just emailed two more, the more the merrier I suppose. Last edited by khanjar; 05-24-2008 at 06:52 AM.

05-24-2008, 06:17 AM	#35 (permalink)
taheya Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: uk Posts: 524	Good luck with your endeavour to find a teacher Khanjar- things are changing in the UK thankfully. I feel people are more accepting of male students and it is improving all the time. A real gem in the UK based in Brighton/Hove is Khaled Mahmoud who is a great dancer/ teacher from Cairo. I know it is quite far from you but it is worth checking out when he is doing workshops for the day cos he really is wonderful! Here is his website: khaled-goldenhips.co.uk Last edited by taheya; 05-24-2008 at 06:19 AM.

05-25-2008, 12:55 AM	#36 (permalink)
Dipali Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sunshine coast,Australia Posts: 873	You Brits are really weird you lot started all the perversion in the world and now deny a male who wants to start Belly Dancing? Khanjar, I been involved with Belly dancing for the last 5 years, Never took a formal class from a teacher but I learned a few movements of the dance from my friend who is a teacher , and a few videos. I don’t perform publicly , neither I have the intension to do it, but I just enjoy the dancing in my own way. I did dance few times in a restaurant ,but that was more of a fun and token entertainment for all the belly dancers who are female. I got asked to join a few classes by different teachers and never really faced any gay- rumourish kind of things. But in your case its a bit difficult it seems, but I hope you will find a teacher and have a great time dancing. __________________ Australian Belly dance store - Belly Dance Costumes, Bollywood & Tribal outfits.

05-25-2008, 03:05 AM	#38 (permalink)
Dipali Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sunshine coast,Australia Posts: 873	Hello Khanjar, I will be the last person in this forum to speculate about somebody else’s sexual preference. I just wanted to generalise the topic, how male dancers face discrimination when they want to join a belly dance class, we have a few male dancers in Australia and it appears to be quite acceptable here. Regards __________________ Australian Belly dance store - Belly Dance Costumes, Bollywood & Tribal outfits.

05-23-2008, 04:54 PM	#32 (permalink)
Caroline_afifi V.I.P. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Liverpool UK Posts: 1,367	Oh! By the way Zorba, One of the organisers of Majma who initially opposed the presence of men at the festival has now opend her new festival to men (Sirocco festival) I was very surprised to see men there but it seems she had a good think and actually changed her mind. Her turn around was a man who started going to some of her classes and was a student of Aliya Birch. It really made her think and now she says 'welcome!'. People really can change if they are open to it.

05-25-2008, 01:33 AM	#37 (permalink)
khanjar Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	Weird, of course we are, well some of us anyway hahaha. We started all the perversion in the world ? I will learn this thing by hook or by crook as I am one of those that gets an idea, and I just have to follow it through or else forever wonder and I don't like wondering.Life is to be lived! My plans with learning this dance are also for my own enjoyment, a more enjoyable form of exercise to good music, as to ideas of performing, like EEK ! But who knows what the future may bring. As to thoughts on all this division that seems to exist between the sexes, if the sexes are kept to separate activities, the division will always exist. I work with women, their abilities, no different from my abilities and we get on fine, work, laugh, joke, women are just people, as are men, the anatomical difference is just not even thought about, neither is thoughts of dating, as a result I have some very good female friends. Oh, and if you are wondering, I am not gay, it is just that I am happy with my friends and do not wish to complicate things, as I feel the same also applies to them.A compliment perhaps, I am seen as no threat

05-25-2008, 11:53 PM	#40 (permalink)
Eshta Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: London, England Posts: 337	It strikes me as...shall I go for 'ironic?... that it's ok to instantly suspect a man on the grounds that 'naturally' any guy phoning up about dance lessons MUST be a pervert, but it's ok to accept girls who phone to ask if you can 'teach [them] to shake it like Shakira?" or the ones who come along 'because the pole dancing class was full"? To suggest it would be indecent to have some leering man in the class always makes me think "don't flatter yourselves, luvs!" If men want to leer at women in lycra, there are so many easier ways of doing it than fight your way into a bellydance class! Hang in there Khanjar, I think things genuinely are starting to shift in the UK, although I know little about your neck of the woods. __________________ Saqarah - London's monthly Belly Dance Hafla!