Aisha Azar

Dear Gang,
I am a professional theatrical costumer as well as a dancer. I am happy to see men moving away from shalwar and vest. To me, that particular look says certain things to the general public: Genie coming out of the bottle, or Sultan of the harem, or worse yet, eunuch in the sultan's harem. I really like some of the alternative costuming coming out for men. I like the jeans and t-shirt look really well, or the jazz pant and tank or cat suit with a fringe belt. (Mark has a turquoise one that I really like.) I also like a straight panel skirt on men really well, with a short or long pant underneath. I am not too overly fond of the bra look on men because I think one needs breasts to really do that look justice. I also like just something like some bead flatwork on the chest with attached strands, rather reminiscent of the chest plate thing but less warrior-like!
Regards,
A'isha

Twilight Spiral

Thank you ^^ Plus they are available at the local Borders so I can start right away ^__^


Mark- Really? Have any examples?

jenc- It is nothing against the outfit, I just don't like them. They don't seem to fit me.

Shanazel- Aww, I Zorba! Mark and Zorba are two the greatest male belly dancers I have ever seen. I look up to them both.

Aisha Azar- What you have said is very insightful, thank you ^^

Ok, so I have been listening to my new age music and I have found several found several songs that I swear you could belly dance to. Has anyone ever found a song on their own and created a dance just for it?

If there is one thing I have learned right off the bat it is that Bell Dancers all have different ways to dance. One may prefer swords, another the Isis Wing Dance, and all of us have our own views on what looks best. So I have this to say.

"I will wear what I see fit to express myself and I won't be ashamed of it. I prefer the skirt and chop top look, maybe my look will change, my be not but this is what I like and if you don't like it then deal with it!"

Twilight Spiral

Ow, ow, wow, Belly Dance really does work the muscles, I think my legs don't want to start again. A couple more questions have arisen ^^;

One thing become clear when I started the DVD Basic and Beyond, my body can't bend much like a instructors. Now I knew this would happen, but I am curios on how males dancers adjust to this movement?

How many practice in semi grew? At the moment I have only plain clothes and well I can't really tell if my hips are moving correctly. Shoulder yes, but hips not so much. I would buy different clothes but I am short on cash.

The topics and weigh loss are right, belly dance really does work the body

//Twilight Spiral

khanjar

Well, I was told wear a waist scarf, then if you do the movements in front of a full length mirror, you can see. Mind I suppose if you don't have a full length mirror, you can do it with sound, by the application of jingly things like bells or something like that.

Never had the problem with leg aches, as I learned the slightly bent leg posture by doing Tai Chi. When I started Tai Chi, then I had the leg aches.

If you practice in private, you can wear what you wish, I just use shorts and t shirt, as it is fairly unrestrictive.

__________________
I am a dream to some...and a nightmare to others.

Farasha Hanem

Yeah, Zorba invented and perfected cool!

khanjar

When I first started practicing, I was a little self conscious of those who live next to me and our paper thin walls, so I used to play a bit of death metal on the stereo, and transmit the lesson to my headphones, whilst viewing the lesson on the tv

Now I don't care, if they are listening in, they can do, and wonder.

__________________
I am a dream to some...and a nightmare to others.

da Sage

Yep, any long scarf will do - you can pick one up at Target, Walmart, or a thrift store. You could even use a necktie! A really big square scarf will work, too - just fold it in half into a triangle.

Tie it so the top is at your hipbone, or slightly above.

khanjar

Yes, I was wondering along the lines of the Turkish Korazin,or scale but a lot lighter.

Perhaps here might be of use for some thoughts;

Silk Road Designs Armoury

__________________
I am a dream to some...and a nightmare to others.

Twilight Spiral

Oh, I just bought a belly dancer sash with coins on it from a local shop. I can use that, I was going to keep it with the outfit...Hehehe, I don't know what I was thinking.

It was weird, I practice Tai Chi as well, but the leg stretches were different from what I am use to and I guess I suffered, or I haven't worked my legs in some time. Either way I am sure there will be more soreness to come.

khanjar- That is good to hear ^__^

da Sage- A necktie? I'm sorry, but I have never heard of a use like that before. Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but I find this funny.

Everyone here is great, I am so very grateful. I am glad I look here for my questions ^^

Zorba

How in tarnation did I miss this thread?

Here's my take on it - keep in mind this is what works for ME - others need to make their own choices in the matter...

There are all kinds of options for male dancers in the top department that aren't necessarily vests, but aren't bras either. I don't wear bras as I don't have the anatomy that requires one - that's my "line" between masculine and feminine (no quotes). Take a look through my galleries for "some" of the possibilities - but remember I don't have them all covered by any means! My very favorite top is my blue "Raffa top" (Named after the male dancer from whom I blatantly stole the idea) - its unabashedly masculine in the true sense (based on anatomy), yet it is very "pretty" or "beautiful" or whatever pronoun you want to apply to it. Its quite versatile in that it can be decorated much like the female bra can be in a variety of ways (lookup Raffa on the web, there's a couple of pictures of him in this kind of top). It also shows off the dancer's torso quite well and highlights isolations spectacularly - something that neither a bare chested look, nor a shirted look can do.

My "famous" quote: I'm neither a woman, nor do I desire to look like one; yet I do reserve the right to seek my own beauty.

As far as skirts go, I consider them a unisex garment as they're not dependent upon anatomy - indeed, I wear them full time in my mundane life. Plus the usual blab about skirts being worn by men for thousands of years in much of the world.

In my dance life, I wear them when the dance calls for one, i.e. the dance includes skirtwork. I otherwise tend NOT to wear them performing as I realize that my audiences most likely do NOT consider them a unisex garment and I don't want to warp their brains any more than I already do by my mere presence. But again, if the dance calls for one, I'll gladly wear one - if someone can't handle it they can leave. I'm not going to spoil my fun because of stupid cultural norms - and most of my audiences seem to love it. Remind me to tell you about the time I was asked to demonstrate skirtwork in a workshop because I was the best in the class at it!

I don't recommend wearing a skirt in class (unless doing skirtwork) - most teachers don't either because they want to be able to see what your lower body is doing. As someone else pointed out, Melodia dance pants or similar from Sharifwear or L.Rose are excellent and beautiful things to wear. They're about the only pants I'm ever seen in these days (for the simple reason that Belly Dance is about the only time I wear pants).

__________________
-Zorba
"The Veiled Male"
http://www.doubleveil.net