Aisha Azar

Dear Cathy,
Gross me out the door!!!! Now, if you ever doubt that the gods are protecting you, keep in mind that they arranged for you to be out of town during this horrible time!!
Regards,
A'isha

Aniseteph

You are quite right...

Well at least there's not a whole branch of the music biz shoving populist bellydance lite at the masses. (Sits back and waits for someone to point out a small elephant in the room... ).

lizaj

He's,as one devotee described him to me, a singer who sings opera not an opera singer . Russell Watson also springs to mind

Caroline_afifi

And Paul Potts probably had every Opera singer in the land cringeing whilst everybody loved him. I really love him too, he brought tears to my eyes as he was truly the underdog car phone sales man who looked lousy but sang well enough to move people. I dont care for Opera but he appealed to me. It is exactly this we have been relating to Sophie. Not the best bla bla but lots of teachers at Raqs said they had a lot to thank her for as they have noticed a massive boom. People need real people to relate to, not Divas.

adiemus

I guess we need to think too that we became interested in the dance without the depth of knowledge that we are all getting now... sometimes the 'bellydance lite' can intrigue the general public enough for someone to decide to look into it further. At the same time it can put others off - similarly for opera and any other form of music or dance.
I guess as long as we each can try to represent our dance is the most honest way we can, word will eventually make it through that it's more than wiggling your hips like Shakira, and not at all about stripping or the seven veils!
Perhaps something we can reflect on is that while 'true opera' buffs cringe at Paul Potts, people like us enjoy him. Perhaps what we can do for people who do decide to be part of a TV show, is decide to support them, recognising that they're not (a) going to be able to show everyone every nuance of the dance and (b) that they have at least been brave enough to show something of what they love to others!

__________________
He wahine, he taonga- Every woman is a treasure(Maori proverb)

lizaj

Potts and Mei...making things accessable?


I like opera but I'll never object to someone who'll bring a bar full of ordinary people to attention and say they loved a classy bit of song!

Nor to a pretty and tasteful young lady entertaining the unitiated.

Sometimes when the great and the good perform ,they don't reach out to touch a new audience and sometimes they sure as hell don't touch me

fatinah

I don't think these shows do us any harm but what they can do is sometimes mislead an art form.

I think someone like Sophie was great but when I told my friends and family I had started bellydancing (only been a couple of weeks) they immediatley said "Oh like sophie from britains got talent" and my sister who is 21 said "Oh Im going to go to that".

She came back and phoned me and said "How are you getting on?" I told her great and her reply was "I hate it, what the hell is that music and it is nothing like what that girl did on britains got talent...the music is rubbish and its all old people".

To say the least I was not impressed but I expected this reponse from my sister who is far from cultured! However, I think this reaction is probably quite usual from young girls who see belly dancing as something glam and trendy. I think my sister expected to dance to shakira and holly valance tracks and I don't think she had a clue she would have to dance to arabic music!

lizaj

Ah well ageism gets everywhere!
I often wonder how I can inspire young thangs being a decrepit pensioner!

fatinah

I cannot believe my sisters views on things at all! In my opinion women who are mor mature make belly dancing look sexier because they look more curvy and womanly and have more mystique about them.

I find it more alluring when its a woman of an older age who seems to have more wisdom behind her eyes shaking her bootay than a young skinny thing who sometimes makes the sexiness look a little false.

Like on youtube dina looks great with her young body and sexy looks but I think the more curvier women who are say late 40s and up look much better doing it.

But different people like different things

lizaj

Now hands up who knows how old Dina is....