lizaj

I suppose the woman I saw walking through Blackpool in broad daylight in a black bedlah and sheer black petal skirt revealing her knickers thought she fitted in quite well with the general tone of things. I just hope the GP thought she was in fancy dress rather than that she was a real belly dancer!

Then again I have seen dancers nip down the road in Saltaire for their butties wearing full skirt, bra tops and coin belts so why not Cairo and Istanbul!

jenc

Wasn't that rather restrained for Blackpool?

Caroline_afifi

YES IT WAS!!!

Blackpool.... Cairo...AAH

I know Lizaj was actually joking here.
She has had to face this sort of thing too. She encountered a local dancer in full gear in Luxor airport once and nearly never got on the same flight with shame.

Aisha Azar

Dear Gang,
But again, this is OUR fault. We tell our students they can show up dressed with a cover up, go out into the audience with a "cover up", etc. Some teachers don't say anything at all about this kind of thing to their students. I have seen people show up at other peoples' shows dressed as if they were going to perform! My dancers are obligated to follow the same rules that are followed by actors and actresses and singer and nearly everyone in the entertainment field. That is, in public one wears street clothing, NOT costuming or anything that resembles costuming. I cringe when I see dancers appear at all of these functions in their costumes, or in cover ups. It says "amateur" all over it. We need to train our students from the beginning that costumes are for the stage, not for street wear or for sitting in the audience. For some, I think its kind of like a big attention getting sign. They might as well hold up a big poster saying, "I"M A BELLY DANCER TOO!!!!" Cover ups give the same message in a more subtle way.
I think this is damaging to our art form because the message is that we are not professional enough to conduct ourselves by the rules that other professionals follow. You never see a ballerina show up in her tutu to another group's show!!
Regards,
A'isha

Suheir

I agree. I remember sitting in the audience for the BDSS show and boggling at all the women in the audience who were dressed in bedlah. I think it just turns it into fancy dress and demeans belly dance.

Caroline_afifi

I agree agree agree.
This will remove the fun out of the hobby for many though and vendors will suffer as a result too.
I said before that alot of the attraction to this dance is the costume and lack of opportunities to get dressed up would half the dance population.

Aisha Azar

Dear Caroline,
You are probably right~~~~~~~~~~~~~, but those who are left would hopefully be those who invest financially, emotionally and sincerely in the dance itself!
Regards,
A'isha

Lydia dubai

Originally Posted by Aisha Azar
Dear Gang,
But again, this is OUR fault. We tell our students they can show up dressed with a cover up, go out into the audience with a "cover up", etc. Some teachers don't say anything at all about this kind of thing to their students. I have seen people show up at other peoples' shows dressed as if they were going to perform! My dancers are obligated to follow the same rules that are followed by actors and actresses and singer and nearly everyone in the entertainment field. That is, in public one wears street clothing, NOT costuming or anything that resembles costuming. I cringe when I see dancers appear at all of these functions in their costumes, or in cover ups. It says "amateur" all over it. We need to train our students from the beginning that costumes are for the stage, not for street wear or for sitting in the audience. For some, I think its kind of like a big attention getting sign. They might as well hold up a big poster saying, "I"M A BELLY DANCER TOO!!!!" Cover ups give the same message in a more subtle way.
Regards,
A'isha


thank you dear!!!!

Caroline_afifi

Yes, you are totally right. It really is one big fancy dress party and you and I will be called miserable old corws and party poopers for echoing such thoughts.
I am going to see Khaled tonight at the Philharminic Hall in Liverpool...I dread to think. fingers crossed.

By the way.
We own a small Egyptian restaurant (Shisha and food) in Liverpool and the customers are 80% Arab with students from the uni etc.

About 2 years ago a group of women came for a meal they were all decked out like christmas trees. They had asked if they could bring a belly dancer and I told them they could after closing hours.

They brought their own wine etc. and got louder and louder.
After about an hour or so, they all jumped up and started dancing. That was Ok. Then they started doing floorwork (not OK) they were very bad at everything and it was a nightmare. They jumped onto our tables and camel saddles and broke one them. At first it was a source of amusement for the other customers but then they left as they could not cope with the behaviour. I had to throw them out in the end. It made ME very afraid to book any group of women in for a reservation incase they turned out to be belly dancers!
I never declare to anyone that I dance as you never know who has been before you!

Tina Rules

Belly dance -what is it? Egypt prohibites belly danceing. So is belly dance not excisting anymore? There has been so many changes in the Middle East regarding belly dance. Which one is the "corretct" Middle East style? How about Saidi, is that belly dance -or is it a deluted form of belly dance...how about Nubian style ?

For me, I wasn't born in the Middle East. I wasn't born into the culture, I wasn't familiar with the music from birth. I do love the movements, the music, the beats...Is belly dance a deluted form af Indian dance? You can easily say yes to this. Of course, belly dance, as we know it, develops in style as many other things develop.

Dance is a human form of expression and if it doesn't develop, the world will stand still... The dance was taken the West at some point and therefore it undergoes a lot of change.

Salsa, for example, is a deluted form of belly dance.