OUTRAGE: Ya Halla, Ya'll write-up
- Thread starter PracticalDancer
- Start date
Suzanne Azhaar
Active member
What was she thinking?????? 
rotest:
rotest:
Amanda (was Aziyade)
Well-known member
I sent a letter:
Well thank you, Nikki Lott, for adding to the inventory of ridiculous stereotypes regarding Oriental dance in what has got to be the worst description of a belly dance I've read in 40 years. Dancers of this art -- and yes, it's an art despite your ridiculous notions of blinged-out vaginas and coin scarves -- spend just as long training as professional dancers in any other field, and many of us make annual trips to Egypt or Turkey to study the cultures and the various musical forms first-hand. Oh but don't let that prevent you from taking a cheap shot and trying to be funny at our expense. Oriental dancers in this country have long had to defend themselves against ridiculous stereotypes regarding stripping, but in the last few decades we have made significant progress in educating the media about what our dance is and is not. It disgusts me that neither Ms. Lott nor the Dallas Observer apparently didn't feel the need to do a bit of fact checking before posting this offensive bit of "journalism" on the web for the entire planet to see.
(By the way -- zills is shorthand for the Turkish word for finger CYMBALS, not symbols. It disgusts me even more that a "journalist" would make such a 3rd-grade mistake.)
Thank you for taking us back 100 years in history, and for reaffirming the same negative stereotypes we've been trying to educate against.
-Amanda Niehaus
Professional Oriental Dance Artist and Artistic Director of Evansville Danse Orientale Society.
(by the way, as a former journalist I'm equally outraged that the ignorant cow spelled it "finger symbols." Seriously? Did they fire all their copy editors?
Well thank you, Nikki Lott, for adding to the inventory of ridiculous stereotypes regarding Oriental dance in what has got to be the worst description of a belly dance I've read in 40 years. Dancers of this art -- and yes, it's an art despite your ridiculous notions of blinged-out vaginas and coin scarves -- spend just as long training as professional dancers in any other field, and many of us make annual trips to Egypt or Turkey to study the cultures and the various musical forms first-hand. Oh but don't let that prevent you from taking a cheap shot and trying to be funny at our expense. Oriental dancers in this country have long had to defend themselves against ridiculous stereotypes regarding stripping, but in the last few decades we have made significant progress in educating the media about what our dance is and is not. It disgusts me that neither Ms. Lott nor the Dallas Observer apparently didn't feel the need to do a bit of fact checking before posting this offensive bit of "journalism" on the web for the entire planet to see.
(By the way -- zills is shorthand for the Turkish word for finger CYMBALS, not symbols. It disgusts me even more that a "journalist" would make such a 3rd-grade mistake.)
Thank you for taking us back 100 years in history, and for reaffirming the same negative stereotypes we've been trying to educate against.
-Amanda Niehaus
Professional Oriental Dance Artist and Artistic Director of Evansville Danse Orientale Society.
(by the way, as a former journalist I'm equally outraged that the ignorant cow spelled it "finger symbols." Seriously? Did they fire all their copy editors?
Amanda (was Aziyade)
Well-known member
I suggest everybody who sees this should write a letter to the editor. Maybe that will get them to pull the article ?
Amanda (was Aziyade)
Well-known member
Amulya
Moderator
Mine:
Dear Editor,
Wow, my jaw just dropped from shock when I read that blog post. Who wrote that? Certainly not an adult. I wish this person had done some reseach about belly dancing before writing this kind of mess. I feel sorry for the poor dancer in the picture being connected to such a poorly written and such a insulting article.
Regards,
Amulya
Dear Editor,
Wow, my jaw just dropped from shock when I read that blog post. Who wrote that? Certainly not an adult. I wish this person had done some reseach about belly dancing before writing this kind of mess. I feel sorry for the poor dancer in the picture being connected to such a poorly written and such a insulting article.
Regards,
Amulya
lexiconlush
New member
Ugh, really?! Why is it that when it comes to anything that is not Texan culture, this state journalists fail at writing a decent piece about said event?
I'm still trying to figure out how did this get published with the incorrect spelling and lack of research...
I'm still trying to figure out how did this get published with the incorrect spelling and lack of research...
Last edited:
Amanda (was Aziyade)
Well-known member
Check their facebook page -- RETRACTION!! WOOT!!!
"If you happened on our Facebook page this a.m., you might have noticed that nation's belly dancers were less than pleased with a preview of this weekend's Belly Dancing Festival. We agree that the tone of the story could easily be construed as undermining to the event, which wasn't our intention. Our apologies to the belly dancing community, and to anyone else who encountered the preview and thought, "Well, this isn't very good at all." You were many, and you were right. -- The Editors"
"If you happened on our Facebook page this a.m., you might have noticed that nation's belly dancers were less than pleased with a preview of this weekend's Belly Dancing Festival. We agree that the tone of the story could easily be construed as undermining to the event, which wasn't our intention. Our apologies to the belly dancing community, and to anyone else who encountered the preview and thought, "Well, this isn't very good at all." You were many, and you were right. -- The Editors"
PracticalDancer
New member
They rewrote it! *Zills of victory!!!
shiradotnet
Well-known member
Here is the facebook note I wrote about this and posted on the Dallas Observer's wall:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/shir...o-understand-the-difference/10150349066931204
https://www.facebook.com/notes/shir...o-understand-the-difference/10150349066931204
goddessyasaman
New member
I first heard about this early this morning around 9am from a group I am part of on Facebook so I wrote this to the Editor...
Hello I am writing this letter on behalf of all Belly dancers professional or other wise, we as performing artists and or students of the dance form were greatly offended by your recent article on an upcoming Belly dance event,in your article written by a "Nikki Lott" though I am aware that as the editor you must ok all articles before they are published and as the editor you also add or take away from the article. The article was very unprofessional to say the least, comments like (Even if it's a Flicking Your Bean seminar) and "Now I know you don't actually show your vagina during belly dancing and there's no real reason to get it all dolled up, but it seems like you'd want to do something special if you're going to go to the trouble of baring your midriff". I'm not sure what kind of paper you are running but these type of comments are un-called for and un-ture as a true journalist you should report on the truth and not bring your opinion into your work. This article was in bad taste and I hope you understand that. As a professional Belly dancer I would hope in the future that something like this will not happen again, as there are many things that can and should be said about belly dancing, and not one thing came across in your article,all that came across was someones dislike of the dance style (also the performers as well) and a bit of advertisment of the upcoming event, Just so you understand that Middle eastern dance As it is also called, is for everyone of all ages and events are held with belly dancers that are family friendly. So as "Professionals" yourselves please do research next time and be more "Professional" in your future "Articles".
I know a lot of other dancers wrote in as well, and they changed it and did a reprint some hours ago.
Hello I am writing this letter on behalf of all Belly dancers professional or other wise, we as performing artists and or students of the dance form were greatly offended by your recent article on an upcoming Belly dance event,in your article written by a "Nikki Lott" though I am aware that as the editor you must ok all articles before they are published and as the editor you also add or take away from the article. The article was very unprofessional to say the least, comments like (Even if it's a Flicking Your Bean seminar) and "Now I know you don't actually show your vagina during belly dancing and there's no real reason to get it all dolled up, but it seems like you'd want to do something special if you're going to go to the trouble of baring your midriff". I'm not sure what kind of paper you are running but these type of comments are un-called for and un-ture as a true journalist you should report on the truth and not bring your opinion into your work. This article was in bad taste and I hope you understand that. As a professional Belly dancer I would hope in the future that something like this will not happen again, as there are many things that can and should be said about belly dancing, and not one thing came across in your article,all that came across was someones dislike of the dance style (also the performers as well) and a bit of advertisment of the upcoming event, Just so you understand that Middle eastern dance As it is also called, is for everyone of all ages and events are held with belly dancers that are family friendly. So as "Professionals" yourselves please do research next time and be more "Professional" in your future "Articles".
I know a lot of other dancers wrote in as well, and they changed it and did a reprint some hours ago.
Mosaic
Super Moderator
Fantastic Shira:clap::clap: They should make Lott go and have BD lessons - that would sort that woman out.
~Mosaic
Darshiva
Moderator
Stuff bellydance lessons, the woman needs to go do a literacy course followed up by a refresher in journalism. Better yet, she needs to be unemployed as a result of this.
I am NOT happy with the rewrite, it reads like a petulant teenager rewriting their civil war assignment, with a forward note from the editor which reads like s/he is the only one on staff with a degree in journalism, much less a passing grade in high school english. Better, I agree, than the original, but somehow managing to blame us for the title our dance is given and still derogatory and snide.
I am NOT happy with the rewrite, it reads like a petulant teenager rewriting their civil war assignment, with a forward note from the editor which reads like s/he is the only one on staff with a degree in journalism, much less a passing grade in high school english. Better, I agree, than the original, but somehow managing to blame us for the title our dance is given and still derogatory and snide.
Mosaic
Super Moderator
I agree 150% the rewrite has an undertone of sneering. I am picking Lott will be worried about showing her sorry a#@& around Dallas with a very irate BD community after her.
~Mosaic
:clap:
Hear Hear! I haven't been on this site in a while, but when I saw the activity on fb around this, I knew it must have been a topic of discussion here! Hopefully Ms. Lott and her editor will learn from this. They have just received a taste of what people who really know how to use media can do! (bravo Shira!):clap:
Aniseteph
New member
Good grief that was stupid.
Nice work Shira. I think you should have added to the list that she be required to attend, dressed up as she feels appropriateconfused, and do a workshop or two. (In a cropped T-shirt saying "I vajazzled my jazzler for this!!!!"??? Too harsh?)
I mean, you can tell someone that the cliches are wrong and it's seriously harder than it looks, but there's nothing like personal experience to knock a bit of respect into someone. Especially if your downstairs decorations chafe when you try to shimmy
I'm not entirely sure what a jazzler is even. Is that a thing? (rhetorical question, I don't want to know)
Nice work Shira. I think you should have added to the list that she be required to attend, dressed up as she feels appropriate
confused, and do a workshop or two. (In a cropped T-shirt saying "I vajazzled my jazzler for this!!!!"??? Too harsh?)I mean, you can tell someone that the cliches are wrong and it's seriously harder than it looks, but there's nothing like personal experience to knock a bit of respect into someone. Especially if your downstairs decorations chafe when you try to shimmy
I'm not entirely sure what a jazzler is even. Is that a thing? (rhetorical question, I don't want to know)