Thread: Male Belly Dancers

Originally Posted by khanjar

Into computers are you; geek ?

I'm a total geek, and proud of it I'm a programmer.

Originally Posted by khanjar

Oh and BTW, I am an ex soldier.

What do your soldier buddies think of the belly dancing? That must be a pretty tough crowd...

Performing male belly dancers exist but they aren't all that common in most places. We have a lot of active male belly dancers in this forum, and although they are a minority even here, they represent a higher proportion here than they do in "real life."

For example, in my area, there are almost no male belly dancers. In my immediate area, there are none I know of, but as I get closer to New York City I can name a few. I've never had a male classmate in any of my classes, I've hardly ever been in a workshop where there was at least one male in class. When I attend shows and festivals, male belly dancers are a rarity if there are any at all (there usually aren't). I've been to plenty of workshops with males teaching though, and my teacher herself was a prodégé of the famous Bobby Farrah.

I find a lot more men in the "teacher/master teacher" ranks than I do in the student or young professional ranks. Although they are still a minority there, they are much more prominent. Just looking at the workshops I will be attending in the next few months, at least half of them are taught by men and/or sponsored by male belly dancers. So they might be a minority but they do have some influence, at least here in the US.

It's a little frustrating to me, not having any male colleagues in my area. I'd love to be able to partner with someone around my age and level, but that is just impossible. I have female friends with whom I do duets, but I like the dynamic of male-female partner work and can't put that into practice because there are no men who belly dance here.

In many places in the Middle East, belly dance as a social dance is done by men and women alike, of all ages, too. If we didn't have these notions here that belly dance is "a woman's dance," perhaps more men would be interested in it.

Originally Posted by L42yB

I'm a total geek, and proud of it I'm a programmer.





What do your soldier buddies think of the belly dancing? That must be a pretty tough crowd...

They, I lost track with years ago, the last I heard of one, he was washed up with drinking too much booze after failing in his marriage with violence, sadly something pretty typical of a lot ex military, civvy street is not the military and the military can be a sort of institution, it took me near ten years to get clear of that. But in the mob I was always on the fringe, a bit of an individual, the team work ethos did not quite work with me, but I was hot at my job which was technical and that was all I needed.

But another night owl you are

Originally Posted by Yame

.... If we didn't have these notions here that belly dance is "a woman's dance," perhaps more men would be interested in it.

Bingo, you got it, but that is not the entirety of it, for many males believe males do not dance, they are not encouraged to dance whereas in youth females are be that ballet or whatever.

Originally Posted by Yame

I'd love to be able to partner with someone around my age and level, but that is just impossible. I have female friends with whom I do duets, but I like the dynamic of male-female partner work and can't put that into practice because there are no men who belly dance here.

The few male/female duets I've seen seem to step outside of belly dance in so much as the sexual dynamic seems to over-ride the music. Not to say it can't be done - it just isn't common.

I have seen but one duet, Tarik and Morocco and I did not notice a sexual dynamic there what I saw was basically beautiful and complimentary male and female belly dance together.

Originally Posted by L42yB

But breaking through years of condition isn't really as simple as making a choice. I completely agree with you on an intellectual level, but that doesn't make me feel any less like an idiot when I try to dance. It's something I've never been comfortable doing, quite probably because of experiences I had growing up.

One small step at a time.

I didn't suddenly "get this way" either, when I decided to try Belly Dancing. It also helped that I had been involved with Greek Folk dancing for 5 years when I started BD as well.

Yea, I too had the "two left feet" argument - and I wish I had a penny for every time I've heard it since! I say that if a Klutz like me can learn some grace and how to dance - ANYBODY can!

Dance has changed my life.

My only regret is that I didn't start earlier, I was 35 when I started Greek dancing; and 40 when I started BD. I'm 51 now - thank Goddess for makeup, Henna for my hair, and "Just for men" for my beard!

Originally Posted by Kashmir

The few male/female duets I've seen seem to step outside of belly dance in so much as the sexual dynamic seems to over-ride the music. Not to say it can't be done - it just isn't common.

This is precisely the reason I don't generally do duettes unless I know the woman very well. I *DO* *NOT* want the "sexual dynamic" - I just want to be "another dancer".

Yes, it can be done - and no, it isn't common. You're correct.

My intro was the music, I had been listening to it for years and that perhaps because my father was into Lebanese music much of what I remember from my childhood, he being an ex mariner that had travelled far and wide. But of the music as a non dancer I found I was sort of moving to the music as I felt the music inspired the movement and so I sought learning it for real.

Added to that at the time was a back specialist saying perhaps an exercise to control the pain was something I perhaps would not be interested in given what it is after Yoga and pilates were just plain too boring to continue and I did not want surgery on my spine after a twice slipped disc in the same area through lordosis often known as saddle back. What the specialist was on about perhaps jokingly was BD and that because it wakes up, builds and strengthens core muscles, the very muscles that keep the spine in place so to avoid things like slipped discs that happen to unhealthy backs that we in the west suffer, because we are all into removing what nature created through such idiocies as stand up straight. Our increasing sedentary lifestyle also weakens our spine support muscles, so good back exercise is essential and to me BD does it perfectly and it is fun to do.

A computer programmer, long times sitting down, take care of the back, you will know it well when that thing gets upset, there is hardly any discomfort like it, standing, sitting and lying down becomes arduous and painful, nowhere can you find comfort, so my advice having been there is get the core muscles strengthened, even if BD is not your taste, find something that does the job.

Originally Posted by Yame

Performing male belly dancers exist but they aren't all that common in most places. We have a lot of active male belly dancers in this forum, and although they are a minority even here, they represent a higher proportion here than they do in "real life."

For example, in my area, there are almost no male belly dancers. In my immediate area, there are none I know of, but as I get closer to New York City I can name a few. I've never had a male classmate in any of my classes, I've hardly ever been in a workshop where there was at least one male in class. When I attend shows and festivals, male belly dancers are a rarity if there are any at all (there usually aren't). I've been to plenty of workshops with males teaching though, and my teacher herself was a prodégé of the famous Bobby Farrah.

I find a lot more men in the "teacher/master teacher" ranks than I do in the student or young professional ranks. Although they are still a minority there, they are much more prominent. Just looking at the workshops I will be attending in the next few months, at least half of them are taught by men and/or sponsored by male belly dancers. So they might be a minority but they do have some influence, at least here in the US.

It's a little frustrating to me, not having any male colleagues in my area. I'd love to be able to partner with someone around my age and level, but that is just impossible. I have female friends with whom I do duets, but I like the dynamic of male-female partner work and can't put that into practice because there are no men who belly dance here.

In many places in the Middle East, belly dance as a social dance is done by men and women alike, of all ages, too. If we didn't have these notions here that belly dance is "a woman's dance," perhaps more men would be interested in it.

Hey, I live in Jersey City.