Burst my depression bubble please

Emma_Williams

New member
absolutely....i know that the young dancers i hung with or spoke to at JOY (anna, sab, heather etc) all danced the dance and loved a nice costume but what i noticed from these exceptionally talented younger ladies was they wanted to take their understanding further in other ways such as studying the culture, trips abroad, learning the language. i dont think we have as much of the glamour girls here....i wouldnt want it either...I dont like gimics and drum solos...yes they are good for entertainment and the scene they go with but to me it is not passionate dancing.

I would rather be where we have only a few stars then start producing the glamour girl cabaret emotionless acts
 

lizaj

New member
YouTube - Russian Belly Dance Video 3 - Natalie Strelchenko

This is an example of the tricksy dancing that I don't think appeals to us here. I am not for one minute saying she is not a good dancer..she has some gorgeous moves but the combination of the music, the face veil and costume as a whole and zills just phase me. I am also not against the tricksy performance when entering a competition like BGT as you have to wow a non-BD auidence in a short time but a performance like this one I would find a good interpretation of the art form but is pretty typical of its' kind.
 

Mosaic

Super Moderator

Pleasant dancer

New member
That would be a horrible way to have to dance in any competition, it all looks messy, and I just can't see how any one person could be picked to be outstanding or whatever.
~Mosaic

In the Penang VD they seem to be dancing the same choreography (or their variation of it), at least two dancers were doing identical moves. Does anyone know if this is what they had to do? It reminds me of the ballroom competitions where the couples all dance together and then get weeded out. It might be fine for ballroom, but I don't think the individuality of our dance is done any favours in this type of competition - it all looks rather frantic and confusing.

As for our lady dancer in the OP, I really don't know what to think. Her movements are very strange and I can't put in down to disability, arthritis, age - we had a recent thread here where most of us seem to have something wrong with us that we work around! I wish I could see a VD of her when younger just to compare.

Oh darn it, I just think she can't dance, or has a very strange idea of what the dance is. It's very difficult to be generous here. :confused:
 

Pleasant dancer

New member
I found this: Work, but not as you know it - Jobs & Careers, Lifestyle - Independent.ie (scroll down).

Maybe she is a good teacher, but her performances are way off. If you are teaching you should be able to assess your students objectively, and so have some sort of clue about your own abilities. Sticking these on YouTube is an error of judgement IMO - it's not done her or the image of belly dance any good.

"Just for fun" students keep the whole scene going and probably are what pays for most of the UK-based professionals' fancy costumes. Don't bite the hand that feeds you :naghty:. But "just for fun" teachers - :think: - not so sure they do belly dance any favours. IMO you owe it to your students to keep learning, and if you don't you should be clear on what you are and are not teaching.


Hear hear. Although that's the belly dance scene - I don't know what the general public want. Glitzy proptasticness and tricks in a slinky exotic costume probably ticks more boxes than Egyptian-style subtlety. I daresay if enough of these teachers get established and get involved with the workshop/event scene they will put their twist on it. (and I reserve the right to resent it just like the belly burlesque thing, so :tongue:)


Er... a) does competitive/business-minded teachers teacher training course, b) starts teaching and feeds off the pool of funsters, c) sets troupe/agency/school d) competes with teacher for work/students... belly dance will eat itself ;)

Woops just read the article and found out that she's blind; might explain a few things, but not everything. How does you correct her students? Does she have help? Trying to be generous: I applaud the fact that she is still dancing, :clap:not sure about teaching, though.....:think:
 

lizaj

New member
Woops just read the article and found out that she's blind; might explain a few things, but not everything. How does you correct her students? Does she have help? Trying to be generous: I applaud the fact that she is still dancing, :clap:not sure about teaching, though.....:think:

Yes I wondered when people would pick up on her disability.:think:
and comment on the impact on her dancing and teaching.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Okay, I take it back- her ineptness and her disability are likely closely connected. I watched the video, didn't read the article. Even so, she is inept and I can't imagine how she'd teach dance without being able to see her students and give them feedback on their overall appearance, even if she was competant herself. Hands on (literally) teaching would result in the blind men and the elephant effects.
 

Ariadne

Well-known member
The thought in my head when reading, "Dude! She's blind!"

Yes I wondered when people would pick up on her disability.:think:
and comment on the impact on her dancing and teaching.

I don't see how she can teach under that circumstance. How would she see what they're doing? It does put a very different spin on the video though, like who picked out what she wore and has anyone told them to get a shorter wig. Does she even have an instructor that can help her improve, it's not like she could go to a workshop now is it? :think:
 

Mosaic

Super Moderator
Good for her learning to dance with a disability, but how can her original teachers not taught her better than that! Surely after so many years dancing you would have a better flow and grace than she has. She says in the article that she had been dancing all her life - and that was before the loss of her sight, so surely one would already have grace built into muscle memory. I can't see any ballet grace in her dancing at all, and her bellydancing after so many years is totally not something that should be taught to others, sorry. Also I see no connection to the music at all. I have seen blind people playing in orchestras and solo, they have a deep and passionate connection to the music and the instrument. Our bodies are the instrument when we dance and I truly don't see the passion or connection where this lady is concerned. She just seems to be lost and completely out of time.

I am even more confused now knowing she had a dance background where connection, passion, grace and elegance are paramount!

I do have to ask, if a person has a disability do we have to say how wonderful they are at doing whatever they are doing because it is politically correct, or do we say they are doing wonderfully in the context of their disability and applaud that person for having the courage to try and enjoy their particular joy. Sometimes I think we over compensate by telling people that they are up there with the 'best of them' which can push them into places that maybe they should not really be.

We have a 16 year old Downs Syndrome girl in our studio, and she dances with her class and studio performances and her own school concert things, and she does well you see her connection to the music and she loves the dance with a passion. We love her, and embrace all she does. Her dance class group encourage her and guide her even on stage in our studio performances, they help her with makeup and her mother makes her costumes, and she is very proud of herself. But her family know as we all do, she will never likely be a professional. She will probably be the best she can be, and we, the whole studio will stand behind her and be excited with her when she performs at studio nights and will help her so she can do her little school concert performances (she attends a school for children with various levels of learning disabilities, the kids at this school would be about 2 to 3 levels behind their peers at local schools). Her family are realistic and make sure she understands that with bellydancing she is doing wonderfully well but that she is most unlikely to reach the level of her teacher and she is perfectly happy in that knowledge. For that matter I know I will never reach the level of my teachers (as much as I would love to), I started BD way too late in life. I too have to be realistic, but I have the ability to know that for myself.
~Mosaic
 

Emma_Williams

New member
I agree it would be very very hard to teach if blind but maybe a way of doing it would be to feel what the students are doing by holding on to their hips or something to see if they are doing it right....lol tho i have no idea......just a shot lol
It kept me awake and gave me and the hubby a debate last night as to how she could teach lol
 

lizaj

New member
My uncle was totally sightless and carried a white stick. That was 20 years ago.I do know that now people are classified blind when they still retain some sight. A lovely elderly neighbour of mine has a white stick and is legally blind yet she still has some vision and often travels on local buses with me. THis might be the case...failing sight rather than no vision at all. Even so this would make life very difficult but not impossible to teach. Anybody struggling with a disability and detemined to do their thing is to be applauded but like Mosaic's Down's lass, we surely need to be aware of our limitations.
This is not what depresses me. I know there are things I will never do in this dance because I am just too old. I m quite happy to be praised for what I do achieve despite not being able to leap around the stage and do floorwork like some of my aquaintance:D I will give up teaching when my moves are not defined enough to be a great example. I already tell students that they will need another teacher if they want to "do THAT!"
What depressed me was the claims of teaching at an advanced level, of expertise in Gulf, Turkish and "Moroccan" bellydance(just what is that!?).
The other thing that depressed me what they childish way some comments wre flung as she was blown out of the water..."It's a man in drag" etc etc
Also..the jumping of one commentary on what she saw as lacking in the UK scene and giving the impression by being one-sided that the situation is so dire.
 

o0oLaylao0o

New member
Oh my gosh this is horrible...Liz please sweetie, find a new instructor. This is very sad, also that students are being led astray...sad sad sad.
Where is this woman teaching?-...Ireand...*drops my zills* IM COMING IRELAND.....IM COMING TO TEACH YOU THE REAL MEANING OF 'SHIMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY'
 

Mosaic

Super Moderator
Oh my gosh this is horrible...Liz please sweetie, find a new instructor. This is very sad, also that students are being led astray...sad sad sad.
Where is this woman teaching?-...Ireand...*drops my zills* IM COMING IRELAND.....IM COMING TO TEACH YOU THE REAL MEANING OF 'SHIMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY'

Valerie Larkin isn't Liz's teacher. Liz is a teacher and beautiful dancer in her own right
~Mosaic
 

lizaj

New member
Oh my gosh this is horrible...Liz please sweetie, find a new instructor. This is very sad, also that students are being led astray...sad sad sad.
Where is this woman teaching?-...Ireand...*drops my zills* IM COMING IRELAND.....IM COMING TO TEACH YOU THE REAL MEANING OF 'SHIMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY'


oooo Layla..have you read this thread.:confused:????
There's a clue..this teacher is in Dublin,I live in the UK(look profile!)..I don't commute to the Republic Of Ireland for belly dance lessons.:rolleyes:
 

jenc

New member
well I thnik it is very sad. There were some things in thevid that she obviously once had trained her body to do. I think she is possibly very old or if she is only our age, she has had some health problems. I don't think when to give up is about age, but about when you can't do things any more. And about how you have kept up with what is the current body of knowledge. The "Gulf Dance" for example, perhaps 30 years ago someone was teaching it like that to those who did not know any better. Now things have moved on and any baby belly can ollk it up on YouTube
 

Amulya

Moderator
ETA: I haven't read the whole thread yet, I will do that when I have more time.

The stiff dancing has not necessarily to do with age. I had* a belly dance friend very long ago who had been dancing for 10 years and she was only in her early 30's. But she was about the same as the dancer in this clip. And she was teaching.... she still does: belly dance with chakra's....

Same friend was kind of awkward with her movements. I think some people might not have the talent, that could be the case with this Irish dancer.

I attended a class of that friend once just to see what her class was like. No need for describing it, I can only say: poor students.

As for that friends' costumes, pretty bad too, although not as bad as the cossies of the dancer we are talking about now.
I had a look at her gallery and the nassels and other costuming things were very distracting (TPBDC material). She even owns the infamous 'turd' costume...

*had because I felt I could never talk honestly about her dancing while she would critique me, she thought she was very good...
 
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lizaj

New member
The "style" is very much fantasy-bellydance. The impression of belly-dance in the West as presented by Hollywood..pretty ladies elegantly and prettily presenting themselves. When I started dancing over 12 years ago,that was a prevalent image and it's still around.Sadly it means little or no connection to ME music or the dynamics of the moves and interpretation. IN it's favour it is rarely offensive but it is terribly misleading if it claims to replicate the "real thing"
 
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