Taboo Dancers

LadyLoba

New member
How funny...I love both Sadie and Shakira.

Dolphina "certifies" her students as teachers????

Regardless of your opinion of the whole cupcakes and panties thing...that would have to upset anyone who dedicated years and years of study and practice to belly dance, did all the work to set up a studio or series of classes as a solid, legitimate business, and then lost students to someone just because they were "certified" in this manner.
 

Rania

New member
I think blondes in general get more attention- simply because it stands out more. When I'm blonde I get way more attention than when I'm brunette. It doesn't necessarily look better, I just think it's because it stands out more.

Very true, what stands out does seem to get more attention. They say men look at girls bodies, eyes smiles etc, but sometimes a swear hair is one of the bigiest things.
 

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
Very true, what stands out does seem to get more attention. They say men look at girls bodies, eyes smiles etc, but sometimes a swear hair is one of the bigiest things.

Yes, it is! I have it on the authority of many men that hair is a big eye pleaser to them.
 

intlgrrl

New member
Wow! I leave town for a few days and I come back to a thread that have given more than I could possibly want to know about Dolphina... I'm sort of sorry I asked.

The complaints I heard about Corey are that the instructors I've had complain her costumes are to skimpy. I personally don't see them as being in less skimpy that most of the costumes I've seen on other dancers.

I do have to wonder, who first started the certification program? Someone somewhere had to start it, and it has caught on like wildfire!
 

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
Wow! I leave town for a few days and I come back to a thread that have given more than I could possibly want to know about Dolphina... I'm sort of sorry I asked.

LOL. Yeah, that's the nature of a niche-market forum. :)

The complaints I heard about Corey are that the instructors I've had complain her costumes are to skimpy. I personally don't see them as being in less skimpy that most of the costumes I've seen on other dancers.

Cory has an AMAZING body and if I looked like that, I would definitely show it off. But I agree with you -- her costumes are classic American, with a high split skirt, but to me she never looks "tawdry" in them. I would rather see a split skirt than the "boobs overspilling the cups" look that seems all the rage in Egypt right now.

I do have to wonder, who first started the certification program? Someone somewhere had to start it, and it has caught on like wildfire!

Suhaila's program is pretty old, but I'm thinking Rhea's daughter Piper had the first "learn the Piper Method and get certified in it" program. I could be wrong though. Suhaila's is arguably the most advertised and well-known.

I know Suhaila said she originally envisioned the certification process as a way to keep workshop participants all at the same level. So you wouldn't have baby beginners trying to do master level curriculum. I think she's moved beyond that a bit now, especially since she teaches "in layers" where you learn choreographies for your own level, and add in more complicated layers of movement as you can.

I'm not sure I'd agree that certification has really "caught on" beyond mostly Tribal dancers. If you need or desire standardization in movement (as Tribal Improv dancers would want) then certification is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page.

For non-tribal dancers, we have several options for certifying in a particular instructor's style, but we haven't really embraced that concept and I don't think we ever will. But that's OT for this thread. Teacher certification is a whole different ballgame, but that too is for a different thread.
 

LadyLoba

New member
It sounds like these other programs are serious, genuine belly dance training...very different from Dolphina.

These others you've mentioned, I've looked at their sites, and that would actually be helpful...having some type of standard as to what level is beginner, intermediate, etc.

A professional belly dancer and belly dance teacher with years of experience setting standards and goals for actual belly dance lessons is different than Dolphina's thing.

From her site and her blog, as far as I can tell, she certifies you as an "Instructor" by giving you what would amount to about half a typically Beginning Belly Dance course and then throwing in all that lifestyle stuff.

If I sign up for Belly dance lessons...and pay money for them...I expect belly dance lessons...not a handfull of belly dance lessons thrown in with a bunch of "let's all sit around in lingerie and tell ourselves how hot we are" sessions.
 

intlgrrl

New member
From her site and her blog, as far as I can tell, she certifies you as an "Instructor" by giving you what would amount to about half a typically Beginning Belly Dance course and then throwing in all that lifestyle stuff.

If I sign up for Belly dance lessons...and pay money for them...I expect belly dance lessons...not a handfull of belly dance lessons thrown in with a bunch of "let's all sit around in lingerie and tell ourselves how hot we are" sessions.

That's what on her website... that's rather disappointing...
 

LadyLoba

New member
Yes...her "Goddess Center" does offer a handfull of belly dance classes (with some Belly dance DVDs as outreach), as well as Burlesque dancing lessons both in person and via DVD. The quality of the belly dance training is what makes her so controversial...some say it's not a bad absolute beginner introduction and have used it as a springboard to more serious study...others have found it completely useless...so that's debateable and often debated on here and in other belly dance environments.

But regardless of what you think of her Belly dance instruction, her overall program is not entirely focused on belly dance. She incorporates elements of belly dance and burlesque dance into an overall women's self-esteem program....and her site is mostly focused on that. For example, in one webisode she gives a "lingerie makeover" that is basically her taking more than five minutes to advise some woman to throw away everything that has stains or tears in it, buy a nice matching bra and panty set or two, and get some extremely skimpy see through panties...after an opening shot of Dolphina and this girl sitting on the floor in skimpy bra and panty sets. There's another "lingerie" entry or two, where Dolphina talks about her extensive lingerie collection and "teaches" women about the different types of lingerie, gives drink recipes, etc.

I didn't find her site that useful myself...she and I just don't share the same tastes as to what is feminine and what is sexy...and even on her non-belly dance things, she's not terribly informative..

But my personal response to it aside...the whole site/program is more a "women's self esteem business" that uses bits and pieces of belly dance than a belly dance studio or site.

On the flip side, I have found The Soul Studio Belly Dance Dictionary to be VERY useful. The woman who runs that site is 100% focused on belly dance and on sharing belly dance information. It's a great resource.
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
Cory Zamora I don`t know, so at least for me, she doesn`t raise any hairs.

Dolphina on the other hand, well...I think the nicest thing to say for me is that her name pretty much says it all.Dolphina, Dolphin, it brings thoughts of well....goddess types, and I don`t care for that.

Thats really the nicest thing I can say...:confused:

:confused: Ummmm, but...but Nejmeh...dolphins are intelligent!

Hoooooh, geeeeez, retail has made me nasty and snarky. I just insulted Dolphina. :confused: :confused: Lord, forgive me! :pray:
 

Amanda (was Aziyade)

Well-known member
If I sign up for Belly dance lessons...and pay money for them...I expect belly dance lessons...not a handfull of belly dance lessons thrown in with a bunch of "let's all sit around in lingerie and tell ourselves how hot we are" sessions.

DARN -- that was going to be my new marketing scheme ;)
 

Nejmeh

New member
:confused: Ummmm, but...but Nejmeh...dolphins are intelligent!

Hoooooh, geeeeez, retail has made me nasty and snarky. I just insulted Dolphina. :confused: :confused: Lord, forgive me! :pray:

I would never insult animals, especially beautyfull creatures like dolphins:). It was just the association with mother earth crap that made a bit well....noxious.

Curse my picture thinking mind, now I`ve got an image of a real dolphin in bellydance costume:confused:
 

gisela

Super Moderator
hmmm, maybe I should dig up my old "painting" I made of "the rescuing of Dolphina" :lol:
It's on my old computer though.
 

LadyLoba

New member
You can't use that scheme Aziyade! That's going to be my new money making venture.....

I'm not qualified to teach belly dance, so I'll just show the class how to do a hip circle, a hip lift, and 1 shimmy, then I'll run around in my bra and panties demanding they all think I'm hot...

I figure they'll all be too busy wondering what on earth is wrong with me to ask for a refund :)

(kidding of course)
 

Farasha Hanem

New member
Curse my picture thinking mind, now I`ve got an image of a real dolphin in bellydance costume:confused:

Must...get...image...out...of...head... :wall: :lol::lol::lol:

Hey, while I'm thinking of it, what is this story I keep hearing about concerning Dolphina getting rescued by dolphins? :confused:
 
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Farasha Hanem

New member
Thank you for the link, Gisela.

After reading her blog, skimming her web site, and seeing the clip of her on the Conan O'Brian Show, I'm biting my fingers trying not to be any more snarky towards her than I already have been. :confused: *erases what I originally wrote in this post to try to be nice, then sits on hands* :confused:
 
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