Greetings

[Erik]

I'm Erik. Not a dancer but I became increasingly interested in the last few years after I gained access to the World Wide Web, especially with regard to the perception of belly dancing by society and how it became such a lasting component of Western culture. I'm also interested in the history of the dance and costuming, and I like Egyptian Style the best. I've been following this forum off and on for at least four years and finally got the nerve to join.

 

[Mosaic]

Happy to have you aboard. Glad you decided to finally de-lurk after 4yrs or so Anyone with a genuine interest in the dance, culture & history is welcome. I'll look forward to your input.
~Mosaic

 

[Shanazel]

Welcome to you. Glad you decided to de-lurk.

 

[Erik]

Thanks Mosaic. Someone asked an off-topic question about a movie which I had seen, and as a movie fan I decided to de-lurk. Shiradotnet tried to get me to de-lurk last year but I was afraid. Yes, I have a genuine interest in the dance. Once it was just a passing interest, and the sound of ME music made me rubberneck like the siren of an ambulance, but it has since become genuine. Thank you very much.

 

[Erik]

Thanks Shanazel. Lurking was fun while it lasted, but it was time to de-lurk. I'm not an expert on every aspect of the dance and don't pretend to be, but hopefully I can contribute something useful from time to time.

 

[Mosaic]

Thanks Mosaic. Someone asked an off-topic question about a movie which I had seen, and as a movie fan I decided to de-lurk. Shiradotnet tried to get me to de-lurk last year but I was afraid. Yes, I have a genuine interest in the dance. Once it was just a passing interest, and the sound of ME music made me rubberneck like the siren of an ambulance, but it has since become genuine. Thank you very much.

Love your personal phrase about ME music:lol::lol::clap:I think my head begins to spin like Linda Blair in the exorcist until I locate it
~Mosaic

 

[Erik]

Thanks Mosaic. As a movie fan I really appreciate the Linda Blair reference. What a head-turning experience that was.

However, there was one exception. There was a time when I walked away. I heard ME music coming from the TV in my nephew's room and I should have found an excuse to look in and see if there was a dancer, but I did not. Liars! Fibbers! They told me it was the world's oldest dance, and there's no proof of that. They lied to me. The heck with belly dancers.

Eventually, I got over it and came back. Often, the truth is even more intersting than the mythology.

 

[seona]

Welcome Eric, I look forward to your posts.
lol at the exorcist, One of the reasons I was drawn to this dance was through the music , so I think I'm posessed also :lol:

 

[Erik]

It must be a good kind of possession, and to be exorcised from it would be sad indeed. Thanks, seona.

 

[Juno]

I'm Erik. Not a dancer but I became increasingly interested in the last few years after I gained access to the World Wide Web, especially with regard to the perception of belly dancing by society and how it became such a lasting component of Western culture. ...

I'm new to belly dancing and definitely no expert, but you don't have to be knowledgeable to contribute something useful to the forums, even it it is just to ask meaningful questions.

My uneducated guess on why belly dancing is popular in Western culture is that Westerners are generally very uncomfortable with anything sexual. So, we have either G-rated dancing or explicit erotic stuff like pole dancing. If we want something sexy/sensual with a common-sense attitude that is respectful of women, we need to import it from another culture. It's the same attitude that makes some people think that belly dancing is a form of stripping. I'm sure it is much more complex than that, but it seems reasonable to me.

 

[goddessyasaman]

Welcome Erik, glade to have you,and hope to see post from you as well

 

[Erik]

Thanks Juno. There may be some validity to what you say. I'll have to think about it at length, but I agree with you that it is complicated. The more I have learned, the more the mystery has deepened. If it could be summed up in a single paragraph I would have said, "Well, that was interesting," and moved on to another mystery long ago. Thanks again.

 

[Erik]

Thanks goddessyasaman. Admittedly I don't know one shimmy from another and probably won't be posting often, but when I do I'll try to make it reading worth your time. Thank you very much.

 

[seona]

It must be a good kind of possession, and to be exorcised from it would be sad indeed. Thanks, seona.

Indeed! :lol:

 

[Greek Bonfire]

Welcome, Erik! You will learn a lot here and not be chastised for your lack of knowledge, as we all are here to learn as well.

 

[Erik]

Thank you, Greek Bonfire. It's comforting to know I will not be chastised unnecessarily. Thank you very much.