Allow me to quote myself from another thread on another board on another subject - that also came around to this question:How can you separate the dance from the culture and people? Isn't performing their dance a celebration of their culture and identity? If it wasn't for the Middle East and its people, we would not be doing what we love.
You don't have to conform to anyone's culture in your personal life and beliefs, but when you are belly dancing you are representing someone else's culture and you should do so respectfully and as accurately as you can.I'm an American. I'm *NOT* responsible for cultural hangups - either "theirs" or "ours". I'm certainly not interested in conforming, or kowtowing, to a culture that is 1,700 years in the past (theirs). Or one that is on the brink of the precipice of falling back 2,000 years for another Dark age (ours).
Yes, they did. I don't care what you think about pre-Badia belly dance and whether or not you think the dance has roots in ancient whatever and has been done for a million years or if you think it was brought in by the gypsies or if you think aliens created it, fact of the matter is, before it was ever brought over to the west it was a social dance all over the Middle East, and they were the ones who put it on the stage. Over here, expositions notwithstanding, it was Middle Eastern immigrants who taught our natives how to dance when belly dance was first brought over. It's still a part of their culture much more than it is or ever will be ours and is still performed professionally.Yes, they brought the world a beautiful dance - or did they? No one really knows the ultimate history. Even if they did originate what has become "Belly Dance", its quite possible that it may precede their current culture by several thousand years.
What do burqas have to do with anything? No belly dancer in the Middle East wears a burqa for dancing. Burqas aren't even that common in most Middle Eastern countries. What a huge, innacurate generalization.Just because someone's a dancer, doesn't mean they have to buy into the rest. Otherwise, we all better reach for our Burqas (me included). [/I]
As far as the dance itself goes - I agree.You don't have to conform to anyone's culture in your personal life and beliefs, but when you are belly dancing you are representing someone else's culture and you should do so respectfully and as accurately as you can.
All I'm saying is that *I* don't know the answer to this - and neither do you.Yes, they did. I don't care what you think about pre-Badia belly dance and whether or not you think the dance has roots in ancient whatever and has been done for a million years or if you think it was brought in by the gypsies or if you think aliens created it, fact of the matter is, before it was ever brought over to the west it was a social dance all over the Middle East, and they were the ones who put it on the stage. Over here, expositions notwithstanding, it was Middle Eastern immigrants who taught our natives how to dance when belly dance was first brought over. It's still a part of their culture much more than it is or ever will be ours and is still performed professionally.
What I'm saying is that the dance is one thing, buying into their repressive culture is quite another. I am QUITE sensitive to repressive cultures - since ours is headed that way, and rapidly.What do burqas have to do with anything? No belly dancer in the Middle East wears a burqa for dancing. Burqas aren't even that common in most Middle Eastern countries. What a huge, innacurate generalization.
I'm certainly not interested in conforming, or kowtowing, to a culture that is 1,700 years in the past (theirs
Otherwise, we all better reach for our Burqas (me included).
Sorry.Wow, what an unpleasant, narrow-minded and bigoted way of lumping millions of people and hundreds of different cultures together.
there is a pic of the tattoo....i do love it...
but i do wonder how hard it would really be to cover up....
then again, what can i do if i can't? nothing. i *do* live in california, so that might at least help. i just started dancing at Jodette's, so i think after awhile i will ask her opinion (if she doesn't offer it before then!) as she knows the market in sacramento pretty well....
*hope hope*
i do like tribal...just hard to get into that IN sacramento...and i feel egyptian music much more than tribal.....
I'm from Sacramento and used to dance at Jodette's for six months over five years ago. I can tell you right off the bat that the owners at her restaurants really don't care about anything other than if you're willing to dance two sets for $20 a night. If you had bigger aspirations like, say, dancing in one of the nicer restaurants in the area that she doesn't have under her belt (like Marrakech or Kasbah), then yes, there would some concern about your marketability with tattoos on your body. Places like Marrakech care about the whole package.
On a side note, I hope that she isn't sending you out to dance in the restaurants after only a few lessons or several months, like she's notorious for doing....:naghty: That wouldn't be fair to you, the professional dance community, or paying restaurant patrons. It sounds like you are new to belly dancing (correct me if I'm wrong), and if that is the case then you have other things to worry about BEFORE you even set foot in a restaurant for money, like at least a couple years perfecting your technique and improv skills, developing a strong ear for Middle Eastern music, learning about the many different cultures, etc. All stuff that Jodette never told me about when I started there. I had to undo a lot of the bad habits that I picked up there over just a few months and stayed out of restaurants for over a year until my teacher (Mychelle Crown) felt that I was ready for a paying audience. I hope that you're exploring the dance community in Sacramento outside of Jodette's studio because we have a lot of great, awesome talent (including Adrianne, Amy Sigil and the rest of Unmata, Zaheea, Mychelle, etc.) and performance opportunities that her students often don't know about. Happy dancing!
After a year, you will probably be ready for a student show or hafla. Give another 4 years or so (with a steady, suitable teacher) before hitting the paying gigs.but i have taken 2 classes with Daleela a year ago or so. and then a month or so ago i did go to the Unmata studio for one class, but fusion really isn't my style. i thought about going to the tribal class, but decided to do a 6-week round at jodettes first and though i am aware of the pitfalls at her studio (i can't even use my own zills, don't know if thats normal or not) i do like LEARNING the zills with dancing which i've never done. and my main concern was getting a teacher to see me and correct me, if need be. so far only compliments, so i'd say i did pretty good at home, i just need to refine and really bulk out my repetoire for (in my estimation, for my comfort) maybe the next year and then i'm gonna start performing. so there will be no rushing THIS shy gal into a premature performance!
After a year, you will probably be ready for a student show or hafla. Give another 4 years or so (with a steady, suitable teacher) before hitting the paying gigs.
thank you, and i agree that i'm not near ready....and its not that i'm 'a natural' that i think i could be ready in a year it is because i've been dancing quite a while every day. but i definitely understand where you are coming from and i am not saying after a year i'd jump in, obviously i'll reassess when i get there.Here's a great article about going pro from a well-respected dancer based in Florida: So You Want to Be a Professional Belly Dancer… | Carrara Nour | Belly Dancer for Weddings and Events in Orlando
Also, my apologies for being all b!tchy-sounding in my last post (or several) about youknowwho. It's a very sensitive topic around these parts, but we only have the best of intentions I try to tread carefully where I may, though.
thank you, and i agree that i'm not near ready....and its not that i'm 'a natural' that i think i could be ready in a year it is because i've been dancing quite a while every day. but i definitely understand where you are coming from and i am not saying after a year i'd jump in, obviously i'll reassess when i get there.
i think kalila is a good teacher, i can't say much about her dancing as i haven't seen her do much more than teach. i think the compliment is more that she's surprised that i haven't been to many classes and it is surprising to people for someone to have learned adequately without a teacher the whole way through. don't get me wrong, i've a LONG way to go, i understand this. i'm not trying to step on any toes...
i really appreciate all the input, again.
Born there? or in the States? Certainly in Sydney those born in Lebanon and who emigrated as adults find it very offensive.I never had an issue with any Middle Eastern client, audience or club owner regarding my tattoos...ever.
Mmm, so hair removal is grooming but permanently defacing the skin is personal choice?Now...having said that...I want to address the deragatory words used to describe ink and the people who have ink...it is childish, unfair, uncalled for and bigoted. Knock it off.
Born there? or in the States? Certainly in Sydney those born in Lebanon and who emigrated as adults find it very offensive.
Mmm, so hair removal is grooming but permanently defacing the skin is personal choice?
After a year, you will probably be ready for a student show or hafla. Give another 4 years or so (with a steady, suitable teacher) before hitting the paying gigs.
There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are very few old, bold pilots.Log your hours before you try to wear your wings.
This does raise a VERY good point. Of my whopping entire two tattoos, one cannot readily be seen at any time (nape of neck, covered by hair) - and the other was "engineered" to add to my costuming (lower back). Both display beauty - they're pretty....my tattoos are very feminine and were placed in such a way that they LOOK like part of my 'fantasy costumed look'.
Gia's tattoos enhance her beauty - as it should be.