Is Belly Dancing considered risque??

[Erik]

I think it possible that Buttercup may have been emboldened to say what she did because of the comment I made regarding what I saw as a hypocrisy from Shanazel's posts and her experience with the school board. I make jokes all the time, and about one time in a hundred one of my jokes will hit a nerve, and I'm very sorry and embarrassed by it. I'll share the blame with Buttercup, or take all of it if necessary. Geoff asked a good question I thought, and a question which is impossible to answer with a yes or a no.

 

[Buttercup]

Well I wouldn't make such an assumption as that

Belly dancing is very sensuous...when done well...and since you got so offended and uppidy about my response take this B...h. Most belly dancers are boring because they have been beaten down by moralists. I am one of the few belly dancers that I have ever seen perform who is worth watching but you probably couldn't even begin to understand what I mean. So, as much as you protest what has been done to you, you are a part of that uptight society. I guess you have met your match!!

Don't get so pushed out of shape about lack of equality so early in the discussion, kiddo. One of us is sitting here rolling her eyes over Buttercup's statement.

Buttercup: dancing that is so overtly sexual that guys come unglued during a program is a big part of the problem we are talking about here. If you can't control what you are expressing during a performance then you aren't far enough along as a dancer to be performing in public.

 

[Buttercup]

Oh I am no a troll

I am a very good belly dancer and find that this conversation is interesting...to a point. I agree with what you have said here so why are you so 'uptight' about my comments?

Buttercup is likely a troll, so I'm ignoring that nonsense. I'm going to play devil's advocate now.

Raqs Sharqi and Oriental Tansi are risque' dances in their countries of origin. Belly dance is sexy. The costumes are sexy. The movements are based in the pelvis. Some professional belly dancers over there are taking jobs on the side. These dances are not about raking leaves in the yard.

In the Western world, we have somehow decided to not only turn a blind eye to this, but attempt to sanitize it of any sexual content. The assumption that I find odd is that being a sexy dancer is wrong. Sex is not wrong. Healthy sexuality is part of being human.

Do this dance with respect to the cultures it comes from, your audience and yourself. You can be a sexy dancer and not be a sleazy or come across as sexually available. Dancing with good judgement, talent, comportment, and taste is what makes the difference.

 

[Ariadne]

Buttercup is likely a troll, so I'm ignoring that nonsense.

Agreed. Please don't feed the troll.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

Belly dancing is very sensuous...when done well...and since you got so offended and uppidy about my response take this B...h. Most belly dancers are boring because they have been beaten down by moralists. I am one of the few belly dancers that I have ever seen perform who is worth watching but you probably couldn't even begin to understand what I mean. So, as much as you protest what has been done to you, you are a part of that uptight society. I guess you have met your match!!

Let's see your videos and we can decide whether we agree with you or not.

 

[Aniseteph]

Oh dear - so if you don't agree it's all about the sexy you are part of the uptight problem.

What Kashmir said:

My dancing can be sexual - it can also be sensual, happy, joyful, soulful, sad, cheeky, powerful, cynical, piss-taking - depending on the music and the venue. I'd hate to limit my self to be a masterbatory aid.

:clap: 100% agree (well, it's what I aspire to anyway)

I don't usually buy into for the "show us your vids if you are so great" approach, but have to agree with Greek Bonfire here. Most of us rip our own performances to shreds; someone who rates her performances so much will make a nice change.

 

[Buttercup]

A point

True enough, but I guess what I was trying to do is drive home the point that so many belly dancers have no sensuosity, or style for the viewer to lose themselves with. I just see so many mechanical and awkward belly dancers and this is propagated by teachers that love to attack those who are 'naturals'. Those teachers radiate styfling 'no no's' to students who then in terror become life long students always trying to become a true dancer but never arrive.

It is not uptight to dance in such a manner that precludes causing gentlemen in the audience to bust their zippers.

 

[Buttercup]

Those who launched an attack against me here

...are probably part of the middle-america, moral majority who are exactly the people that hold seekers of the art of belly dance back from becoming the real deal even though you are 'oh so sad' when people just like you criticize you for being a 'sex act'. We don't need more teachers like you to hold people in that robotic, conformist, lifeless, mindless state of nothingness. We need people who will actually foster the arts and not attack artists as being sexual.

 

[Shanazel]

In all the years I've been dancing and teaching, this is the first time anyone accused me of being a moralist member of an uptight society and the Moral Majority. Thank you for the best laugh I've had all day.

What everyone is trying to tell you is the ability to sexually excite a man is not proof of one's dancing talent. Given the right circumstances (i.e. the man is straight, healthy, and breathing) most women can do that by sliding a shoulder strap down and beckoning with a finger.

Exotic dancing is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and I have no problem with the dancers that choose to take that route. I do have a problem when exotic dancing is confused with belly dancing.

I don't think you're a troll, BC, just an egoist who considers herself a gifted natural and who resents being told by reputable teachers that she needs more training in technique, musicality, and presentation. It's a fairly common delusion, but the students who get over themselves often become competent- even good- dancers.

Good luck, and stay upright, uptight, and moral.

 

[Buttercup]

Assumptions...oh dear

You are so negative...why? You haven't even seen me dance and I bet if you and I danced on stage together people would rather look at me...that is if you are like 98% of the dancers I see on the net and in my city. Sorry that you got so 'uptight'. There are some very gifted people and I am one of them. Sorry that offends you...you obviously aren't one of the gifted.

In all the years I've been dancing and teaching, this is the first time anyone accused me of being a moralist member of an uptight society and the Moral Majority. Thank you for the best laugh I've had all day.

What everyone is trying to tell you is the ability to sexually excite a man is not proof of one's dancing talent. Given the right circumstances (i.e. the man is straight, healthy, and breathing) most women can do that by sliding a shoulder strap down and beckoning with a finger.

Exotic dancing is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and I have no problem with the dancers that choose to take that route. I do have a problem when exotic dancing is confused with belly dancing.

I don't think you're a troll, BC, just an egoist who considers herself a gifted natural and who resents being told by reputable teachers that she needs more training in technique, musicality, and presentation. It's a fairly common delusion, but the students who get over themselves often become competent- even good- dancers.

Good luck, and stay upright, uptight, and moral.

 

[Shanazel]

If you propose dancing in a style guarenteed to send guys running to the privacy of the men's room for relief, I agree: all eyes will be on you and not me.

Honey, no offense taken. We are, however, amused (to paraphrase another great uptight lady).

 

[Buttercup]

You protest too much

It is a sign that you are compensating when you are so attacking. You either know that I am right about you or you are oblivious to the fact that I am. Seems you are very good at trying to defend yourself. Do you use these tactics to belittle students into taking classes from you?
Unfortunately you are one of those people who keep people from learning how to belly dance correctly most likely. But you are a great example of rudeness. Well schooled in it. You didn't have to take such great offense to a statement I made earlier to drive a point home that even though I am not vulgar in the way that I dance, I am very engaging. I only wished to state that belly dancing is not a dirty thing but sometimes depending on the music, it can be a turn-on. You didn't have to over compensate for whatever reason or get your jollies out on me.

And you are not representative of everyone either but your ego would think so.

If you propose dancing in a style guarenteed to send guys running to the privacy of the men's room for relief, I agree: all eyes will be on you and not me.

Honey, no offense taken. We are, however, amused (to paraphrase another great uptight lady).

 

[Shanazel]

It is true: when a person announces that she is the best dancer she herself has ever seen, that 98% of all dancers are inferior to her, and she can't help but cause an entire male audience to ejaculate whenever she dances, I get a serious case of the jollies which includes moments of hilarity and rudeness. It could be worse: if I had studied psychology instead of agriculture I could be pop diagnosing everything from plain old vanity to narcissistic personality disorder at this point.

Well, this has been fun, but now back to Middle America and holding people in a robotic, conformist, lifeless, mindless states of nothingness. So many gifted innocents to terrorize, so little time.

(PS- that's a royal "we" as used by the late, great mistress of uptight, Her Royal Highness Queen Victoria, and not a general "we" as in everyone on the forum.)

 

[Aniseteph]

Oh, clips pleeeease... ray:

(see, I'm all worked up already, and I'm just a girl...)

 

[Buttercup]

After looking at your pic, I realized your problem

...I had a feeling way back during your ridiculous protests that there was something that you were compensating for and now I see it. I 'read' pics very well too by the way even though it wouldn't take much talent to see why you have a problem with confident bellydancers. Anyhow, dear, deal with your own issues before thinking that you are a psych major and I have had enough of your immaturity so I won't be reading anymore of your responses so go blow stink in another direction.

In all the years I've been dancing and teaching, this is the first time anyone accused me of being a moralist member of an uptight society and the Moral Majority. Thank you for the best laugh I've had all day.

What everyone is trying to tell you is the ability to sexually excite a man is not proof of one's dancing talent. Given the right circumstances (i.e. the man is straight, healthy, and breathing) most women can do that by sliding a shoulder strap down and beckoning with a finger.

Exotic dancing is a perfectly legitimate pursuit and I have no problem with the dancers that choose to take that route. I do have a problem when exotic dancing is confused with belly dancing.

I don't think you're a troll, BC, just an egoist who considers herself a gifted natural and who resents being told by reputable teachers that she needs more training in technique, musicality, and presentation. It's a fairly common delusion, but the students who get over themselves often become competent- even good- dancers.

Good luck, and stay upright, uptight, and moral.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

You're amazing, Buttercup. You haven't seen any of us dance or taken any classes with us and yet you know everything there is about us. You are the one passing judgment as well as being narrow minded. People here are being rather gentle with you; if you said all of this stuff to ME women, they would tear you to pieces. Sexing up bellydancing is a stereotype we all strive to avoid because sexing it up is not what it's all about. Sensual and exotic - not sexual and erotic.

I've never known anyone here to know so much without knowing anything at all. Personally, an opinion from someone as narrow minded as you doesn't interest me in the least.

 

[Amulya]

 

[Shanazel]

Goodness me, I'll have to have another look at that picture. I thought it was just an ordinary photo taken during an ordinary dance class and here it is revealing my insecurities to the world. Darn it all, I knew I should've gone incognito with the picture of me in leathers and my meanest biker scowl. Alas, it is hard to look tough when one rides a blue and cream Virago 1100 instead of a flat black HD Superglide. Wonder how I can compensate for that? Spikes on the knuckles of my gloves, perhaps... :think:

 

[Farasha Hanem]

I tend to take this controversy to heart, especially because of my current predicament. I am very much a conservative person in daily life and am currently networking with doctors and studying in preparation for my application to veterinary school (which begins next month). I am a very serious dancer and am also planning to take myself to a professional level with belly dancing as well. While I am very proud of being a dancer and what it represents to me, I'm afraid I have to keep my dancing a secret from the admissions committee as well as the colleagues I've made so as not to damage my chances of acceptance due to an incorrect assumption made by uninformed individuals. I even asked a young doctor what his thoughts were and he told me that I should keep it to myself, at least until I am accepted. It is incredibly unfortunate that it has to be this way, it is as though I am cutting out a piece of my own body.

On a happy note, I do intend to exposed myself as a dancer after it is a done deal and I am accepted. I have just never felt so torn over something so important to me.

Big hugs to you, kanariya. I'm so sorry you have to keep such an important part of yourself a secret from those who can determine your academic future.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Yes, that was my intention. Very well, Sirene. I won't argue it with you.

EDIT --- Many hours later, and I still don't understand why a belly dancer on this same thread can brag that even a toned-down version of her dance has the potential to make a guy cream himself (involuntary ejaculation), and yet I am scolded for contrasting school-sponsored belly dance with a ridiculous proposal to teach masturbation in school.

Sorry, Sirene, but this inequity keeps coming back to bug me and will do so until I write about it. As a non-dancer I do not expect equal treatment, and the very last thing I want is preferential treatment, but fair treatment would be nice.

I was highly offended by the "creaming" remark, and was going to say something about it after I got through reading the rest of the posts. It's not an appropriate word on this forum.