Is Belly Dancing considered risque??

[Reen.Blom]

Whatever the reason for balerinas not showing cleavage in your face (LOL) ot dancing close to you, it does not change the result - a DIFFERENT way it is percieved.

And I chose Sadie and Kaya because they come up in google image result in google search alot AND because they are celebrity dancers. Another example? You want to see Authentic dance? Check out Dina the bellydancer.

And yes Sadie and Kaya's Outfits is what GP percievs as a typical bellydance outfit( Plus face veil in some cases...LOL)

Not in many dance forms women wear BRA to the stage. In most countries bra is only for bedroom sorry.

RE Amber book, it was not as much about explicit scenes in the book but about overall 'immoral' image of the main character.

Times change.... yet a woman prancing around in a bra is still considered risque..... LOL

 

[Ariadne]

I'm sorry but in my opinion using a comparison of Ballet to Bellydance is a straw argument. When ballet was originally performed in the Operas/theaters the dancers were considered "available" and the better known ones often were the mistresses of powerful men. The reason ballet doesn't have that reputation anymore is because it has been relegated to the realm of "classical art" and chained with rules and regulations. The bellydance community in general is resisting that happening to our dance so we don't have that sanitization to hide behind.

 

[MariaAZ]

My personal opinion on why belly dance is "risque" in the USA is all because of the hips. Anyone remember a singer named Elvis Presley?

Back in the '50s he caused an absolute furor over his hip shaking and swinging style of stage movement. From what I understand, it was of great concern to television programmers, who wanted to showcase this new talent but were afraid of showing him from the waist down. I'm sure many people at the time figured that this new fangled rock and roll singer with his swinging pelvis would surely cause the downfall of the western civilization.

 

[Letizia]

I read through all of the comments, and forgive me, I am new to the forum if I do not do this correctly.

I have been a professional dancer my entire adult life, ballet, ballroom, latin..let me also say that I am a ballroom/latin judge and coach, and I have seem some pretty sleazy stuff on the comp floors. There have been many times that I have been embarassed.

As for BD, this is my opinion, but I feel that a dance form that is so richly entwined in ancient culture is not risque at all. I find BD to be beautifully feminine and sensuous, an appreciation of the female form and acceptance and reverence of the dancers body, regardless of the size and shape.

Nope, not risque. Beautiful, expressive, NATURAL!

 

[MariaAZ]

As for BD, this is my opinion, but I feel that a dance form that is so richly entwined in ancient culture is not risque at all. I find BD to be beautifully feminine and sensuous, an appreciation of the female form and acceptance and reverence of the dancers body, regardless of the size and shape.

Nope, not risque. Beautiful, expressive, NATURAL!

Letizia, I agree with you 100%, you put it beautifully. Unfortunately (in my corner of the world) most people have absolutely NO idea where belly dance comes from and that in that land, it is considered a valid form of self expression. Or, they think of the story of Salome and the Dance of the Seven Veils, which when depicted in movies doesn't exactly paint a positive picture of belly dance.

And, IMHO, therein lies one of the challenges that belly dance seems to face. Belly dancers as a community accept and embrace the art form, but the general public will need a lot of education in order be as accepting.

 

[Letizia]

Hi Maria and thank you...I believe that this is definately a case where ignorance is definately NOT bliss. So many missing out on SO much.

All dance forms, including ballet were strongly influenced by ME dance. I would hate to see what dance would be with out it's influence. Rigid and boring I expect.

 

[Mosaic]

I read through all of the comments, and forgive me, I am new to the forum if I do not do this correctly.

I have been a professional dancer my entire adult life, ballet, ballroom, latin..let me also say that I am a ballroom/latin judge and coach, and I have seem some pretty sleazy stuff on the comp floors. There have been many times that I have been embarassed.

As for BD, this is my opinion, but I feel that a dance form that is so richly entwined in ancient culture is not risque at all. I find BD to be beautifully feminine and sensuous, an appreciation of the female form and acceptance and reverence of the dancers body, regardless of the size and shape.

Nope, not risque. Beautiful, expressive, NATURAL!

I agree with this "Nope, not risque. Beautiful, expressive, NATURAL!"

Further back someone said bras were for the bedroom or words to that effect - that I just cannot for the life of me agree with that.
1: they are an undergarment (day wear)
2: what about bikini tops
3 have you seen the club wear young folk where these days
4: how many ladies wear bra to bed? that to my mind would be jolly uncomfortable & restrictive ( imagine an embellished BD bra in bed ... ouch!
5: go to a 3rd world country and one can see ladies wandering around in sarongs and everyday white/flesh coloured bra, many of them quite elderly, they certainly don't appear risque
6: costumes of ice-skaters, ball room dancers especially latin styles, these days tend to be quite BD looking with cutouts/cut-aways etc, then we have the aerobic/gym instructors with their midriff baring sports bra/midi tops

Exposing flesh the wearing of tops that are based on the bra is the norm these days. See a few examples below. Ball room gowns would be the least "so called risque" and tend to be illusionist with flash coloured netting/fabric encrusted with beads

Some ballroom dresses I would love to wear for BD
~Mosaic

Latin style dresses

Ballroom

Ice skating

Sports/gym

 

[walladah]

Therefore, the evolution of this discussion

has brought clearly the connection of risque to politics.

It seems to me that all dances can be risque depending on the status of who dances them and who can possibly dance them.

Ballet has long ago become the dance that all elite women should attend as a dance lesson (even if they do not) and once this art form has been accepted by the elites as something they esteem, no-one remembers the old story of it, e.g. that it was created in the Louis XIV court and yes, most of the dancers have been considered the prey for the powerful aristocrats or the king himself.

Same with tango: till late 19th century it was so risque that a woman danced it in public that only men could dance it, in Argentina. Then, someone had the fabulous idea to present it in Paris with both men and women dancing. Of course, it was risque, as it was thought to represent intercourse (even if women did not dance with so "revealing" costumes as today). At first, it was danced publicly by women in "low-class" places. Once the elites decided that this would be their fancy thing, then the risque element was over. It was an asset for a lady to know how to dance tango.

Same with all dances: once a powerful woman dances a dance, she is still powerful and so becomes her dance. Therefore, let's look at the position of women who dance and at the position women in society in general. Do you think that in any patriarchal society bellydance (which is a very self-asserting dance for women) will ever be an elite dance or a dance that creates elite-quality for the dancer?

 

[MariaAZ]

Regarding the costume aspects of belly dance as applied to my corner of the USA; although I wholeheartedly agree that bikini tops, club wear and exercise wear are out there, I don't think that necessarily means they are considered by everyone to be acceptable.

There is a segment of the population (I know quite a few of them) who feel that anything baring a woman's midriff is "advertising" or shameful in some manner or another. I absolutely do NOT agree with this sentiment, but that attitude is out there. As much as I disagree, as much as I wish people wouldn't judge others by the way they dress, the truth is this is how a lot of people feel. One can point out that in other cultures it is acceptable, but the retort would very likely be "yes, that is fine in their own home town, but they are now here and we don't like it that way." Again, please don't take it that I agree with this, I'm just explaining how people I know would agree with Reen-Blom's post about bras.

Around here, the vast majority of people who wear such midriff-baring clothing tend to be younger women who I would hazard to guess wouldn't have any criticism of a belly dancer's two piece outfit.

 

[Letizia]

I love the references to the ballroom and latin dresses, very attractive dresses and they are also conservative styles compared to what competitors are wearing today...

And good heavens, I have seen two piece prom dresses!

 

[Reen.Blom]

Re: Mosaic.

1)Joggers tops are tops, not show cleavage.
2)Skaters outfits are not typical the 'pharaonic is definitly desined to look bellydanceyish'
3)One does not walk in bikini top in the street or a shopping centre. If you go from the beach to town you put on on a shirt or dress otherwise it would be risque and inappropriate.
4) Club wear IS risque
5) examples of ballroom and sport are NOT typical designs. When bra is TYPICAL bellydance design.

Yes you said it UNDER garmet that bellydancers seem to wear for all to see.

As for bedroom comment...ehem I did not mean sleeping in a bra. I meant that the design comes from hollywood harem image, so a Sultan's bedroom!

 

[gisela]

3)One does not walk in bikini top in the street or a shopping centre. If you go from the beach to town you put on on a shirt or dress otherwise it would be risque and inappropriate.

Well most dancers do not walk around town in a costume. It is on when you are on stage or in the dancer-role. Off stage you are covered or changed into normal clothes. That's why I consider it no more inappropriate than a bikini, because it is all about context.

 

[Daimona]

OMG! I am soo going to make a costume inspired by that ice blue ballroom gown!

 

[Aniseteph]

Bra/bikini style tops are appropriate in certain situations, cultural expectations permitting.

They are part of the standard uniform for belly dance, IMO, which makes them perfectly OK for that situation just as bikinis are OK for the beach (in many places. Not a good idea everywhere). If you go to see a belly dancer it's what you expect.

Personally I don't read it as underwear - it's a costume. If it looks like a lingerie bra you are doing it wrong. Yes it can be OTT with mega cleavage spilling out, but it can be nothing more than what you might show with a nice evening top or dress.

I think the issue is 1) the perception that it's a dance designed predominantly to arouse sexually (which some dancers deliberately reinforce ), and 2) for good dancing what Walladah said about it being a very self assertive dance. IMO the dancing in your bra thing, or horror at midriffs, is partly people thinking/feeling that and being uncomfortable yet not sure why. Blaming the skin or the costume is safer.

 

[Aniseteph]

Well most dancers do not walk around town in a costume.

We posted at the same time! I agree with this, and it's why I think the glitzier styles can look incongruous outdoors at fairs etc. It's an evening dress thing and there's a time and a place.

Folk or Tribal doesn't have that vibe so works much better in those situations, IMO. And the costumes are more covered - I don't think that's a coincidence.

 

[Ariadne]

Some ballroom dresses I would love to wear for BD
~Mosaic

Are you serious?

Oh wait.... you don't mean these specifically.
(must remember to read carefully...)

Latin style dresses

Those are exactly the sort of outfits that led to my mother no longer watching Latin dancing.

 

[Erik]

Bra/bikini style tops are appropriate in certain situations, cultural expectations permitting.

They are part of the standard uniform for belly dance, IMO, which makes them perfectly OK for that situation just as bikinis are OK for the beach (in many places. Not a good idea everywhere). If you go to see a belly dancer it's what you expect.

I've heard that female visitors in Turkey are strongly advised not to wear bikinis. They can be arrested for indecent exposure, which always seemed ironic since the Turkish belly dance costumes appear to be the least conservative in the world.

US women did not start wearing bikinis until the 1960's, and I think I may know why. One of my teachers said that in 1960 he knew a woman who told him that she didn't know or care a thing about politics but she was voting for JFK because he was absolutely the handsomest man she had ever seen. I think that he (and the First Lady) probably changed how US women wanted to be seen and it was reflected in fashions. As American women began to show more skin at the beaches and swimming pools it possibly made belly dancing more acceptable and less risque too. Of course, I can't prove it.

Anisteteph and all you British belly dancers out there, I wouldn't be surprised if these changes happened a few years earlier in the UK, as we in North America can be a little slow to catch on.

 

[Mosaic]

Are you serious?

Oh wait.... you don't mean these specifically.
(must remember to read carefully...)

Those are exactly the sort of outfits that led to my mother no longer watching Latin dancing.

LOL - no not the latin ones, I was drooling over the ice blue dress
~Mosaic

 

[Kashmir]

They are part of the standard uniform for belly dance, IMO, which makes them perfectly OK for that situation just as bikinis are OK for the beach (in many places. Not a good idea everywhere). If you go to see a belly dancer it's what you expect.

Personally I don't read it as underwear - it's a costume. If it looks like a lingerie bra you are doing it wrong. Yes it can be OTT with mega cleavage spilling out, but it can be nothing more than what you might show with a nice evening top or dress.

Repping seems to have gone - virtual rep - this is spot on!

 

[Shanazel]

We posted at the same time! I agree with this, and it's why I think the glitzier styles can look incongruous outdoors at fairs etc. It's an evening dress thing and there's a time and a place.

Folk or Tribal doesn't have that vibe so works much better in those situations, IMO. And the costumes are more covered - I don't think that's a coincidence.

What Aniseteph said.