Male Belly Dancers

[L42yB]

So, I was at a show recently and saw a male belly dancer performing a solo.

It was... unexpected, to say the least. But before really going into what I thought about it, I first wanted to ask all of you what you guys think about it.

Have any of you ever seen one? What did you think? Do you think belly dancing can be for men too?

 

[Darshiva]

Relocated to Male Dancers because the thread is about Male Dancers and does not belong in debate at all.

 

[L42yB]

!

Sorry, I didn't realise there was an entire category dedicated to this. I guess that totally answers my question.

I hope I didn't cause any offense with my ignorance. I'd just never seen any male belly dancers before and wasn't aware of it.

So are male belly dancers quite common then? I take it there must be a few on the board.

 

[Sophia Maria]

Absolutely!








Ok, I'll stop before I get carried away with ze videos. Point is, yes there are indeed. There are many fantastic and quite famous male dancers, and as you can see they each have their own style that they bring to the dance. I'm always a sucker for Tito's crazy spins! :dance:

 

[khanjar]

So, I was at a show recently and saw a male belly dancer performing a solo.

It was... unexpected, to say the least. But before really going into what I thought about it, I first wanted to ask all of you what you guys think about it.

Have any of you ever seen one? What did you think? Do you think belly dancing can be for men too?

I take it when you said You Guys you were asking guys as in males ?

 

[L42yB]

I take it when you said You Guys you were asking guys as in males ?

No, it's an open question. Although I can see that I was incredibly in the dark as to how common this actually is.

Those videos posted above are really impressive. The dancer I saw live was doing very feminine dancing and wearing a dress and crop top, so he looked somewhat like a cross dresser (which is fine, don't get me wrong). And he got an really good response from the crowd, people saying he was incredibly brave and all that.

But I felt a little bit like the way I did the first time I saw a male pole dancer on Britain's Got Talent... I found it to be... weird. And unexpected.

But I don't want anyone to misunderstand me. I'm 100% behind people being true to who they are and not being intimidated or cowed by cultural norms. Breaking boundaries is a good thing.

I think male belly dancers like the one I saw create a massive juxtaposition with our assumptions. At least, mine anyway. And I think that is a good thing.

I was really just wondering what other peoples opinions were.

 

[Zorba]

I was really just wondering what other peoples opinions were.

We're somewhat controversial. There are more and more males getting into Belly Dancing, but we're still - and will most likely remain - a small minority.

Visit my links page - I have links to every male dancer on the planet that A) has a website, and B) I know about it.

ETA: I see you're from the UK. The UK is known for a somewhat hostile attitude towards male Belly Dancers, although its slowly improving.

 

[L42yB]

We're somewhat controversial. There are more and more males getting into Belly Dancing, but we're still - and will most likely remain - a small minority.

Visit my links page - I have links to every male dancer on the planet that A) has a website, and B) I know about it.

ETA: I see you're from the UK. The UK is known for a somewhat hostile attitude towards male Belly Dancers, although its slowly improving.

Thanks! I can see there is a lot of variety. A lot more than I thought existed.

My girlfriend is often trying to teach me bits and pieces, but I'm very resistant to it. But if I'm completely honest, it's not because of any lack of desire to do it, but more because of what I think my peers will think... sad as that may be. I wish I was free enough to do something like this without feeling embarrassed or silly.

The UK is not so bad, I guess it depends on where you go. There are both extremes here, but I can tell you the guy I saw got a very positive response, and that was in central London. The ladies absolutely *loved* him

 

[Yorkshire Lass]

I definitely think it depends where in the UK you go. In London there are a few well known male bellydancers. Personally I like some and not others based on how they dance (same as female dancers in other words).

I like Ozgen very much and he does more of a Turkish or Romany style dance.
and uses some interesting props.

RAQS Britannia '08(4) Ozgen - YouTube

Khaled Mahmoud is also amazing to watch.

Khaled Mahmoud at Jewel of Yorkshire - YouTube

Snake Boy Sunny is another well known London dancer. He's "marmite" in dance terms and can be pretty divisive as people tend to love or hate him. He's not my favourite but he's quite enjoyable to watch.

Sunny Snake Boy performing at the Oriental Dance Show July 2011 UK - YouTube

Male dancers are still unusual but becoming less so.

 

[khanjar]

No, it's an open question. Although I can see that I was incredibly in the dark as to how common this actually is.

You see the reason I ask, is as in guys, guys is taken to generally mean males whereas gals the same applies for female. Now I am aware what was male has now become accepted parlance for all, but in your initial post I must admit I did detect a degree of misunderstanding, did you know there were male belly dancers here ?

But what Zorba said about hostility towards male belly dancers in the UK is a fact and I have experienced it myself, so perhaps you might understand this subject can be a little touchy to say the least. But the capital is the capital, in more outlying areas what is accepted in the capital is not the same everywhere else.

Now my apologies if I come across as reactionary, but I read the literal interpretation and when I detect something questionable that might or might not be there, I will always ask questions to find out more.

 

[L42yB]

You see the reason I ask, is as in guys, guys is taken to generally mean males whereas gals the same applies for female. Now I am aware what was male has now become accepted parlance for all, but in your initial post I must admit I did detect a degree of misunderstanding, did you know there were male belly dancers here ?

Honestly I didn't think there were. But this was complete ignorance on my part and and truly didn't mean any offense by it.

But what Zorba said about hostility towards male belly dancers in the UK is a fact and I have experienced it myself, so perhaps you might understand this subject can be a little touchy to say the least.

I'm sorry to hear that. It is a terrible shame that some people are so intolerant. How one person can take offense at another person expressing themselves through dance, in any form, is beyond me. I can understand having a personal taste or preference, but to take offense to the point of harassing someone is ridiculous, and completely unacceptable.

Now my apologies if I come across as reactionary, but I read the literal interpretation and when I detect something questionable that might or might not be there, I will always ask questions to find out more.

I can understand, and I didn't mean any offense. I was just curious and wanted to learn more.

 

[L42yB]

There are many fantastic and quite famous male dancers, and as you can see they each have their own style that they bring to the dance. I'm always a sucker for Tito's crazy spins! :dance:

Thanks for the vids. I got a chance to watch them all properly now. I think the first one, Tito Seif was my favourite of those ones. I loved the "matrix" move he did

 

[Zorba]

I can understand, and I didn't mean any offense. I was just curious and wanted to learn more.

Here's an article written by a UK male Belly Dancer:

Male Dance in the United Kingdom

His eventual solution to the problem was, if nothing else, rather extreme. He had gender reassignment surgery - then pretty much disappeared. Last I heard, "she" was in Bulgaria - and apparently not dancing.

 

[Zorba]

I wish I was free enough to do something like this without feeling embarrassed or silly.

Ah, but you are free. The prison only exists in your mind, my friend.

 

[Kashmir]

Belly dance traditionally is for men, women and children. Recently, in the Middle East, male professional dancers have become very rare but they do exist. In the West, although not common, there are plenty. I have meet more than half a dozen at student level and almost as many again as top teachers. (Ironically the teachers were all Egyptian born)

 

[L42yB]

Ah, but you are free. The prison only exists in your mind, my friend.

Very true.

I read your article, and it doesn't seem at all fair to me that men are denied lessons. It's pretty shocking that such attitudes still exist. It's like we're still in the 50's or something. I wasn't aware that male belly dancing was so popular, but I never for a second thought I might actually be denied lessons if I ever wanted them. Crazy.

 

[L42yB]

Male Dance in the United Kingdom

I just noticed the cool mouse cursor

 

[khanjar]

I'm sorry to hear that. It is a terrible shame that some people are so intolerant. How one person can take offense at another person expressing themselves through dance, in any form, is beyond me. I can understand having a personal taste or preference, but to take offense to the point of harassing someone is ridiculous, and completely unacceptable.

The trouble is in this dance there is plenty upon plenty of myth and downright lies which does not help a male who understands and knows the history and culture of where this came from, but it is a rare dance in the UK, not rare for females so much but for males most definitely.

But I have to admit in all honesty I have never been harassed for my choice, but I have been denied entrance and classes to learn this dance and that because I am the wrong gender for some. The US from as far as I can understand is far more advanced than the UK in many areas where sadly the UK lags behind almost stubbornly as if with some they are stuck in the past. The empire has gone and good riddance, but some still think Britain is top dog and there adopt a mentality that Britain at least in Britain, Britain says what goes, which to me has echoes of our colonial past.

But I read your lady tries to teach you moves, are you interested or are you not, why not dance with your lady, for sure her trying to teach you moves she is interested in you dancing her dance ? Why not honour her in what she is doing and dance with her and basically obllox to anyone else as for those in love the outside world does not matter. If it is peer pressure you are scared of ask yourself are you a man or indeed a mouse, be true to yourself and do what you want to do not what lesser mentalities are incapable of.

And Zorba as usual is right again, the only prison is in your mind.

Free yourself and in doing that be true to yourself, you only live once and don't end up like many, regretting their past.

 

[L42yB]

But I read your lady tries to teach you moves, are you interested or are you not, why not dance with your lady, for sure her trying to teach you moves she is interested in you dancing her dance? Why not honour her in what she is doing and dance with her and basically bollox to anyone else as for those in love the outside world does not matter. If it is peer pressure you are scared of ask yourself are you a man or indeed a mouse, be true to yourself and do what you want to do not what lesser mentalities are incapable of.

And Zorba as usual is right again, the only prison is in your mind.

Free yourself and in doing that be true to yourself, you only live once and don't end up like many, regretting their past.

I think I just got told, lol

You're right of course. But breaking through years of condition isn't really as simple as making a choice. I completely agree with you on an intellectual level, but that doesn't make me feel any less like an idiot when I try to dance. It's something I've never been comfortable doing, quite probably because of experiences I had growing up.

 

[khanjar]

I think I just got told, lol

You're right of course. But breaking through years of condition isn't really as simple as making a choice. I completely agree with you on an intellectual level, but that doesn't make me feel any less like an idiot when I try to dance. It's something I've never been comfortable doing, quite probably because of experiences I had growing up.

Hey feeling like an idiot is what I go through every week when I go to my class and weekly I go through the ; why am I doing this when I could be like my friends who don't do anything, in the pub or glued to the tv, but when dancing tuition is started, I lose complete focus on what other I could be doing as there is something in this movement that resonated with me so much and that coming from someone who is directionally stupid - dyspraxia, I don't know left from right. Yes I was awkward, but now it's getting better and this is the first dance I have attempted to learn, as in the past even disco's I was always a wall flower hugging a pint.

Into computers are you; geek ?

If you are, you may share something with many of us males that are both successful and those others of us that are slow learning in our attempt to dance this dance and those in between.

But at the end of the day, it is up to you.

Oh and BTW, I am an ex soldier.