Shakira from Egypt

[DreamHunter]

Seen Shakira the belly dancer? ... Nope, not Shakira the singer from Columbia, who does some belly dancing occasionally during her singing performances ... But Shakira the belly dancer from Egypt ...

She's got some cool moves, I reckon ... Great figure, too ... Enough to give Safinaz a good run for her money ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmnZSozTOBo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9elXflLPq-g

 

[Anetta]

I'm sorry but I don't like her at all!! She looks unprofessional, has bad aesthetic, stripper's costumes, and her moves do not show any tecnique. She just tries to be sexy and show her body. That's not a bellydancer, it's just a girl who likes to shake it, like so many others.

 

[Shanazel]

Ummm, wellll, uhhh...

Dream Hunter, what appeals to you about this dancer?

 

[DreamHunter]

Umm, okay, she might be a bit raw ... Got some rough edges that cud do with some polishing, perhaps ... But the main thing is, she's got da goods, dudes ... Like Safinaz

Love her ... I love her ... And so does her audience, it seems ...

Anetta, back there, in the native home of belly dancing, in the Levant, or the MENAT region if that's what you prefer, shakin it is what they do ...

With not only da men watching, but also da women and da kids, both boys & girls ... Nobody makes any apologies about it ... It is just, par for da course ... LOL

 

[Anetta]

Bellydancing is not shaking "da goods" for "da men". It is an art, like ballet. It can be sensual and flirty but not in the way this girl dances! This can be done by anyone dancing in a club, this is not bellydancing!
Safinaz on the other hand, althow she has a very sexy and juicy appearnce she does very controlled and small moves in order to appear more elegant. She is aware oh her body and has good technique. Therefore her chest moves, her shimmies, her hip moves are so controlled, sensual but not provocative. (The only provocative about Safinaz is her facial expressions I think, that's all).
Shakira is not like Safinaz at all, but I am afraid that all you compare here is the "goods"

 

[Shanazel]

DreamHunter, with all due respect, if you keep salivating over girls in costumes with red handprints on butt and boobs and talking about da goods, people are unlikely to take your interest in belly dance seriously. There is nothing in the world wrong with exotic dance but this site is devoted to belly dance and I, for one, would prefer that people understand and respect the difference.

 

[DreamHunter]

Aww, come on. Lighten up, will ya ... Ain't such a major crime to admire & appreciate a woman's natural beauty, is it? ... While also enjoying & chilling with her dancing skills ...

It's like, if I were a woman who's into football (soccer), let's just say, and I enjoy watching Cristiano Ronaldo's game ... Now, if I were also to declare openly my admiration for his good looks, let's just say, that does not necessarily lessen or degrade my professional assessment of his pure footballing talents, right? ...

Thing is, many belly dancers also do exotic dancing, oriental dancing etc., and they even declare it in their resume ... and I, as a relative newbie, am still not so clear where the exact boundary lines between those actually lie ...

Anyway, tell you what ... I reckon that Shakira wud be the natural candidate to fill the vacuum created in Cairo, caused by the departure of Safinaz ... They're like casts from the same mould, IMHO ... Ya all just wait & see ...

Especially if she gets a good coach and/or mentor and/or manager, who cud help add in the gloss & iron out the gross, I actually see her natural talents getting her to better places ...

 

[Shanazel]

You want to learn or you want to drool? As a relative newcomer, it might behoove you to look at videos posted by dancers here on the forum and read the comments instead of digging up hot girl videos and posting them with your own comments about shaking and goods.

 

[DreamHunter]

:think: Umm, both, I guess ...

Learn while you yearn ... Yearn while you learn ...:dance:

Multi-tasking, ya know ...

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Thing is, many belly dancers also do exotic dancing, oriental dancing etc., and they even declare it in their resume ... and I, as a relative newbie, am still not so clear where the exact boundary lines between those actually lie ...

If you're a newbie to bellydance, then where did you get this information? Do you personally know many bellydancers? Have you worked professionally with any bellydancers? Did you look up this golden nugget of information on the Internet? Have you personally seen a bellydancer's resume? Or is this something you've just assumed?

To "clarify the boundaries," although there are some dancers out there who do perform other forms of dance besides bellydance, such as pole dancing and burlesque, this is not something that is standardized. Not all bellydancers perform both bellydance and "adult-oriented" dance genres (by the way, "Oriental dance" is not considered to belong to the latter. Oriental dance is good old Raqs Sharqui, which is the basis for bellydance).

We do not perform bellydance for "da men," to "shake our goods" for them (although there are a few dancers out there who use bellydance moves as part of their shtick). We study and perform bellydance because we are drawn to the beauty, culture, and joy of this dance. We don't go out there on the stage thinking, "Oooooooo, I wonder how many men in the audience I can make hot for me?" If a man can't keep his sexuality in check, then he's not very mature at all. IMNSHO.

 

[Kashmir]

Anetta, back there, in the native home of belly dancing, in the Levant, or the MENAT region if that's what you prefer, shakin it is what they do ...

With not only da men watching, but also da women and da kids, both boys & girls ... Nobody makes any apologies about it ... It is just, par for da course ... LOL

Yes, in the home of belly dance they do "shake it" - men, women and kids. Only non-professionals tend to shake it in single sex groups. Female civilians dance with women and kids, men dance whenever they feel like - but they don't tend to party with "nice" women. Clubs might be expanding this for a small percentage of young people - but it is not the norm (at least in Egypt).

Women who dance in front of (non-related) men are professionals. Professional dancers - or professional prostitutes. Egypt has quite strict rules for professional dancers - the acceptable ones. Big names can get away with stuff - but a dancer showing her crutch and belly and fondling herself would not get a licence to become a big name. Rather this looks more like a cabaret performance - unlicenced. I'm quite surprised with the wedding as well. I have been in good restaurant when a licenced belly dancer appeared - appropriately dressed - and a man took his two children by the hand and removed them until she had gone.

So, can she dance? Yes. Is it belly dance - yes but on the beledi end of the scale (nothing wrong with that I prefer beledi to Orientale myself). Is it likely she will make a real name for herself? Probably not - and the first video would possibly be a reason for her to be turned down (morals and costume).

 

[DreamHunter]

Really ... That's interesting ... Was just thinking, if she was to be marked down, it wud be more for the second vid, costume too tight, gyrations a bit on the over-provocative side (for want of a better term) etc.

I thought the first vid of her was the more decent one ... Clad in casual leather jacket & pants. Well, she took her jacket off midway thru her dance, but so does Salman Khan ... As for the whatchacallit, stitching of hand caricature, on her bum, I thought that was more for a laugh & a lark - something to be taken in harmless good fun - rather than an invitation to someone to make a lusty grab for her bottom.

Although, once ya get into a good clubby mood, one cud easily do that & get away scott free, even be rewarded with a flirtatious smile if ya do it with proper form ... Sounds like someone is talking from personal experience, eh:dance:

Naah, just kidding ...

 

[DreamHunter]

If you're a newbie to bellydance, then where did you get this information? Do you personally know many bellydancers? Have you worked professionally with any bellydancers? Did you look up this golden nugget of information on the Internet? Have you personally seen a bellydancer's resume? Or is this something you've just assumed?

To "clarify the boundaries," although there are some dancers out there who do perform other forms of dance besides bellydance, such as pole dancing and burlesque, this is not something that is standardized. Not all bellydancers perform both bellydance and "adult-oriented" dance genres (by the way, "Oriental dance" is not considered to belong to the latter. Oriental dance is good old Raqs Sharqui, which is the basis for bellydance).

Yes, Uncle Google and Mr. YouTube are the most wonderful teachers & instructors. Why not.

No, I did not know that 'oriental dance' is 'Raqs Sharqi' until your post above. And becos I'm still not so well versed in these things, I should steer clear of visually enjoying belly dancing as an art form? No, I don't think so.

And to be completely honest, I'm still trying to get my head around the true, full meaning of Raqs Sharqi, although I hv a vague idea of it, from reading the Arabic script on many dance vids, and whether correct or otherwise, as one form of belly dancing.

For me, by my layman's understanding, 'oriental dancing' cud hv meant anything from Asia, especially, but not necessarily limited to, the easternmost parts of Asia. But now, especially in the context of dancing, it's increasingly looking like I'm going to need to expand this perception. Quite substantially too.

You might hv a different understanding of 'exotic dancing' & 'oriental dancing', but not me. Not right now, not yet, although I'm just beginning to sense a subtle difference. Well, maybe it's a major difference, I don't know this yet. But for me, up to this point in time, I've been somehow inclined to consider that the terms 'exotic' & 'oriental' are, on their own, to be specific, in many ways closely related, especially if one is thinking from a western-based context.

 

[Kashmir]

I thought the first vid of her was the more decent one ... Clad in casual leather jacket & pants.

If you ever do get to Egypt, unless you stick to the strictly tourist areas, I would recommend not wearing clothes that so clearly show your crutch. Respectable people (both sexes) cover from chest to mid-thigh. Skin tight pants are asking for trouble.

Although, once ya get into a good clubby mood, one cud easily do that & get away scott free, even be rewarded with a flirtatious smile if ya do it with proper form ... Sounds like someone is talking from personal experience, eh:dance:

Sure, in the US (maybe). Not in Egypt.

 

[Kashmir]

Yes, Uncle Google and Mr. YouTube are the most wonderful teachers & instructors. Why not.

Because the internet is full of "incorrect information" (I'd say something else in person!) posted by people who know little or nothing. There is no peer review process. Anyone can say anything. Just because 1000 people (each quoting each other) all say the same thing does not make it true. Wishing doesn't make it true either.

And to be completely honest, I'm still trying to get my head around the true, full meaning of Raqs Sharqi, although I hv a vague idea of it, from reading the Arabic script on many dance vids, and whether correct or otherwise, as one form of belly dancing.

Raqs Sharqi is public entertainment belly dance - as opposed to what is done by ordinary people with friends (of the same sex).

For me, by my layman's understanding, 'oriental dancing' cud hv meant anything from Asia, especially, but not necessarily limited to, the easternmost parts of Asia. But now, especially in the context of dancing, it's increasingly looking like I'm going to need to expand this perception. Quite substantially too.

"Oriental Dance" is English for the French danse orientale - which is what professional "belly dancers" call what they do in Egypt (and elsewhere I imagine). It can mean any belly dance in general (here I'm assuming the speaker does actually know what belly dance is) or belly dance to a specific type of sophisticated and layered music - tending to be long with many rhythmic and style changes. Sometimes referred to as Orientale with a small or capital o.

Raqs sharqi is the Arabic for danse orientale.

You might hv a different understanding of 'exotic dancing' & 'oriental dancing', but not me. Not right now, not yet, although I'm just beginning to sense a subtle difference. Well, maybe it's a major difference, I don't know this yet. But for me, up to this point in time, I've been somehow inclined to consider that the terms 'exotic' & 'oriental' are, on their own, to be specific, in many ways closely related, especially if one is thinking from a western-based context.

Well, if you are really here to learn, you might see the difference. In a nutshell, 'exotic dancing' is about sex (and also orientalist imperialism - "our" women are pure, those other women are hanging out for it - look at how they shake it); 'oriental dance' is the professional version of a folk dance from MENA - which is perfectly respectable and danced my men, women, and children to this day.

 

[Shanazel]

Where is the "banging the head against the wall" emoticon?

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Where is the "banging the head against the wall" emoticon?

:wall: :wall: :wall:

 

[Shanazel]

Thank you.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

You're welcome! xD

 

[DreamHunter]

In a nutshell, 'exotic dancing' is about sex (and also orientalist imperialism - "our" women are pure, those other women are hanging out for it - look at how they shake it); 'oriental dance' is the professional version of a folk dance from MENA - which is perfectly respectable and danced my men, women, and children to this day.

So, 'exotic dancing' is mainly about sex, then ... I see ... Well, they might as well hv called it 'sexually oriented dancing' then, for all it's worth ... And avoid all the confusion among unsuspecting newbies like us ...

Perhaps they just want to retain the 'exotic' branding, for marketing purposes, like ... And maybe 'sexually oriented dancing' might not sell as good as 'exotic dancing' ... And on top of that, its acronym wud hv been SOD ... Something not so conducive for the marketing department to do their work ...

Oh, sod it ...