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Okay, I realize the term "belly dance" is the one the public understands. I realize that if I want to fill my classes, I need to advertise them as 'belly dance" rather than as "dance of the East" or "Near Eastern dance".
However....
I'm not found of the term "belly dance", and one of the reasons is that it puts far too much emphasis on a body part. When we dance, we use not only our abdominal muscles, but also our back muscles, our shoulders, our arms and legs, etc. All too often, you hear people (usually fat men) say something stupid like, "I should belly dance - I have the belly for it!" :-P And the word "belly" is tied to other unflattering images such as pork bellies, beer bellies, the belly of the beast, and more.
Another reason I dislike the term is that idiots in the general public think that novelty acts which involve twitching your ab muscles are somehow "belly dance". For example, this youtube clip: www.break.com/usercontent...-826284.html
So, I use the term because of its practicality from a marketing perspective, but I don't have to like it!
However....
I'm not found of the term "belly dance", and one of the reasons is that it puts far too much emphasis on a body part. When we dance, we use not only our abdominal muscles, but also our back muscles, our shoulders, our arms and legs, etc. All too often, you hear people (usually fat men) say something stupid like, "I should belly dance - I have the belly for it!" :-P And the word "belly" is tied to other unflattering images such as pork bellies, beer bellies, the belly of the beast, and more.
Another reason I dislike the term is that idiots in the general public think that novelty acts which involve twitching your ab muscles are somehow "belly dance". For example, this youtube clip: www.break.com/usercontent...-826284.html
So, I use the term because of its practicality from a marketing perspective, but I don't have to like it!
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 1:47 PMI know what you mean. However, when I've tried to use other terms such as "Raks Sharqi", unless I'm talking to a ME audience or another dancer I ended up having to use the term belly dance to describe what I do.
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 1:58 PMDear Shira,
The term has never bothered me in the least! In fact, I rather like it and understand why anyone really looking at the dance would apply such a term. There is practically nothing that I do as a dancer that does not require active support from my abdominal region. However,I am also not offended by people using other terms either, like Middle Eastern dance, Raqs Sharghi, etc, as long as the dance is properly labeled.
I once had a discussion with Tarik about that. He says he hates the term, too, but uses it in his marketing. I think there are some people who feel that way, but I am glad I don't. the silly comments do not bother me either. No matter what profession one is in, they have to take some flack, and I feel that dancers get less of it than say, plumbers, proctologists, psychiatrists, cooks, etc.
Regards,
A'isha -
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 2:04 PMSpeaking of flak people take in their professions, I'm surprised you didn't mention lawyers!!!! <wink>
I'm not sure I "hate" the term "belly dance", exactly. Just that there are times it makes me wince, such as when people think that the ONLY thing our dance involves is abdominal calisthenics. I sort of sigh when I receive emails from random teen-agers saying, "I can do a belly roll - does that make me a belly dancer?" I think to some extent the term encourages the general public to reduce our dance to jiggling abs. But then, I do agree with you that our dance form indeed makes extensive use of the ab muscles (AND the lower back muscles AND the obliques) to produce all those wonderful hip articulations that we love to do. -
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 2:07 PMDear Sjira,
LOL ... I can't believe I left them off the list, either!!
Regards,
A'isha
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 2:37 PMWould a change in terminology keep some people from thinking that all we do is show our bellies and wiggle around, or would that stereotype still be just as prevalent? I have overheard conversations held by teenagers who think that they can belly dance just because they can roll their bellies.
When I've worn costumes that cover my stomach, I sometimes get asked, "Where's your belly?" (It's still there...) Has anyone else come across the idea that for some it's the costume that defines the dance, not the moves and music?
Now, on a positive note: I love Jelly Belly Jelly Beans! Not all “bellies” are negative!
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Sun, October 11, 2009 - 8:12 PMRather than the bellies, I think one of the more harmful uses that one finds very often on youtube are the booty shaking girls calling what they do belly dance. I think that does more disservice to our dance (but that's just my opinion) -
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Mon, October 12, 2009 - 5:25 PMLOL! Shira! Actually I get a lot more flak and jokes about being a lawyer then a belly dancer! Add to the fact that I work for an insurance company and I'm just plain use to being the person people love to hate! It's useful to have a thick skin if you want to survive long term in this business!!!!! -
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Mon, October 12, 2009 - 6:52 PMI can assure you, Shira, that Norma if is the Erich von Stroheim of her office, the one you love to hate, that's only until you get to know her, after which no one could hate her.
I don't have a lot to offer on nomenclature. No one outside the Middle East dance community will have any idea what you're referring to if you call it "Raks Sharki.' "Oriental dance" encompasses too much as it could be confused with dances from India or China, say. I can't think of anything better for the nonce rather than "belly dance," and when I mention--as I do not hesitate --that i like belly dance or I've been to a belly dance show, well, sometimes it requires a little explanation. And if from time to time someone thinks I am frequently joints like those places that for reasons that escape me are called "gentlemen's clubs," well, can't please or set everyone straight.
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Mon, October 12, 2009 - 7:52 PM -
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Re: Why I'm ambivalent about the term "belly dance"
Tue, October 13, 2009 - 6:19 AMIt's always so circular. I say to people I dance Arabic dance or Egyptian dance and they say oh you mean "belly dance"..well I could say folkloric as well but to say Oriental (e) or Raks Sharki and we end up back in the belly again.
What I do loath are the silly names some groups affect..sorry ladies but bellybabes(our local group are anything but babies) bellybelles,bellyjewels..I know they are fun but if we want people to take belly dancers seriously......
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