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I love you guys
I just wanted to share some love. *BIG HUGS*
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I have been interested in bellydance for a long time. I tried picking it up in HS but I got really intimidated by the fact that there was so much history and culture involved in it. I somehow felt like in order to dance well I had to be deeply involved and know the differences between bellydance styles. Well new branches of bellydance started emerging a decade or so ago, and they are fusions of bellydance, modern dance, and other traditional dances. One of them is called Tribal Fusion and I’m totally in love with it. I would like to know some bellydance basics to be a better dancer but I know in the long run I want to be involved in only TF.
Tribal Fusion is a very Earthy dance and it is a bit darker. Even the costuming reflects that… no Caberet style bling bling. I just really like the look of it and I like the fact that a lot of TF dancers use electronic music not just traditional drums. I always get a deep feeling and message when I watch TF dancers that I just don’t get when I watch the more traditional styles of bellydance. See some examples:
Zoe Jakes – Kami Liddle – Samantha Emanuel – Costuming & Make-UpVery beautiful dancing… but I just don’t totally connect with it: Sadie from Wisconsin
Soooo in order to get more help with some bellydance fundamentals I joined another forum. Sorry for being a forum slut! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_razz.gif Even though I’m only a member here and that other forum. LOL! Anyways…
I always do a little intro piece when I join a group or forum, and I stated that I like TF and I pole dance. I know that I should not expect the same level of open-mindedness as we get here but people were just… "Pole dance *whistling*" I just felt like they immediately thought one thing of pole dance. Bellydance AND pole dance is all about empowerment so where is the love? I mean, bellydancers have trouble with people thinking "sex object" and trying to clarify to the masses that it is a dance, not a call for sex… so why can’t they translate that to my pole dancing?
And then people were like, "Oh you know Tribal isn’t really bellydance, right?" Ok, yeah, it isn’t traditional bellydance but it evolved from it. There isn’t a forum for strictly Tribal dancers out there so I figured a nice big bellydance community would do. Hello bellydancers! That is one of the reasons why I turned away from it in the first place because everyone seemed so snooty and clique-y! Aren’t you just happy that someone else is interested? Wouldn’t you want to guide then and help them find the best resources rather than stay ignorant? It is just that I know that if someone came here and said they were interested in Chinese pole we wouldn’t say, "Oh that isn’t REAL pole dance!" We’d tell them the differences, help them as much as we could, send love and support. You know?
Anyways, there is more to it but I don’t want to bitch….. too much. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
LOVE! FREE HUGS!
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8 Replies
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ughk. I can’t stand people who think they are so cool and into what they do in that manner. Kind of elitist, but I have my elitist moments, too. I am always a more humble elitist, though. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif I bump into people like this with music a lot. It is like we are all in high school again trying to prove our coolness. Those peoples heads are in some sort of idiot bubble and will never get out of it.
Speaking of..there is a belly dance class coming up at Mannheim gym and I was thinking about signing up for it. It is $60 for a month. Have you seen anything on it yet?
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Bellydance class here!?!? Woot! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
You know what, I go to the gym all the time but I never bother looking at the board. I needs to! I’ll go today. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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This reminds me..
I was looking for a pole dance studio in dallas, which there are like… none. One. None. One of those.
Anyways. It’s a place where girls share poles, so no thanks.
This was one of the reviews. LOL
"Shame on you for offering pole dancing and strip tease lessons alongside belly dance. You are feeding a stereotype and we belly dancers DO NOT APPRECIATE IT AT ALL!"
Wahahha. Does that ho not remember the harem-part of the belly dance origins?
Anyways. Yes. StudioVeena is the BOMB! Go team!
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OMGosh Amcut those bellydancers can be so snobby. They have their own little dancing clique and I’m so not into that stuff. Even in HS I was the girl going, "Can’t we all get along?" I mean, they are working to get rid of stereotypes and myths but so are we! Why can’t be band together and be sisters/brothers in arms? I just didn’t like the whole "My sexy dance is cleaner or better or more authentic than your sexy dance". https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif Oh and one lady was like, "I wouldn’t mix bellydance with your pole dance." And I just thought…. "Beeetch, I’ll do what the faaack I want!" Bellydance didn’t actually start in brothels, it was a private dance that girls shared with each other. Probably once the Europeans found out about bellydance they wanted to see it and the only place women could do that was in brothels. Isn’t that sort of like many forms of dance though? They start out in the streets or in speak-easies but they climb their way up in society? Sheesh… Let it go! Love love love!
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OMGosh Amcut those bellydancers can be so snobby. They have their own little dancing clique and I’m so not into that stuff. Even in HS I was the girl going, "Can’t we all get along?" I mean, they are working to get rid of stereotypes and myths but so are we! Why can’t be band together and be sisters/brothers in arms? I just didn’t like the whole "My sexy dance is cleaner or better or more authentic than your sexy dance". https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif Oh and one lady was like, "I wouldn’t mix bellydance with your pole dance." And I just thought…. "Beeetch, I’ll do what the faaack I want!" Bellydance didn’t actually start in brothels, it was a private dance that girls shared with each other. Probably once the Europeans found out about bellydance they wanted to see it and the only place women could do that was in brothels. Isn’t that sort of like many forms of dance though? They start out in the streets or in speak-easies but they climb their way up in society? Sheesh… Let it go! Love love love!
Bold–hahaha! That sounds like me.
Pink–That sounds like us pole users.
I am going to sign up for the belly dance classes. I need to liberate myself and learn to dance again. I look like I have a left foot and a half these days. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif
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If they don’t think Tribal Fusion is belly dance, then I dare any of them to say it to Rachel Brice’s face after she performs and I hope she says their closed mindedness doesn’t leave them worthy enough to suck the sweat off her toes.
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I can’t stand when forums get all snooty https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif I’m sorry they acted that way! Trust me, I know how it feels to be treated poorly on a forum! I’ll leave it at that https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_silent.gif (not here of course) https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_geek.gif I don’t blame you for being upset at all, its stupid and petty so vent away!
Its funny that you brought up belly dancing, I was just working on some pole work with belly dance mixed in, I literally just finished dance and saw this post! I will mix belly and pole dance hahaha, and I really don’t care who likes it or not! Oh AND I was not dancing to traditional belly dance music, I love to dance to trance. I wish I knew more about belly dance so I could help you out ABC, but I really don’t know anything, I just started doing it again for fun https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif.
I think there may be some belly dancers on the site, so hopefully they will speak up and you can maybe learn from them here!!
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Hi! Bellydancer here… I’ve been bellydancing for several years now and perform regularly, and I love it! I personally think that tribal/fusion type dance is CERTAINLY a kind of bellydance! No, it is not historically accurate by any means https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_farao.gif , but dancing is an art, and art evolves. Bellydancing has evolved from being a folkloric step danced among women in the Middle East to being a cabaret art performed in restaurants and clubs. In fact, it’s actually kind of funny watching how West and East try to imitate each other, because we dance in bare feet at culture festivals, while in the Middle East, the popular dance stars perform in high heels on television! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BQXhFAZhQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
WHatever the occasion, belly dance does seem to carry certain connotations unfortunately, so I usually call it "Middle Eastern Dance" which is much more correct anyway. It is awesome exercise, and it makes you feel so much more confident about your body. Tribal/Fusion is a great way to dance if you don’t want to learn about the culture and such, but I would really advise learning all you can to further enrich your dance. For example, there are several different ways to do a hip drop depending on the cultural region you’re drawing from, and knowing that can add complexity to your dance. Plus folkloric style is just so much fun… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cyclops_ani.gif I usually do Egyptian style, including veil and cane, but I like to do some tribal if the event is casual and I feel like rocking out to Alanis Morisette… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
It’s too bad that the other forum isn’t more supportive. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had great teachers who try to bring an unbiased opinion and educate their students on all the different varieties out there. (and believe me there’s a LOT!!!)
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