This is belly dance to me add ' beautiful Arabic music.'

The dance has a strong focus on an internalization and reflection of the music and the emotion therein. The music is as important as a vocabulary of movements from which to draw, and therefore the most revered of dancers will generally be those who are either the most charismatic or the most emotionally projective (even if their movement vocabulary is limited). The dancer becomes the vehicle of communication to make sound and emotion visible to her audience.

The troll speaks

I think that there is a time and a place for all types of music and dance, and that the best performers know their audiences.

Instead attacking and name calling of anyone that disagrees with you... Take the time to define what it is you disagree about and debate it. Information and or knowledge are the best
weapons against intolerance and discrimination.

I do agree my ignorance in the subject of Goth is the reason I do not want to accept it.

I wish someone would explain what it is and why it is fused into belly dance .

Democracy

"Democracy is a means of living together despite our differences. Democratic deliberation is an alternative to physical violence. It is predicated on the assumption that it’s possible to disagree agreeably, that it’s better to laugh than cry, that one can vigorously contest the positions of one’s adversary without questioning his or her personal integrity or motivation, and that parties to a debate are entitled to the presumption that their views are legitimate if not correct."

-Thomas Mann

wow

Wow !!!
I do not know what to say.
My only point in responding to the first comments on the byblos incident , was to be a devils advocate , only one side of the incident went up in print on tribe, so I asked for info and defended friends of mine "Byblo's".
I am not out to get rid of any dance or stop anyone from dancing the way they love to , I want the history of the dance and it's music to be taught along with the dance moves and I ask that the public that watch us perform be informed that American Belly dance is a fusion dance and different than the middle eastern "Dance Know as Belly dance" . If dancers become teachers it is the responsibility of the teacher to educate his or herself on the roots of the dance.
So if you or anyone else who teaches says they do not care about the lineage but will continue to teach and perform 'yes it worries me about the future of this dance .' I will continue to" try" to educate all dancers who want to call themselves belly dancers . You and they are the future of this dance and will decide if it will contain any of the original dance music , steps, or cultural flair. I am tyring to be open minded by asking questions and trying to understand what is happening in this dance. I am Irish and American Indian , so I to would call myself hard headed . Please remember it is OK to disagree and debate our points and opinions , this is how we as free people stay free and learn from each other . if we all say OK just go do what you want and do not voice our thoughts on subjects and question peoples motives, before you know it we have given away our freedom to question anything or anyone or to think or be different .
delete this comment

I hope all of you vote !

If we are so passionate about this dance and our freedom to dance anyway we want, too what we want. We all should be more involved in our government and local politics.
Our president is a dictator and should be impeached for lying and going against our constitution.
I will be using my free time to work on my Organic vegetable and flower gardening and to helping my city to become move aware of health problems caused by pesticides used on lawns and to stop big lawn service companies from spraying in my town. I will also be helping to register voters and help inform the public about what our government is up.

Now I know why !

This why belly dancers are changing their names
and calling themselves Raqs sharqi or oriental dancers
This is a comment from a Goth/ tribal/ fusion Belly dancer to me in defence of her dancing to non Arabic music in modern clothes .

"I don't see any ballet dancers getting upset with other ballet dancers for thinking outside the box and growing. "

"I do not pretend that I know and or care about the lineage of bellydance. I think that it is beautiful and I consider myself a decent bellydancer - I like what I do and others ask me for lessons so I teach. I travel and teach workshops too. "

" I will continue bellydancing the style I do in the clothes that I feel appropriate for the music until people stop hiring me for parties, workshops etc. "

What is a belly dancer?

For me to recognize anyone as a belly dancer I would have to see them use belly dance moves to middle eastern music. In my opinion belly dancing is the ability to understand the middle eastern music its, rhythms and be able to understand where the rhythm is from and and what type of folk dance would be commonly used to dance to said rhythm and the ability to recognise the rhythms in music as you are dancing and use dance moves or steps that are commonly used in that folk dance to that rhythm .Belly dance is an American fusion dance that incorporates dances from many middle eastern cultures and as well as moves from ballet , jazz and modern dance .The biggest problem in the belly dance community is the lack of standardized terms to describe moves and or dance styles and a standard to judge certification of ability to perform or teach this dance. So as it is, anyone who wants to can teach this dance with little or no knowledge of middle eastern music or folk dance both of which are the foundation of this dance.

Yea for Birthday gigs !!

I danced at great party last weekend and fill like so what if I do not have a gig in a restaurant,.I am a great dancer and get payed so much more for parties and the guest all want to see me dance . I got wonderful comments , And bday boy could not stop smiling.

Looking for investors

OK so in my future I own my cool art cafe and get to see great art on the walls and stage and hear wonderful music as I hand organic food over the top of the bar to waiting interesting people with stories to tell and money to spend. Looking for investors.