ibutions |
Contributions from our Community
On Being an
Artist
by Tasha
Says Who?
by Anne Marie
Senior Bellydance
by Sandi Streuer
Musings
on being a Fat Belly Dancer
by Miriam H.F. Berger
Me...on
Reality TV...
by Gia Al Qamar
On Appearance and Dance
by Anne Marie
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On Being an Artist
After more than 33 years of belly dancing, I still seek out and watch belly
dancers' performances. With the advent of the Internet, this is much simpler
than at the beginning of my journey. I will admit, I favor cabaret dancers, as
this is my passion, but I believe my observations are valid over other forms. I
will, however, focus on cabaret in my comments.
I believe the consummate dance artist is a complete package. For me, the
elements of a complete package are, in no particular order: technical skill;
professional, appropriate costuming; artistry and expression; skilled use of
props; presentation.
Finding an instructor that you resonate with is the first step on your journey.
Much of dance is focused on technique, which is vital. Today I see several
developing trends. I see some teachers focused solely on technique (I freely
admit that technique is much easier to teach than artistic expression). But
technique alone does not make a complete artist. I cringe when watching either a
soloist or a chorus of size 2 dancers executing flawless technique without any
heart and soul.
I remember being a beginner and thinking that if I just knew enough steps, I'd
be a good belly dancer. 33 years and a thousand steps and combinations later, I
giggle uproariously at this belief, but I also see it reflected in my students.
Hopefully I am able to gift them with the insight it took me so long to acquire.
The other trend I see that I'm still on the fence about is the absorption of
belly dance moves into fitness instructor's routines. Net positives: more women
are exposed to belly dance, which can lead to more sisters, and belly dance is
viewed as more mainstream. Major negative: I've yet to meet someone who has
learned belly dance in a fitness setting that has been taught good technique. My
concern is not that they can't relearn, although of course learning correctly the first time is optimal, but that incorrect technique is
potentially injurious to the body. As an instructor, I am actively pushing students to execute dance moves safely, not only for the
superior appearance of presentation, but for their own long term well being.
Costuming is one of the yummy parts of being a belly dancer. I've seen styles change radically in my years, and am as pleased as can be
with the variety, availability, and relatively inexpensive choices that are easily accessible today. No longer is it cheaper to make it
yourself. As a student of the great icon, Serena, who believed that you should costume yourself as if you're a Christmas tree, keep
putting things on, (she was a true Leo), I love complete costuming. I like costuming that includes a matching necklace, arm bands,
anything other than the rather bare look I see too often. It's not my intention to criticize, I think many young dancers need to be
educated in this concept.
The relatively small extra expense of finishing a look can make a huge difference
in the impact of a performance. My biggest costuming gripe is fit. Serena said,
"The most important thing about your costume is a perfectly fitted bra.".
I could not agree more. It's extremely distressing to me to see a costume that
has clearly been invested in gapping on a dancer. Many women don't know how to
fit a costume (why would they?), but seem unwilling to spend an extra $25-$50 to
have it done competently. I've met dancers who completely pin themselves in to
their costume. I've seen professionals yanking at their bras as they are about to
spill out. Seamstresses won't do, gals, these costumes require engineering and
experience to fit properly (might I take a moment to recommend myself to you).
Unless you're only dancing for other dancers, your performance must include
artistry and expression. Your technique will only carry you so far with the
general public, who wouldn't know a Haggalah from an Arabic Walk. Yet too many
YouTube videos I watch are clearly choreographed routines nearly devoid of soul.
Number one, it's not about you, sorry, it's not. It's about the audience
experiencing what you, the unique you, has to give them through your connection
to them. There are precious few performers whose scripted choreography looks
organic, my other favorite teacher, Elena Lentini, and Alexia of the Drum and
Dance Learning Center, are two such performers. How do you become one with the
music if you're focused on counting 8's?
First, please please please, eye contact, it's up to you to bring your audience into your performance, and it's up to you to intrigue them.
Other than direct coaching, I offer four other pieces of advice. One, find ways to surprise the audience, whether it's height changes,
stepping backwards instead of forwards, or videotaping your choreo and analyzing it fearlessly, change the choreo so that it doesn't
seem scripted. Two, stretch yourself to taking classes in other disciplines: mime, acting, something else that focuses on audience
connection. Third, challenge yourself to improv to songs you don't know. You will grow as an artist.
Fourth, you are not just a dancer, you are an artist. Art stirs emotions in the observer. They say that writers bleed on the page,
actors bleed on the stage. Feel what you feel, express what you feel, NEVER try to put on a feeling, the audience has no tolerance for
artifice. True emotion is truly felt. It cannot be faked.
Really? Are zills dead? Not if Michelle Devine and I have anything to do with it! However, I'm both saddened and frequently bored
watching performances sans zills. It's not easy for anyone to learn, but I will always believe it is a crucial part of belly dance to
play zills.
I just love the evolution of other props in belly dancing, and encourage everyone to excel at the prop or props that you most resonate
with. Wings, veils, veil poi, veil fans, swords, yummy! Become the most avid fan of your favorite prop. And don't perform with it until
you are consummate in its use.
The culmination of the process of learning technique, costuming yourself well, developing your artistry, crafting your show, and then
performing before an audience is your presentation. Have you educated yourself, crafted your show, invested in appropriate costuming and
props, discovered what you have to give and opened yourself to the risk of sharing it? If you have done this, you now have the distinction
of artist. Congratulations!
Tasha started belly dancing in May of 1979 while stationed in Frankfurt, Germany in the army. She saw her first belly dancer in an Air
Force club, and was fortunate enough to find Marta the Legend as her first instructor. After leaving the service, Tasha found Serena and
then Elena in New York. Tasha performed professionally for 25 years, and now teaches at her studio in Phillipsburg, NJ, as well as altering
and fitting costumes for today's dancers.
|
Says Who? On
the Perceived Evils of Belly Dance
I’ve been doing this for a while
now…not decades but I’ve put a fair share of my time into
the art (not
enough…never enough as it is a lifetime pursuit...but
countless hours nonetheless). It’s not just in training and
classes but performance, costuming, business aspects,
marketing, community relations and getting to know our
dancers from a level deeper than their personas. It is the
latter in which I have found the most respect and
admiration, the person behind the veil. Not to destroy the
allure, but the truth is that the men and women who make up
this community and those across the nation (as well as quite
a few
notables internationally) are some of the most
passionate, intelligent, generous, self-less, respectable
and compassionate individuals that I have met in any realm
of my life and I have been a part of quite a few
professional/intellectual/religious pursuits. As I write
this, our boards are full of extremely knowledgeable dancers
conversing not about what nail polish sparkles the best on
stage, but the complex dynamics of our history, (and, for
that matter) world history, politics, religion, sociology
(with an emphasis on cultural appropriation), and a variety
of other topics in the pursuit of being a well-rounded
dancer as well as human being via mind, body, spirit. Yes,
of course we talk about sparkly nail polish but a fly on our
wall would sleep thru most of our table chats. In truth,
Belly Dancers are quite vanilla when it comes to perception
in comparison to reality. Belly Dance 101 is not…’how to
shake it’ but, more often, ‘what NOT to do’. How to present
ourselves in a professional as opposed to sleazy manner,
what music is proper to use, what costuming will properly
accent our movements but still represent professionalism. We
are acutely mindful of the public’s perception due to the
American desire for sex before art and the continuing
perception that we are there to *excite* as opposed to
entertain, offering no distinction between what we do and
what an exotic dancer is hired for. Because of this
perception, we are more mindful of our limitations, hoping
to change perceptions and earn the respect that we feel we
deserve. Did I destroy the allure? I hope not because true
allure comes from an empowered individual who can not only
control their movements but can express their soul. What is
truly sexy is intelligence, empowerment, independence,
self-worth and inner beauty IMHO. Not to be suppressed by
fear and ignorance but embraced and to hopefully represent
an example of the power we all possess. I know of no other
dance where the soul of a dancer is valued more than outer
appearance yet we are often the least respected as well as
held up to an unrealistic appearance and presentation.
It is with this in mind that I
am troubled; not just by the constant demeaning sexual
references and perceptions, but of those who feel we are
somehow sinful and/or evil. While reserving the respect of
individuals to believe and practice in any matter they see
fit, I suspect a portion is derived from past ignorance
along with some amount of fear. Reading an article in one of
our national online magazines, a male dancer from the ME
referred to the suppression of Belly Dance in certain
regions to be due to fear and a loss of control. To
paraphrase in my own words, he feels that the dancers are so
mesmerizing and powerful that those in power fear it and
thus must control it under the guise of religious morals. In
the United States, the preference is to sexualize along with
demean in order to gain mainstream acceptance (using this
word loosely) as opposed to seeing it for what it is and is more
often represented. Having said this… do we have dancers who
misrepresent the form? Yes…all the time. We also have non
-
Belly Dance dancers that don a costume and then perform
inappropriately. By far and large, however, the actual
presentation is vastly different.
In order to gain a better
understanding of those who feel it is immoral, I embarked on
some research. While I have spoken to many who oppose it in
some form or another, I was rarely provided with a distinct
answer or concern beyond a biblical reference to Herod
(which, BTW, did not mention Belly Dance as the dance
although somewhat interesting in light of what the ME dancer
stated about power and control…I know our very wise dancers
will clearly make this connection ), from those citing
religious reasons, to the foolishness of how Belly Dance is
consistently represented in the media ie…pretty young thing
shakes her goods to entice and get attention. Our collective
views are so rooted in this that a general audience will
applaud other forms of dance that are clearly sexualized and
pay large amounts of money to view and receive training for
themselves and their children yet express everything from
displeasure to outrage for Belly Dance. I am reminded of a
dancer who wrote in to one of our boards about a parent who
protested her Belly Dance classes at a studio but not Zumba*
to which this parent attends weekly. I am also reminded
about my support for my dance partners’ class where, during
a rehearsal for a recital, the ‘Dance Dads’ hooted and
hollered when the Belly Dancers arrived. This was done in
front of their little girls, some who were clad in far more
seductive costumes. I was offended and uncharacteristically
shouted at them to “Have some respect!” I was so deeply
saddened that these talented women worked so hard only to be
demeaned and mocked by what should have been a supportive
group of men. In a workshop I recently attended, we were
reminded of filters and cognitive bias. It is
something we all do but yet possess the power to engage and
educate ourselves.
Combating the various religious
positions and philosophical views of Belly Dance has been
quite daunting. My research found multiple references to
Salome and the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ (referenced
previously). For some odd reason (or perhaps not so odd),
the adaption into play and movie was taken as reality as
opposed to merely a fantasy interpretation not unlike ‘The
DaVinci Code’. A seed…a kernel of truth (or perhaps no truth
whatsoever)…does not make the perception of a concept or
entity fully valid. There are those who view all dancing as
evil but, more commonly, are those who are presented with a
genre and decide based on any previous exposure ( or lack
thereof as in ‘rumor has it’...) whether it is sinful or
not. Entering forums where religious discussion has turned
to Belly Dance, I have read, “Perhaps if the music is of a
certain form or one does it for their husband only…” Excuse
me while I take out my soapbox for the latter. WE the
belly dancers of the world (yes…I am speaking for everyone
if I may be so bold) have NOT, repeat NOT, worked so hard
simply to please our significant others in a bedroom
atmosphere. I find this (personally) quite offensive and
disturbing. No disrespect to those who do use it for sexual
pleasure as well as dance but we do not spend countless
hours doing lunges and glute squeezes, working out and
honing our skills for this purpose. Come…come now people! As
well…is there anyone else that is reading this (thank you so
kindly for reading this far while I rant) that finds this
demeaning and a bit misogynistic? For individuals who hold
that a woman’s body is sacred, a temple…but tell them they
can only do certain dances if it is to ‘turn on’ their
husband, I call Foul with a capital F! As in…very, very much
‘out of bounds’!
Deep breath…stepping down off
soapbox and taking my seat here….
The next group I encountered were
womens' advocates. Those one would think would align with such
an empowering form of expression. Who are often
diametrically opposed in certain (emphasizing certain…don’t
bombard me with hate mail) religious and political views,
having similar issues in regards to a dance that purportedly
exposes oneself in physical form to excite (I need a new
synonym but it seems apropos…often…for this article).
Ironically (about a paragraph or two ago) I was interrupted
by a phone call from a woman who had lived thru woman’s
liberation marches and the experiences of those times. She
had mentioned that she had great difficulty when her
daughter (just one year younger then I) wanted to become a
cheer leader. Confused, I asked why? She stated that she
felt it was demeaning and cringed every time her daughter
yelled a chant supporting what she perceived as submissive
and for men while jumping around in costume. I stated that
it was funny that she mentioned that as I was in the middle
of this article and explained a bit about it. Her response
was, “Well Anne, if you are going to wear those costumes and
dance sexually for men…”. I laughed, it was something that I
have read and heard more times than one can imagine. I even
confessed to believing the same before I entered this world
that I love so very much now. The conversation traversed the
usual avenues, seven veils, harems and so forth. I elicited
the most amount of shock when I stated that there are
certain areas of the world where only men were/are allowed
to dance. An extremely educated woman with a fire in the
belly for women’s issues reflected the same feelings as
another friend of mine who has no education and was taught
only her Mennonite ways in a very restrictive environment.
The latter refers to me as ‘a good soul that just needs some
tweaking’. Another article I came across spoke of an
incidence where dancers performed at an event for women’s
rights back in it’s heyday and the room became divided.
The third group was
partners. Partners (I include both men and women partners in this
) who feel it is okay to watch women/men act and dance
to what they perceive as seductive yet feel there is no room
for their significant other. Partners who will watch an
innocent dance and still derive some sexual connotation from
it (we could be clogging out there…) as well. To each his own
but I say to thee…jealous, insecure and fearful. Period!
(Did I mention this is an opinion article?)!
Sadly it is almost irrevocably
woven into our society, our culture. Almost…but not fully.
And we intend to change this…one individual at a time if
necessary.
To those whose belief it is
that all dance is sinful show no distinction and I am
inclined to a more ‘live and let live’ attitude and view
with respect for differences. For those who tend to assess
what is acceptable and what isn’t, I ask only for greater
awareness and education before pronouncing a judgment
rooted in ignorance. If you have never
seen it, lived it, experienced it as it is today ( we have
no control over that go-go dancer from the 60’s…we really
don’t and a whole genre cannot be judged by one
experience…or movie…or bible excerpt) or if you have merely taken
someone’s word for it, I invite you to learn. If you walk
away with the same feelings and perceptions then you will
have had nothing to fear and earned a greater form of
respect from those of us who tend to ‘agree to disagree’.
Enlightenment however is frightening, it tends to unnerve,
sometimes shaking the ground out from under one’s feet. But
I invite it anyway…knowledge is never harmful but ignorance
is.
On a separate note to my fellow
dancers…what brought me greater sadness then the
aforementioned were several articles and forums where fellow
dancers felt alone and as outcasts at times because they
held fundamentalist views yet enjoyed the dance. They felt
in the minority and were sometimes shamed for their beliefs
and / or actions ( from all sides).
While it is true that the greater majority of dancers tend
to have less strict beliefs, I have always felt that all are
welcome. I ask those of our community to embrace and support
those with vastly different ways of believing. I ask you to
put aside your own perceptions and/or experiences (I don’t
want to hear it unless one knows all religions and all
beliefs not just the one you grew up in, in the one place
you attended, where you made your final decision to dislike
all) lest you be a part of the intolerance that we all so
often face. I ask in solidarity…I ask in hope...I ask with
great respect for all my brothers and sisters in dance. And
finally, I thank you…my world is forever better because of
all of you.
~This article is dedicated to my
husband of 20 years: A man who is never intimidated nor
fearful. One who can stand by his partner and even lift her
up at times. Loving and supportive…a man who isn’t
uncomfortable with the woman who could fix a flat or rebuild
his engine in youth and is still not troubled by that same
woman dancing her dance of empowerment. From grease laden
fingers to sword yielding…I love you.
*Aerobic
workout that incorporates elements of Latin, Hip-Hop, Belly
Dance and Bollywood.
|
I
personally am not a’ Senior’ nor in my lifetime do I
ever intend to be.. As long as I
am capable of dancing and teaching others to feel the
beauty of the music and the movement, I am young. There
is great joy for me in instructing others to do this; To
loosen their bodies and free themselves of years of
rigidity. To help others let go of stereotypical ideas
of what a woman should or should not be doing after
childbearing and menopause. To learn to feel free and
happy at this newfound sense of freedom and femininity
and give her back the control of her own body. It is
liberating for me and for the women that I teach,
emotionally, physically and mentally. The changes are so
difficult for some to make, and when it starts to happen
when they free themselves to dance and move to the
music, there is a new woman facing me; one with self
confidence, posture and what we like to call it
“attitude”!
The movements of Oriental dance are non- stressful.
These are basically isolations of the torso and this is
probably the most difficult part for western woman to
learn, particularly those who are older. These movements
involve rotations of the shoulder, rib cage and hip area
plus the use of the arms in conjunction with the body.
They involve the legs but not in a pounding and painful
way.
The movements of the dance may be adapted to all body
types and all sizes which is the beauty of it all..
There is no specific type of woman who can or cannot
dance. There are very large women, who are light on
their feet and beautiful to watch .Short women who
lengthen their bodies while they dance and stooped women
who regain the control of their shoulders and necks.
Belly dance
has been historically beneficial in child bearing. I do
not wish to go into this realm as most of those that I
instruct are well past that. It is invaluable in
boosting the immune system through the lymph glands, and
lubricating the joints through the release of synovial
fluid in the joints. Women with arthritis have claimed
to be pain free while and after they dance. This is
documented as I have heard and repeated to me quite
frequently. It is known, that Belly dance and its
emphasis on the hips and pelvic area aide in the
difficulties of incontinence by strengthening the muscles
in that area. Psychiatric problems that many face such
as depression have been notably helped by restoring
confidence and a sense of wellbeing. Seeing the changes
in the women after just several classes makes me feel
that all the effort they go though are more than
worthwhile! For myself, it is a purely joyous feeling to
observe these changes and having been an important part
of it.
Music of course, adds so much of the cachet of the
classes. At first, it is important to realize that there
are many forms of music that may be chosen. None of this
is written in stone. The Arabic music, some of which is
atonal and wailing, does not call to my’ inner dancer.’
I prefer to choose more melodic melodies from Turkey and
Lebanon, Israel and Greece, let alone some Spanish
melodies and New age music to warm up to. There are
Indian chants and Mantras which work well as well.
Better if the music is melodious with little
vocalization, as after all, how many of us know the
languages and who knows if we are dancing appropriately
to the words of that particular song?? It is important
to enter the feeling of the music and to interpret it as
we wish individually using the many steps and movements
we are learning.
There is much room for self expression here and the best
dancers are not necessarily the most attractive, the
slimmest or the youngest in the group. The best dancers
are the ones that feel and dance with and to the music.
Colors also adds greatly to the dance. Women are free to
choose which color costume suits them and which colors
soothe them. Costume and color are fantastic ways to
express oneself and motivate the dancer. Many many
websites are selling garments for belly dance, and it is
not too difficult to find patterns which are easy enough
to sew. there are so many ways to hide or disguise the
not so perfect body...
Going back a bit to the dance itself, there are many
adjustments that I have made to teach older women. It is
very important to have a longer warm up, which acts as a
lube job for the joints. It is useless to jump into
dancing without a warm up for obvious reasons. I also
find that asking the women if they are dealing with any
physical problems which are as a rule, rotator cuffs and
hips, knees and backs. In that case ,she must simply
avoid doing to many repetitions in the class. Yet, in
teaching older women, I repeat each movement during
each class, and many times during that class. They are
not simple movements, especially with the previously
stated issue of the immobile torso. Once some movement
in the torso is achieved, it is then possible to go on
to the basic hip isolations and rib cage isolations. It
may take some time. Nothing comes easily in Belly dance
but sufficient repetition and warm ups will eventually
free most women from the rigidity and tightness they are
dealing with. The stooped shoulder posture is totally
unacceptable and poise and stance are integral to
dancing. The pelvis must also be trained to be tucked
back during movements which brings the body into
alignment. Some Yoga and Tai Chi movements are helpful
in achieving the correct posture and centering of the
Belly dance.
It is tiring to defend the Oriental Dance from those who
only think of it as vulgar and déclassé. It brings joy
and satisfaction to thousands of women worldwide from
all levels of society in diverse nations of the world.
That it has reached out to the older women of society,
those who have been declared un-sexy and used up ( or
expired) by men in general is a great coupe for women.
That it has reached Israeli society as a whole and has
not been restricted to the Sephardic (Arabic) culture is
also a large step into integrating the various cultures
of Israel incidentally.
As a woman, teaching older women to do this wonderful
dance, showing them how to express their emotions
through movement, their sensuality, and their grace is a
still larger and more important element of aging in this
society. It is just as appealing to the Jewish woman as
it is to the Christian woman, the African American Woman
the Oriental or Latina. Not one group is more adept than
another. All love it and try intensely to learn it. Some
are surprisingly successful and turn into wonderful
dancers of grace and agility.
There are troupes of older dancers worldwide that
perform at various venues; perhaps not the nightclubs of
their younger counterparts, but a fundraisers, nursing
homes, veterans hospitals, JCC’s and social gatherings.
They will dress accordingly, many choosing to wear
bodysuits and harem pants or long dresses covered in
sequins. It is of no matter what they wear or where they
perform. The learning of the Belly dance after many
years of homemaking or sedentary careers is a brave new
world open to women, who feel in many ways that their
lives as women ended with menopause and empty nests.
More than anything, it is an affirmation of womanhood in
the second half of life and the empowerment of women to
move and dance and express themselves through their
bodies once again.
I genuinely love teaching women to dance. For me, it has
opened up a new world of teaching in itself and helping
others to reach goals, including my own. For myself, it
is amazing to touch the lives of others, and give them
the tools to learn to dance, move and emotionally free
themselves of sometimes lifelong inhibitions. It is a
way of sharing one of my secret loves, which for many
years, I did not expose due to events in my life, the
opinions of others , and now, feel free enough to
express and share.
Sandi
Cohen (Sandra Steuer Cohen) of Teaneck,
A
Dance that is "yours for life"; not by age, size,
experience or appearance....
|
Musings on being a
Fat Belly Dancer
A
dancer that I admire greatly posted on her blog recently the
single sentence: “sometimes it’s hard being a fat belly
dancer”…. This statement sums up my emotional condition of
late more succinctly than anything I’ve managed to come up with
on my own. It’s crossed my mind that we spend a lot of time in
the belly dance world focusing on how empowering this beautiful
dance form is, about how much joining with our sisters in this
ancient art fills us with joy. And that’s all very true, but I
find that it’s a hard thing to explain to people who haven’t had
the same personal experiences that there are parts, sometimes,
that take some of that joy away, and that falling unsuspectingly
into those parts can be very painful.
Some of it can be pointed out to others who haven’t had the
experiences themselves. Like the difficulty that exists in
something as simple as purchasing your first hip scarf. Most
students simply buy one from their teacher, as many belly dance
instructors have them for sale as a courtesy to their students. But
if, like me, your hips measure 50+ inches – those “one size fits
all” hip scarves aren’t going to fit, and many teachers don’t even
know where to send you to buy a plus size hip scarf. It’s certainly
not an insurmountable issue, but it’s harder for that plus size
dancer, and the simple experience of going to put on that beautiful
blue jingly hip scarf and realizing it isn’t going to fit, can be
emotionally crushing to a new student.
As time moves on, and the plus size student has figured out what to
do about a hip scarf, and waded bravely into a class full of women
whose bodies don’t look anything like hers – her skills and
abilities improve just like everyone else’s in the class – and now
perhaps it’s time for a first performance. The costumes that are
readily available for the rest of the dancers often don’t come in
her size, or if they do, don’t flatter her body the same way they do
everyone else’s. Again this isn’t insurmountable – dancers who sew,
or who know someone who does, often opt to make their own costuming,
parts from various suppliers that do come in the larger sizes can be
pieced together, and through the internet you can find people who
specialize in making absolutely beautiful Goddess sized costumes for
belly dance. But, again it’s more work, and for a group performance
you may end up with a costume that’s really very different than what
everyone else is wearing…. All your sisters have the same costumes,
but you don’t get to… sometimes this can make a woman feel a little
less like one of the sisters.
Please don’t get me wrong –
I love my body. It’s womanly curves, the lines and shapes that make
it uniquely mine. I love the strength my body has, it’s ability to
move and stretch and dance does fill me with joy. But I have wished
sometimes along this journey that teachers and vendors and
professional dancers understood a little better how to lessen the
chances that those hard bits will leap up and surprise the newer
dancers who just happen to be a different size… that even the
teachers with amazing figures, who have never struggled with a
weight issue, or been the fat girl in gym class, carried with them a
few hip scarves in a bigger size just in case someone like me showed
up in one of their class…. Just in case they could make a hard part
a little less hard.
Because
you know what? No matter how much skill, or grace, or amazing
ability a dancer has – how much she dreams of shining brighter and
standing out in a sea of beautiful dancers - sometimes she really
just wants to be one of the girls.
Miriam H.F. Berger is Director
of Anka Kusu, a Middle Eastern Music and Dance tribe from New Jersey
(www.AnkaKusu.net). She’s been dancing in one form or another since
her first ballet class at 5 years old, has both studied and taught
jazz as well as acting, stage choreography, and theatrical makeup
and has dabbled in various other forms of dance and movement over
the years. Miriam had her first direct contact with belly dancers
through her involvement in area Renaissance Festivals around 2001
and from the moment of that very first informal belly dance lesson,
she knew she'd finally found her home in the dance world. She began
her formal study of belly dance in 2004, and currently her primarily
focus is on ATS (American Tribal Style), it’s many tribal style
offshoots, as well as Middle Eastern folkloric dance.
Photo credit: Lars Lunde.
Me...on Reality TV...
by Gia Al Qamar on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 9:46am
I am VERY proud to announce that this morning I TURNED DOWN
a request to appear on a "NJ" based reality show. The 'cast'
of women on this show wanted to take belly dance classes.
They asked me. The compensation? Nada...not a red cent for
an entire day of shooting. Before making a decision, I
watched a few clips of this show online and when the
producer called this morning...I turned them down flat. The
show (no surprise) stereotypes women, certain ethnicities,
NJ and is the lowest of the lowest common denominator #*($&
being broadcast today. I told the producer that I take my
craft seriously and that I seriously doubted that these
women or the show's creators were interested in anything but
having a public catfight in my class while making my art
look like stripping. They offered me
money. I said no. They offered me more money...a lot more
money. I hung up.
It's not always easy to do the right thing...to spend more
on lessons than on costumes, to charge the going rate and
not undercut just to get work, to forgo 'easy' money or
exposure. But I am committed to presenting myself, my art,
my classes with honor and with respect. I have worked too
hard and worked too long to watch that be sullied. I wonder
who they will call next and what THEIR answer will be. Take
the high road ladies...and...Thanks for reading.
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On Appearance and
Dance
I had always admired Ballerinas since I
was a little girl. As a little girl though, I never knew
that one had to have a certain appearance to be a Ballerina.
This seemingly important detail eluded me until one day a
fellow classmate enlightened me at the age of 13. I asked about
taking classes at her school and she informed me that not
only was I not thin enough at 5’2 and less than 90 lbs but I
was too old to start anyway. If I was too old and not
thin enough then perhaps any chance at dance was over for
me…no? It was not until I was much older after having my
first child that I took the chance on a Jazz class. It was
for adults and I figured that everyone there had to be older
than 18 and most likely not less than 90 lbs. The teacher
didn’t even blink when I strolled in now at 175 lbs (pregnancy
does a number on the body) and at the ripe old age of 25.
The class was in the midst of training for a production
where they would be doing ‘Thriller’. Not nearly ready to
join them, the teacher pulled me aside and asked what my
previous training was. I had told her that I didn’t have
any, that I was a closet dancer. She laughed and said that
*closet* dancers were some of her best students. Sadly I
could not continue as the lack of sleep from a colicky
newborn, a full time job and a yet, undiagnosed thyroid
condition left me barely able to function, let alone dance. She never mentioned
weight though; she seemed to only care about dance.
Eventually, I was
able to periodically take classes in Country
Line Dancing, Latin, Ballroom and the infamous Jitterbug.
The Latin teacher would frequently tell me to not *rock the
boat* during the Merengue, an apparent fatal flaw that
befalls those outside of the Latin culture. Being Latin
though…I needed to get my act together as Latins cannot be
awkward. I found the East Coast Swing particularly fun, led
by an 80+ year old man who had won numerous awards in his
day. He was pretty old; LOL, but one of the best damn
dancers I had seen perform this. Though I had lost a
considerable amount of weight at that point, others in the class
were not as thin and this never seemed a factor. Perhaps
being thin and young pertained only to those who wanted to
perform.
After my second pregnancy, I once
again gained a tremendous amount of weight that I was unable to
lose no matter how I tried. I still did not know my thyroid
was failing and the pregnancy had slowed my metabolism to a
crawl. Desperate, I wanted to re-sign up for a dance class but
had exhausted all the area local classes except for one. I
purchased a set of Zumba tapes and practiced religiously but
I was lonely, missing the camaraderie of a classroom
atmosphere. A flyer would come in every 3 months advertising
for local Belly Dance classes, the one and only class I had
not tried and I would laugh at it and then throw it in the
garbage. Surely I was too old and too fat for that one!
Then one day I was walking around my
property and for some odd reason the thought came to me
about aging. I was now in my early 30’s and thinking, what
if I was 80 right now instead. What would I have wished I
could have accomplished. My thoughts kept going back to my
80 year old teacher and dance. Would it have really mattered
if I was too fat and too old to dance? What would an 80 year
old version of me think of this? Should I allow the 13 year
old girl in my head to guide my life or those who feel the
same and do what society dictates? Never one to follow the
social norm, I went into the house and signed myself up for
classes.
I was terrified my first class,
looking around at a group of women who were mostly young and thin. There was a
plus size, jolly, red headed,
middle age women in an absolutely crazy costume making her
way around the room. I was simultaneously amused and
mesmerized. It wasn’t until till she stepped in the front of
the class and I realized that she was the Instructor that I
was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She would not judge me
for my weight and age, only for my dance. And judge she
did…gently, light heartedly and always with a sense that I
could do it if I just tried harder. Try, I did. I confess to
being an utter disaster in Belly Dance. It was the one dance
that did not come naturally for me. Frankenstein comes to
mind when describing my early years. I confess to still not being a great dancer
now but my how
far I have come and, even better, what a lifetime of
experiences that I can someday share with my grandchildren.
Yes…Grand mom was a Belly Dancer; she even balanced a sword
on her head. I know the 80 year old version of me will be
smiling when I share my life with a future generation. It
was during this time that I fully realized what a social
construct the concept of weight (and age for that matter) is
in regards to dance. In Ballet it is yes, important to be
gracefully, limber and sustain balance and I imagine the
thinner one is, the easier this is to obtain. But Belly
dance was a whole different genre with a whole new meaning
and I had found an advantage of having a little extra to
shake!
During my journey, I was fortunate
enough to meet one of my dearest friends and partner in
crime, Cerisa. An incredibly beautiful and talented, plus
size dancer who is impossible to keep up with during duets.
I would be tossing my cookies in the bathroom by the time
this girl would stop spinning and the veil work she learned
years ago in her native Utah makes me green with envy! Her
size was never a factor and she never let it stop her from
doing the things she wanted to do. What was truly amazing
though was the fact that she never realized what an
inspiration she was for dancers of all sizes.
Not long ago an Instructor
confided in me about a situation that occurred at a studio
she was teaching at. While waiting for her own class to
start, she decided to observe another Belly Dance class. It
was in this class that a student was commenting to the
teacher about how pretty and thin she was. Knowing the
teacher, she is not only pretty and thin but quite talented.
This student went on to say how her other Instructors were
old and fat and was quite perturbed that an old, fat dancer
would dare teach, let alone perform.
While certain audiences are not
receptive to certain ages and sizes in the performing arena
this is not a standard of Belly Dance. Rather it is a societal
perpetuation and it is often reflected and reinforced, not
by confidant individuals nor men alone ( we can’t blame them for
everything!), but by a level of insecurity and ignorance.
The Belly Dance world embraces all when it comes to the
dance. Very few Instructors enforce a certain appearance for
performing and, when they do, it is often because the venue
won’t allow otherwise.
Restaurants do indeed have a certain expectation but not for
them, for the American customers who prefer a certain look,
sometimes at the sake of ability. At no time however, is
there a certain appearance expected for class whether by
student nor Instructor.
It’s a hard adjustment but for those
entering *our* world, they need to leave this perception
behind. While I am prone to delusioning myself when it
comes to appearance despite having taught tolerance for many
years, I have noticed that those with the greatest
difficulty are either those who use thinness as a tool to
prove they are somehow better than others because they are
thin or by those who are overweight, have been forced to
conform and are angry others don’t follow suit.
I decided to write this article
because I love Belly Dance, I love all our
dancers ~ big or small, old or young. I love to see the
smiles on their faces and the enjoyment and confidence they
have gained and I love that all of them have decided to
follow a path lesser travelled to follow their passions
despite what anyone says. I also want to try and dampen out
the 13 year old voices
who, for those that have thought but not dared to enter our
realm, are being held back by. I often think how tragically
sad and limiting our dance genre if we imposed such strict
regulations. Surely we would be, at best, adequate because
appearance would trump ability. When we choose appearance
first, then we lose great talent AND Instruction. Its
inevitable as bias and ignorance oppress, not just the
victims but those who harbor such views.
For those brave enough to shake a
hip scarf...May we all still be dancing at 80, fat or thin and everything in between!
Oh the stories we will tell………………
~ Anne Marie
Pictured: Cerisa and myself having fun
at Wrightstown, September 2009.
****Comments ****
Hello,
I am director of a tribal fusion troupe in Wisconsin, and after
doing a google search for "senior belly dancers" came across your
website and the three articles you have posted. Excellent articles!!
And particularly wonderful for me to find because I have been belly
dancing for 13 years now, starting in my mid forties, and was
feeling as if I should stop dancing because of my age. After reading
the articles, I realized that it is dancing that keeps me young, it
is the spark in my life, and just because I am 56, doesn't mean I
have to give it up because of public perception that I am too old.
We love your articles and wonder if there is any way we might be
able to post them on our new website, currently under construction.
We want to encourage more local ladies our age, and all sizes, to
explore belly dance. I couldn't find anything else online that was
so wonderfully worded, and so inspirational, and we would really
like to share this with our local dance community.
Thanks,
Kristy
I am another ‘senior’ belly dancer. I just had my
first class today after not
dancing for about 15 years. I’m 65! While watching my nubile young
instructor,
of course the idea came through my head that I was just too old to
start doing
this. I’m stiff. Shimmy What?!? She kept glancing at me when I would
burst
out laughing. I do Tribal, and I am in love with it. Always have
been, even
when not doing it. But during class, I had an idea that has really
taken hold.
I’m in a lovely town in Arizona that is pretty darn full of seniors.
There are
lots of very upscale ‘retirement’ places - the places with active
seniors. I
want to see about doing a belly dance class in some of these places…
stressing
the silly ‘body image’ women - ALL women - seem to have. You don’t
have to be
skinny, and you don’t have to be young. I would stress stretching
and moving
probably more than just learning how to dance. Get them moving!! Get
them
laughing. I came home and googled ‘Senior Belly Dance’… and although
it has
lots of YouTubes I plan to look at - I noticed that all the ‘images’
are still
of beautiful young dancers. Women need to come to the realization
that they are
all Goddesses - and age doesn’t make you old. Only your wrong
thinking makes
you old.
Thanks for your very cool website. It has fanned my flames :-)
Michelle
Arizona
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