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Contributions from our
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
If you would like to comment, please send an email to info@njbellydancing.org and I will be happy to post! If you would like to contribute an article, we would be happy to oblige!
Musings on being a Fat Belly Dancer 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.
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.
Hello, I am another ‘senior’ belly dancer. I just had my
first class today after not
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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. 
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.
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”!
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.
