Thread: More male teachers/dancers coming up recently ?

I realized something today - more dancing men are coming to my awareness than I am used to in earlier days. I went to Stockholm festival, and my certificate lists only two female teachers and five men! I read the discussion groups and find more posts by male teachers and dancers as ever. I think they have been there all this time but now presenting themselves more.

I have been taking regular classes since Xmas - by Mohammed El-Hossany. I am organizing an event in September - and two of the stars and teachers are men (Khaled Mahmoud and Magdy El-Leisy). I promised myself that I will NOT join the Tito fan club - too much male energy. But in Stockholm I was not able to resist, took a workshop with him, saw his performance for the first time. Oh, he is just excellent (foxy, witty, strong...stop.stop....) and I want to take more workshops with him ANYTIME ANYWHERE I
find him. How can one be against this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeKs718efOA
it is just what I want to learn.

So are you noticing the same thing? More males now at the business, more free to tell that they are there? or is this just my feeling, been with dance about fifteen years now? I am not saying anything to separate or to differ, I am just making an observation that things (and maybe my surroundings) are changing? or is it only because I am on-line all the time and listen to more stories from different countries?

It's not just you, heinakuu! I've also noticed that there are more male dancers / teachers coming to prominence in the UK too. Khaled and Bondok have both taught recently at JoY; I believe JimBoz is teaching at the Bellydance Congress in the UK in September; Tito is getting more exposure, and I've started hearing about a male Turkish dancer Ozgen Ozgec based in the UK too.

D

Think is a what's old is new again thing! When I started dancing in the 1970s, it wasn't unusual to run into a male dancer or to go to a seminar with a male instructor -- Bobby Farrah, Aziz, Bert Balladine, Raphael, Zeeba, Amir, John Compton . . .

Then things sort of quieted down in the mid 80s to the end of the century, but now, wow -- the men of belly dance are back with a passion.

Originally Posted by deelybopper

It's not just you, heinakuu! I've also noticed that there are more male dancers / teachers coming to prominence in the UK too.

It's just a shame that none of them are british. Of course, the almost blanket prohibition on allowing men to attend beginner's classes here has nothing to do with it. But it's only a minority issue so who cares eh ? (not aimed at you but at three bhuzzers in the SE)

Ozgen came to Wales to do a Turkish dance/ Gypsy Rom workshop with us at Swansea

He is absolutely delightful - a very talented dancer and a good teacher who took the pace slowly enough for beginners yet kept the attention of the more experienced dancers. He is very approachable and friendly and very willing to share his dance and his culture. He works not only on technique but posture, performance skills and making the dance come alive for the audience

We would welcome him back to Wales with open arms anytime he wants to step into God's chosen country! :0)

Kath

Mohamed Shahin is a relatively new male dancer and instructor. He's is 35 years old and he's been dancing since he was very young in Egypt. He has a visa so he spends half the year in NY and the other half in Egypt. But he has been doing a lot of performances and teaching across the US lately. I wish someone would sponsor him and bring him to Los Angeles!!

ok, let's name them, so we see who the current new ones are. I used to know only the names of Mahmoud Reda and Ibrahim Akef in my first dance years, and after that it was Horacio Cifuentes, years later. Kat, where are the dancers you mentioned above, today?

Also, I have noticed that more and more turkish dancers are coming to the general knowledge, so please name the "new generation" male teachers and dancers that you have become familiar lately.

These are new to me within the last year:

Mohammed Kazafy
Ousama Emam
Tito
Bondok

who else?

I just wanted to say hi to Liltinde <waves!> hello !!! I am from wales originally and is rare that I see the welsh out and about bellydancing. Am I wrong in thinking that the majority of the active male dancers we know are egyptian? I do love learning with Khaled - I've also taken classes with other male teachers. As with all teachers (any gender), some you 'gel with' some you don't. I also think it's really sweet how they all support each other, which I've seen to a great extent. (covering classes, drilling up support among audience members for the dancer on stage, even giving some coaching as to what to do in class/translation services. Don't ask who helped who, as I couldn't possibly say :-)

<waves back to Caroline>

I'm actually an English ingrate but after being here in Wales for 20 years I feel that this has been my home for a long time.

There's a thriving belly dance scene going on in South Wales with lots of classes, groups, workshops and haflas going on along the entire M4/ A48 corridor and right down into Pembrokeshire. Whatever type of bellydance is your thang, it's going on here.

Anyway, back to male belly dancers/ teachers - don't forget to add Ozgen and Shafeek to the list! :0)

Kath

Well I may pop into a hafla and see you there next time I am "home". Know what you mean about time spent, I've been in Scotland for 10 years, and it feels like home to me. But when I hear Tom Jones singing "green green grass", ..cr.: it sometimes brings a tear to the eye. ..cr.:

last off-topic comment I promise ,r:;

Male teachers seem to be in vogue in the Midwest right now - over the next five months John Compton, Raffa (Aziz's protege) and Jim Boz will have done workshops in the KC area. For the percentage of male/female instructors available, and for the number of workshops in the area, that's quite a lot.

He's not on the Bhuz much but David is building a strong American and European reputation in Egyptain and Indian dance.
Trying not to sound like a commercial here but talks are in the works for Russia, Canada, Mexcio and the states.
He will be in Tennesee in Oct 07 for anyone over that way.

Oh, I didnt say that he is instructing too at each gig, not only performing.
(Ok, enough commercial)
As Christina said about Mohamed Shahin, I hope he gets to the west coast too. He is very dear and his Tannoura (excuse spelling) is beyond belief.

In Germany there are some "new" male dancers/teachers as well.
The difference is that most of them have grown up in Germany. Many are Turkish, often from Berlin (where there are a lot of Turks).

But there are still very few European males who make it to the stage or classroom...

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

But there are still very few European males who make it to the stage or classroom...
MEISSOUN

I imagine it's different in germany where the example of Horacio would mean that there wasn't the same cultural resistance to male students that there is in the UK. But here, the absence of men is very, very definitely because the women forbid it.