Thread: your thoughts on these you tube instructionals

I found these today, I was curious about the general bhuz populations thoughts on them..

YouTube - queencassie's Channel

I personally don't see why she is getting such rave reviews. I don't like her teaching style as she doesn't spend enough time emphasizing posture (Its more then "tuck your tail bone"!, and she herself doesn't maintain correct posture. However, if there is someone out there learning to belly dance by watching you tube vidoes (really not a good idea!!) I would rather they learn from her then the little girls that think booty shaking in their undies is belly dancing.

I really enjoy these little blurbs. Gives people a chance to play with some movements and it's hardly all that serious.

Well, I will say she is a good beginner but nothing more. She needs to learn graceful transitions. She does one move for three or four counts, does a brief stop and repositions herself for the next one. Not what a "teacher" should be doing IMO. I will say she does have great potental.

Well from this one poster's bio, she learned from some videos in 2005 and took some classes in 2006. That doesn't a qualified instructor make.

She's clear on her bio that she's a beginner and an amateur. Her 'bellydance' videos have been VERY popular on youtube with a particular crowd, I imagine she's been asked to teach some moves. I'm guessing these instructionals would mostly appeal to girls who want to add some new moves to their club dancing or who want to make their very own 'wiggling torso in a bedroom' youtube clips!

She does have a lot of potential -- it would be wonderful if she finds a great teacher someday.

Shes great for a beginner..why a beginner needs to make instructionals is beyond me.

She's good for a beginner and that's where it ends. I'm not entirely ready to write her off, but I wouldn't exactly recommend that anybody take her advice too seriously or follow her example as a performer.

What ever happened to beginners being beginners? Why is there such a rush to "go pro" with only 1-2 years of training? And why is this phenomenon seemingly unique to bellydance?

In all other dance forms, one must "do their time" in daily practice, regular classes, and student recitals before performing for the public. When we allow our dance to be represented by those who haven't gained necessary proficiency, it doesn't exactly come as a surprise when people try to hire us for $40, or when other dance disciplines think of BD as the low man on the totem pole.

There's no shame in being a beginner, because we've all been there! It's just a little nervy for somebody with 6 weeks of training to compete on the same playing field as professionals who have earned their stripes.

Lisa

I thought Queen Cassie was the fearless leader of the youtube 'bedroom dancer' community. Does she teach or dance professionally? If so, I misunderstood. I didn't think she competed with us for anything -- well, male attention on youtube, but she can have it!

Personally, I don't see the Bedroom Wigglers as having much to do with us. Except for making our art form look sleazy to casual observers, but these lessons don't make that problem any better or worse.

I doubt she is making money BUT in all reality it isn't any different. She is telling people how to do moves for belly dance. To me it's not any different than someone with 1 year of expierence going to a studio to give lessons. Instead of the studio, she is using the internet.

I'm speaking more in a general sense. (Thank goodness I've never been asked to perform in sweatpants and a bra or make my routine more "bedroom bellydance!")

Not that the YouTube queens pose any direct threat, but I am perplexed by the boom of beginners teaching classes, and Six Week Wonders pursuing professional careers. The Queen Cassies and Queen Ishtars are a prime reflection of the Amateur-as-Rock-Star phenomenon. You NEVER see 17-year-olds in teaching ballet, hula, or Argentine tango after a year of lessons, or performing it on YouTube in their underwear.

Somewhere along the line, I do think the signal is getting crossed. Look at the "bellydance" in most hip hop videos, for instance. People see bad bellydance publicly represented and, of course, they'll have a different understanding of what it takes to be good in this dance. I'm afraid that this crop of "instructionals" could potentially continue to send out the wrong idea.

Or maybe I'm just feeling like a crotchety old dinosaur at the age of 25.

Lisa

Originally Posted by Michelle75

I doubt she is making money BUT in all reality it isn't any different. She is telling people how to do moves for belly dance. To me it's not any different than someone with 1 year of expierence going to a studio to give lessons. Instead of the studio, she is using the internet.

Right. I know this is paranoid and projecting pretty far into the future, but if this phenomenon grows, it could also encourage some beginners to use YouTube as an instructional aide or possibly even a substitute for classes. It would be too easy to point and click and get free demonstrations in an instant....despite any risks of developing very bad postural habits and possibly the wrong idea.

Don't get me wrong: I wish YouTube was around when I first started! (In between classes as a baby-dancer, I used to neurotically watch and freeze-frame DVDs of Ansuya, Aziza and other favorites, and scrutinize every move). Even now, there's a wealth of great clips, and I could spend hours watching dancers from all over the world that I might not have normally found otherwise. Unfortunately, not everybody knows, when they're first starting out, how to tell the difference between quality and....well....I'll say no more. I thought Shakira looked pretty darned authentic when I first started, after all .w.: .w.: .w.:

Lisa

it seems she has an attention craze
why else would someone waste their time doing this? Its not for the good of all struggling belly dancers around the world!!

I have only been dancing for 8 months or so now and there is NO WAY you would ever find me on YouTube telling others how to do it. I may be the goddess of bellydance in my house but I know that I am pathetic next to real dancers. There are some newbies out there that are still in awe of you pros!

I've been dancing for 5 years, and I don't feel comfortable with the idea of of teaching beginners. A few moves taught properly to friends, yes, but nothing more.

I think a lot of people are just really arrogant and/or have low self-esteem and enjoy the ego stroking.

This is definitely an attention thing...some people just feel the need to be put in the spotlight with all eyes on them. I see her doing some moves well, some moves incorrectly. She's definitely not at the level she should be at if she's trying to instruct people. Funny enough, she admits it by saying she only took lessons for a short time. Fortunately we have other instructors on youtube like Cassiopeia.

I saw this last night...I left her a nasty comment. Maybe I shouldn't, but...for Crying out loud, PUT SOME PANTS or a skirt on UNDER your HIPSCARF!

Sorry.
In her "Maya part 2" video, she comes out in a hipscarf and underwear.

COME ON!

Its just irritating, because the general public sees skinny little things like this, more than half naked, who may show potential, but..what about the rest of us who are working our tails off to actually LEARN?

I'm so sick of this crap. sometimes I love youtube, but other times, I just hate it.

She's young, super skinny, willing to show skin and can move around gracefully. Evidently this is all you need to have thousands of adoring fans.

Originally Posted by Safiyah

Fortunately we have other instructors on youtube like Cassiopeia.

You are a sweetie! Thank you.
My motivation for posting the vids was because my students kept bugging me for something they could use as a reminder for when they were at home.

I believe QueenCassie's motivation is purely for attention.

Anyone notice that she has nothing but adoring comments - whilst real artists like Hanan get sarky comments about not breing able to dance. even posters claiming to be taking lessons can't see thro her. (Who are they taking lessons with for Chrissake)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jplSOzgXyP0]YouTube - Bellydancer Hanan 7 tabla solo *** My plus favourite!![/ame]

compare and cotrast as per essay question

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv6pS4KveMc]YouTube - Bellydance Tabla[/ame]

Originally Posted by yasmindiab

I saw this last night...I left her a nasty comment. Maybe I shouldn't, but...for Crying out loud, PUT SOME PANTS or a skirt on UNDER your HIPSCARF!

But....don't you know that pants cut off much-needed ventilation when doing sizzling hot moves? You don't want to get FIRECROTCH, now, would you?

Stop being a dried-up, jealous wench, Vixen.

(I recently learned via MySpace that there is a pantsless wonder teaching free classes in my area. Seriously. I'm also chomping at the bit to send her a friendly little reminder to cover up. Why is this such a hot trend? .w.: ).

wait, we all don't teach classes without pants on?

Originally Posted by Safiyah

wait, we all don't teach classes without pants on?

*snorts* oh sure.....the train is leaving for SpiderVeinLand with stops in PastyVille and Cellulite Junction, ALL ABOOOOOARD!

~~Kimahri

Originally Posted by Kimahri

*snorts* oh sure.....the train is leaving for SpiderVeinLand with stops in PastyVille and Cellulite Junction, ALL ABOOOOOARD!

~~Kimahri

I'm all aboard on this train - hence why I never wear pants in my classes.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I'm speaking more in a general sense. (Thank goodness I've never been asked to perform in sweatpants and a bra or make my routine more "bedroom bellydance!")

Not that the YouTube queens pose any direct threat, but I am perplexed by the boom of beginners teaching classes, and Six Week Wonders pursuing professional careers. The Queen Cassies and Queen Ishtars are a prime reflection of the Amateur-as-Rock-Star phenomenon. You NEVER see 17-year-olds in teaching ballet, hula, or Argentine tango after a year of lessons, or performing it on YouTube in their underwear.

Somewhere along the line, I do think the signal is getting crossed. Look at the "bellydance" in most hip hop videos, for instance. People see bad bellydance publicly represented and, of course, they'll have a different understanding of what it takes to be good in this dance. I'm afraid that this crop of "instructionals" could potentially continue to send out the wrong idea.

Or maybe I'm just feeling like a crotchety old dinosaur at the age of 25.

Lisa

OOOO ek she won't like that she's been at it for years............w.:

Originally Posted by lizajuk

OOOO ek she won't like that she's been at it for years............w.:

Is there a more established Queen Ishtar that I don't know about? *scratches head* I really could have sworn there was a Queen Ishtar that was a Cassie knockoff, but I could be thinking of somebody else.

I really wouldn't want to falsely accuse a seasoned professional of being a Suzy Nippletassels or a pantsless wonder, so my apologies if you're reading this, Ishtar ..l;,

Originally Posted by Kimahri

*snorts* oh sure.....the train is leaving for SpiderVeinLand with stops in PastyVille and Cellulite Junction, ALL ABOOOOOARD!

~~Kimahri

LMAO.

As for me? My pantsless railroad stops at Twig City and Fort KnobbyKnees.

today when I had two hours to myself (!!!!) I was practicing happily, going over some choreography and realized that that I was doing something funky in a turning combo. So, remembering that all of the answers are available on line, I thought, well lets look on you tube and see what there is to see. Here is what the experts are up to down in expert village:
-turn.htm

oh my.

*crosses fingers, toes, Fallopian tubes and hopes that her first and upcoming DVD does not look like that*
,f::

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Is there a more established Queen Ishtar that I don't know about? *scratches head* I really could have sworn there was a Queen Ishtar that was a Cassie knockoff, but I could be thinking of somebody else.

I really wouldn't want to falsely accuse a seasoned professional of being a Suzy Nippletassels or a pantsless wonder, so my apologies if you're reading this, Ishtar ..l;,

I couldn't possibly comment on that...ooo irony...irony i---ron---eeee..l;,