Thread: What first drew you? What keeps you coming back?

What was the first thing about bellydance that drew you in?
What music, aesthetics, aspects?
What genre/style was that (or do you know)?

What kind of styles have you experimented with/taken classes with since then?

What styles/music/aesthetics keeps you motivated and excited now?

Initially I was wowed by the character of the movement, by the torso isolations. The idea that the human body could move this way was entirely new to me, and, having always been the kind of person who tripped over my own two feet, I was amazed by how elegant and graceful the dancers looked without even taking a step.

I was first exposed to the dance through two cultural shows at my school. The first bellydance performance I saw was led by an Egyptian student and featured six male and six female students, dancing in couples in Pharaonic-inspired costumes. The men didn't do a whole lot, but I do remember that they had canes or sticks that they mostly used to frame the women. The second performance featured just five women, led by a Palestinian student. They were all wearing traditional Palestinian dress.

So, my early impression of the dance was that it was a heritage style practised by both men and women, and I consider myself lucky that I didn't have to overcome the sexy, stripping harem-girl stereotype when I started learning the dance myself.

Egyptian dance was and is my first love, although I've flirted a bit with Turkish style and Tribal Fusion. I'm still obsessed with technique and isolations, but now it's the music and the challenge of musical interpretation that keep me coming back for more.

Looking forward to reading about others' experiences!

I took my first class out of frustration. I do a lot of animal rescue and was so frustrated with all the abuse I see that one day I just randomly, with my sister, pulled into a workshop that was advertised on the marquee.

We stayed, and my teacher said I wasn't pretty enough, wasn't sexy enough, wasn't skilled enough to make it with the Arabic audiences.

I left her and stayed with it to spite her. Or to prove something to myself.

I found a teacher who believed in me and the Arabic musicians I began to perform with believed in me and said "it's all about the music."

Now I'm here because: I love movement, I love the process of learning, I love the way women grow to love themselves, I love the sisterhood in my classes, I love dancing to the Arabic bands here in Michigan. It is...all about the music.

This was a good question!

Well, I first talked to a bellydance shop owner, and I was really excited, because she made it sound exciting. I knew jack about bellydance.

I started taking lessons that summer, because (the feminist in me hates this) a boy I was planning on hanging out with (my on again, off again sorta boyfriend) found a girlfriend, and I was alone in Philly with nothing to do.

I stayed, because this was the first dance class I was kind of good at. I keep coming back, because I want to be able to do beautiful dances. I find bellydancing very beautiful and challenging. It's also my way of finding home when I move; I usually meet people through class

my first reaction, ...no shoes, no routene!
coming from opera and ballet, this was huge for me.

I never thought I could do anything like bellydance because I was too fat. I went to Turkey with a theatre group and looked at all the costumes (yeah most of them were probably the Turkish Specials, but I only saw glitter and the imaginary dancer in them, and told myself I could never look like that).

I picked up the Bellytwins' exercise videos as something different for exercise, and they were fun. And I could keep up (except fat burning, that one has a lot of jumping!), and I knew that this was an exercise video but I also knew many of those moves could be used in performing thanks to the little bits at the end.

It took me a year to get up the courage to sign up for dance class - I had the instructor's website bookmarked and would keep looking at it...I finally went to her student recital, loved someone's ITS costume (big skirt, Turkish vest, big tassels - this wasn't even sparkly but I thought it rocked), and signed up for class with both instructors (they taught at the same location and one was a former student of the other).

So I guess I was ultimately drawn in by a Tribal costume and knowing I was a similar body type to some of those students!

I don't adhere to any particular style, it's whatever I learn in class or pick up from wherever. I'm influenced and motivated by anything and everything, especially if it's something I can do.

This is probably why I believe the term "bellydance" can hold a lot more associations than only ME-Derived combinations of movements/ME music. But I'm not very good at articulating it.

Originally Posted by lana

I took my first class out of frustration. I do a lot of animal rescue and was so frustrated with all the abuse I see that one day I just randomly, with my sister, pulled into a workshop that was advertised on the marquee.

We stayed, and my teacher said I wasn't pretty enough, wasn't sexy enough, wasn't skilled enough to make it with the Arabic audiences.

I left her and stayed with it to spite her. Or to prove something to myself.

I found a teacher who believed in me and the Arabic musicians I began to perform with believed in me and said "it's all about the music."

Now I'm here because: I love movement, I love the process of learning, I love the way women grow to love themselves, I love the sisterhood in my classes, I love dancing to the Arabic bands here in Michigan. It is...all about the music.

This was a good question!

Boo on that instructor.

I'm so glad you stuck with it. I can't believe someone would cut you down like that. How could she say that you weren't good enough when you were just starting?

I second Ainsley. At first I was always fascinated by the heavy hip movements I had seen in Bollywood movies as a kid. Then I had seen my first live bellydance performance back in 1995 in Chicago and I was just fascinated that they could move their hips like that.

For me it was a curiosity at first and more of "how in the heck do they do that?" And me being the clumsy uncoordinated person that I am, I loved what I saw I just had to see if it was at all possible that I could learn how to do that too.

Though I first saw bellydance in 1995, I didn't start learning until 2001/2002 and I've been hooked ever since.

Although I had left formal dance training behind me for about 10 years, I would occasionally pick up a recreational dance class for fun, like Irish step dance or ballroom. I was actually looking for a Yoga class when I saw my YMCA offered BD, so I wasn't really drawn to learn it any more than the other dance forms. It was just something to try out.

For me, what kept me coming back was that it was the perfect balance of being challenging without being frustrating. If it had been too easy for me, I'd have gotten bored. If it had been too hard, I'd have quit and moved on to something else.

I had a really stressful job at the time, and I loved the fact that for that one hour a week I could not think about anything except how to get my figure 8 nice and vertical. As I began to practice outside of class, the same thing happened and I wanted to do so more and more as a way to block stressful thoughts and worries.

I also really, really loved the music that my teacher played in class and started buying CDs almost immediately. Once I got sucked into the music, it was all over.

Okay, I thought it was exotic and expressive. I took a workshop for fun and realized I'd only scratched the surface.

I like the rhythm and instruments of ME music. (the singing pieces not so much)

Now I think it's beautiful and intricate. What keeps me coming back is that I've got it all inside me, but my body hasn't caught up to my heart yet. Eventually I hope to be able to let it out and express the emotion I feel in this dance. (but being the type A obsessive that I am, I must get the technique down first until I can relax..l;,)

Bellydance remains an onion to this day....

What was the first thing about bellydance that drew you in?

Honestly, it was the whole exoticness of it! It seemed mysterious, and really just glamorous. ( Oh how orientalist of me! ,r:; )

What music, aesthetics, aspects?

That drew me in? I liked the costumes, and I thought shimmies looked awesome.

What genre/style was that (or do you know)?

That I first saw? I think it was American Cabaret, it's so hard to remember. I am almost positive it was though!

What kind of styles have you experimented with/taken classes with since then?

My first classes were and are American Cabaret, recently I have started taking some Egyptian classes as well. I just love the Egyptian style, it's so elegant.

What styles/music/aesthetics keeps you motivated and excited now?

Styles: Egyptian and I want to learn some folk dances like Khaleegi.
Music: Really everything! Also the challenge of learning to dance to ME music.
Aesthetics: COSTUMES. lol

Been really interesting hearing all your responses!

The first time I remember seeing Bellydance was at a Renaissance Festival. I saw the "Gypsy" dancers and thought they were entertaining, but coming from a Modern and Ballet background, quite honestly didn't take them too seriously as Masters of Their Craft.

Later I joined a Bellydance class "just for fun" (ballet and modern had lost some of the playful aspect for me after studying for 15 years and attempting to make a career of it), and I was surprised at the depth of technique and wealth of vocabulary available. I've been studying at an American Cabaret school.

I still like the more loose, improvisational, more "Tribal" style, as that was my first impression of oriental dance, but my pervious dance training and chops are probably better suited to Cabaret. I like Choreogrphy and technique, which of course both styles have. I just love how accepting it is of all body shapes, and how natural the movements come to the body. It's amazing to see the movements on different bodies, and what each woman brings to the Dance. I think each person's uniqueness has a chance to shine through! Plus, I get to delight my Inner Child with all these wonderful Props and Costumes! ;-)

I'm another one who totally thought it was exotic, erotic, feminine and sexy. I started out with every orientalist notion and misunderstanding about the dance that you could possibly have. Well, I learned from a Janine Rabbitt video and first danced for my husband in our living room wearing a lingerie bra I decorated myself, so there you go.


I had a sense there was more to it, though, and decided to take classes after. Turned out I had some aptitude for the movements -- since I'd never had any aptitude for anything physical or musical before, that made me really happy! I loved my teacher and enjoyed bonding with other women. I wasn't crazy about the music (we used pop and hossam ramzy mostly).

After a year or so, I was getting bored -- how long are we going to keep doing these dozen or so moves? How many different ways can I possibly combine them to this music that all sounds the same? Yawn.

Then a combination of workshops and finding Bhuz opened my eyes to the fact that I hadn't even scratched the surface! When I realized that I could study for the rest of my life and never know it all or achieve the level I wanted to achieve, THAT'S what kept in me in it.

omg, lauren, on the janine rabbit bit. lol!!!

bellydance wasn't even remotely on my radar until a girlfriend called me on the phone 22 years ago to tell me about a bellydance demonstration she'd seen in her exercise physiology class at community college that day, and told me that we needed to go take lessons. I'd seen bellydancers out of the corner of my eye at the state fair but never stopped to watch; if you would have put me on the spot and asked me about it, it would have never occurred to me that you could take lessons to do that. I would have thought you had to be born to it or something. lol! so the first thing that drew me in was my friend kate and the fact that this was something anybody could learn.

way back then, there was just Cabaret and Folkloric (which was probably more bal anat/jamila salimpour/pre-tribal, although there were plenty of yarn-tassle-and-non-shiny-fabric clad dancers doing saidi, ghawazee and khaleegy and the like). the sequin folks and the tassle folks would eye each other suspiciously from across the room. ;) I was drawn to the sparkles, although my teacher (karima) was the bal anat type with the kuchi jewelry and assuit. she did have one beaded bra that she kept lovingly stored all wrapped in tissue in a box. karima instilled in me a reverence for divine costuming and the dream of someday dancing in a restaurant to live music.

I've stayed an am/cab girl these 20+ years, but I secretly dream of being in a tribal troupe (I'm an InFusion wannabe!!), and over the last many years I've spent a lot of time reasearching and studying more authentic, indiginous movement.

pretty much EVERYTHING keeps me inspired and motivated now! how can I narrow it down? there is a lifetime of learning ahead of me. I love that. great topic, sharon!

Aw Elisa! What an honor your sentiment is, lovely dancer! :)

What was the first thing about bellydance that drew you in?

The old exotic glamour schtick, the dressups, the fantasy, first of all. And then the realisation that this was a dance I didn't have the wrong body type for.

What music, aesthetics, aspects?

Hmm, hard to say! It was a long time ago. There are certain tracks that still bring images back. I used to love "Sallam Allay" (Hossam Ramzy version) and I have a very clear memory of my whole class doing hip drops facing the mirror to it, when it was autumn going into winter and the studio had its old electric bar heaters on the walls going. I can remember all the wood and the way the studio smelt. I used to love the rag-bag pseudo-serious dancer classwear we pulled together, the crop top/leggings/soft old crochet shawl look. My ballet shoes worn to a shine.

What genre/style was that (or do you know)?

It was what was then known as "belly dance". Sort of mix of Am Cab moves, Egyptian structure. And folk.

What kind of styles have you experimented with/taken classes with since then?

Modern Egyptian, more specific folkloric, a couple of tribal classes once.

What styles/music/aesthetics keeps you motivated and excited now?

Modern Egyptian, Golden Age Egyptian, old school American Cabaret, Latin fusion, and I'm incredibly fascinated by turn of the century Orientalist dance and aesthetics too. I don't pursue it as much as I'd like to because I live in a very fusion-heavy community and want to push myself in the other direction.

hehehe the bellydancer on the U2 video Mysterious Ways. I had a crush on Bono (still do) and he said "bellydancers make me wiggle" ..I immediately started researching and was surprised to find out that I fell head over heels with everything about it

there's been times that the excitement about it ebbs and flows but I always come back (aside from it being partly a profession..silk veils..)

Originally Posted by TribalDancer

What was the first thing about bellydance that drew you in?
What music, aesthetics, aspects?
What genre/style was that (or do you know)?

What kind of styles have you experimented with/taken classes with since then?

What styles/music/aesthetics keeps you motivated and excited now?

The first bellydancers I saw in person were "gypsy dancers" at a ren faire. My mom told me not to even think about learning that kind of dance. Later on in college I wanted to sign up for "middle eastern folk dance" - my mom again said "don't even think about it!" This built up the idea in my head that it was DEFINITELY something I wanted to do- yet I didn't pursue it for another 5 years after college. I always wanted to go but had always been "uncoordinated" at dance and had had some traumatic modern and ballet experiences that made me think I could never be a dancer.

However, I was a gymbunny. I saw a 4-session seminaroffered at my gym - I knew NOTHING about bellydance. But I would be brave enough to try it at my gym. At the time, I didn't know there was a big difference for example between Indian dance and Middle Eastern Dance. But what I loved was that the class made me feel beautiful. I felt like I was made to do this - put on this earth to do this dance. I felt like I finally figured out why my body was made this way. I remember thinking "I look like Cleopatra". I also loved the sound of middle eastern music my whole life, so the music was a big draw for me.

I think the first genre I learned was good ole American Cabaret. Since then I have experimented with tribal as well, and a lot more American Cabaret, but it turns out that I love Egyptian and folkloric styles. I resisted this for a long time because a friend of mine was really into that stuff - and I didn't want to be a copier.

I think what gets me most excited about bellydance now is learning about another culture through dance, and also just the general joy I get from dancing.

I have to put my hand up as an orientalist myself. I was studying anthropology and thought it would be interesting to learn Middle Eastern dance. I was never deeply invested in the fantasy (as referred to on another thread, I'd already had my heart broken by other things), but the appeal of 'mysterious', 'exotic', and 'something nobody would ever expect me to do' first attracted me.

When my 'romantic' bubble eventually burst as they always seem to, it was also what kept me coming back...the history, the reality of it. And as zumarrad says, that my body was fine for this type of dance.

All in all, the reason I stuck with it and still do it was that I started out life as a fighter, needed to find something more legal to do, and found that I had stumbled upon the perfect alternative. I had to figure out some way to stop getting into trouble, and dance - bellydance in particular - took that desire for explosive energy and movement, gave it an outlet, and made it beautiful. :)