[danidance]

Sarah,

If people aren't supposed to care what you're doing, why perform in public?

Clearly people are belly dance performers and teachers because they care very much what the public thinks. If you don't want attention - you won't put yourself out there.

Thus, I think it's completely unrealistic to ask people not to react or comment on something and just "be nice."

It gets back to the question of why are belly dancers so often asked to think and act like a homogenous group of "nice girls?" I don't like the old world mentality there (this is a large observation - not your comment per se).

Sure, I appreciate our sensitive & nurturing aspects, but we are also intelligent "consumers" of art with opinions and demands.

BTW - I do not consider myself to be "very conservative" - I consider me to be more about good taste than conservative.