Quote:
Originally Posted by dunyah
BTW, I did not say he was a "pervert." I did say he was "nuts" but I meant it more in the sense of being foolish or very unwise. I admit the word sounded inflammatory. But I still think it's foolish or very unwise to present himself and his dance to the world this way.
But what do I know, maybe he will become a big star as a result of it. Popular culture loves the outrageous.
I come from a generation of dancers who had to work very hard to win acceptance for our dance, and who experienced prejudice and put downs on occasion for being a belly dancer. The younger generation seems to embrace trashiness more and not worry about having a respectable image as much as we did. The culture has shifted. But it still bothers me when I see the dance represented in a way that seems less than classy to me. There's another clip on the boards right now of famous dancers swigging from a whiskey bottle as they dance. I know it's supposed to be cute, but it just galls me.
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Speaking as a member of the "younger generation" (just turned 22!), I'd like to see if I can clarify. For me -- and, I would imagine, for the Indigo -- it's still about being respected, but more about being respected as an ARTIST, and less about being respected as family-friendly entertainment.
Clowns are family friendly, but I don't want to be respected the way a clown is respected. It's not that we don't want the dance form to be classy, we just don't want it to be a gimmick or a party trick -- more "what do you think that performance was really trying to say?" and less "look kids, it's a belly dancer!". :)