the dance class report
Oct. 7th, 2004 02:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keryxSo. My intermediate bellydance class? Not easy. It's a good thing that most of the other students just came up from the beginner class, too. We can suck - I mean learn - together.
Also, I'm now supposed to have certain costume bits, like nicer zils (finger cymbals) and a big huge skirt, by next week. Yipe. Anyone want my old difficult-to-tighten-and-sorta-funny-sounding-but-perfectly-functional zils? I ordered new ones for more or less the same cost on eBay. The skirt I'm unfortunately also going to have to order, but have convinced myself that buying the nice one I really really want is okay, as it is better to spend money once (even if you have to spend loads more to get the thing you want superfast) on something well-made that you love than to spend it in increments on less-nice things. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
I have found one thing about the dance that bothers me, though. Veil. In belly dance in the US, a "veil" is in fact a thin piece of fabric about 4' by 9', and gets used as a prop and a coverup a bit. The little bit of veil work I've done so far has included mostly moves that are very coy, very "ooo, me so sexy". It's very audience-oriented and feels... well, disempowering in a way. There are other things about the dance form in general that I can just ignore (the odd beauty fixations some dancers have, for instance), but this is something we do in our classes that I can't really get around. I console myself with the knowledge that it's at least strengthening my arms and back.
Also, I'm now supposed to have certain costume bits, like nicer zils (finger cymbals) and a big huge skirt, by next week. Yipe. Anyone want my old difficult-to-tighten-and-sorta-funny-sounding-but-perfectly-functional zils? I ordered new ones for more or less the same cost on eBay. The skirt I'm unfortunately also going to have to order, but have convinced myself that buying the nice one I really really want is okay, as it is better to spend money once (even if you have to spend loads more to get the thing you want superfast) on something well-made that you love than to spend it in increments on less-nice things. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
I have found one thing about the dance that bothers me, though. Veil. In belly dance in the US, a "veil" is in fact a thin piece of fabric about 4' by 9', and gets used as a prop and a coverup a bit. The little bit of veil work I've done so far has included mostly moves that are very coy, very "ooo, me so sexy". It's very audience-oriented and feels... well, disempowering in a way. There are other things about the dance form in general that I can just ignore (the odd beauty fixations some dancers have, for instance), but this is something we do in our classes that I can't really get around. I console myself with the knowledge that it's at least strengthening my arms and back.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-07 07:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-07 08:26 pm (UTC)The bellydance thing isn't so much about sexism as a general ick factor.