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Belly Questions© Shira
It's inevitable. As soon as you tell friends, family, coworkers, and strangers on the street that you're a belly dancer, the Belly Questions begin.
Then, of course, there are all those tired old puns about bellying up to the bar, jelly bellies, belly laughs, hillbellies, and more. It's enough to give us a belly ache! What's a dancer to do? Give snappy answers to silly questions, or make a sincere effort to educate? A lot depends on who asked the question and whether they deserve a smart comeback or an informative answer. Here are both snappy answers and earnest answers to help you respond the next time you get one of these questions. Isn't It Something Like Stripping? Snappy Answer: Isn't getting ready to take your shower in the morning something like stripping? Isn't waltzing with friends and family members at a wedding reception something like stripping? Earnest Answer: Belly dancers wear far more clothing than many cheerleaders, ice skaters, or even aerobics class attendees at the gym, and they do their performances fully clothed from beginning to end. They might use veils as a prop, but even after removing the veils they're still wearing more clothing than anybody at the beach. Belly dance originated as a social dance, done at joyous family celebrations such as weddings, and in the Middle East where it came from, it is viewed as a wholesome family activity. Its reputation as something "dirty" was created in the U.S. in the late 1800's when U.S. women squeezed their torsos into corsets and were shocked at the notion of midriff mobility. We no longer believe that decent women should cover their bodies from top to toe, so why do we still believe that this dance form is scandalous? Does It Help You Lose Weight? Snappy Answer: Nope! By the time I load myself up with all those beads, sequins, coins, mirrors, and yards and yards of skirt, I weigh ten pounds more than I did before I got into costume! Earnest Answer: Well, belly dancing is another form of exercise, and exercise is always helpful when you're trying to lose weight. But attending a single hour-long class a week isn't going to peel off the pounds. To lose weight, it's necessary to adjust your eating habits and do at least a half hour of some kind of exercise per day, each and every day. That exercise could be belly dancing, but could also be other things. Click here to read Belly Dancing And Weight Loss for more information on how to use belly dancing to trim down.
The copyright of the article Belly Questions in Middle Eastern Dance is owned by Julie Elliot. Permission to republish Belly Questions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Shira's Middle Eastern Dance topic, please visit the Discussions page. |
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