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"Isn't That Like Stripping?" - Why They Ask - Page 4

© Shira

Portrayals On Television and Movies

Most portrayals on television and in movies that I've seen of belly dancers have been just fine. I remember an episode of Hill Street Blues when one of the officers received a "bellygram" for his birthday. Helena Vlahos amazed audiences with her quarter-rolling tricks on an episode of That's Incredible. Little Egypt danced vigorously to music by Paul Revere and the Raiders on an episode of the campy 1960's Batman television series. Suhaila Salimpour did a lovely dance next to an enormous pig in an episode of Max Headroom.

Unfortunately, there are a small number of television shows that portray belly dancing unfavorably. In one episode of Sex and the City, Mr. Big thrust wads of bills into the belts of a pair of belly dancers at a Moroccan restaurant, then later joked about stuffing money into belly dancers' crotches.

These less favorable portrayals seem to be the ones that The General Public remembers when they think of belly dancing as something sleazy. We can't stop television shows from portraying our dance form as something tacky, but we need to have an answer ready when people who saw these shows talk about their misconceptions.

Even Some Of Our Own...

Even some members of our own dance community have fostered this idea of belly dancing as sleazy sexual entertainment. I've heard numerous reports of "belly dancers" who:

• Allow men to tuck tips deep into their bra cups
• Accept tips from men's teeth
• Wear very revealing costumes which just barely cover their nipples or buttocks
• Slip up behind a bald man in the audience, place a breast on either side of his head, and shimmy the breasts
• Incorporate openly sexual pelvic thrusts into their dancing
• Fix their eyes on a male audience member and seductively lick their lips at him
• Place their skirts over the face of a man in the audience and wiggle their pelvises just for him
• Aggressively promote their performance videos to the late-night crowd

When belly dancers do these things, it's no wonder the public views it as seamy adult entertainment. Most Oriental dance artists work hard to portray the dance as entertainment that's suitable for community festivals and other family-oriented occasions, but it's a constant battle to overcome the impressions left by the antics of a few.

In Conclusion

The General Public does have some valid reasons to view belly dancing as something sleazy. There's the entire history of burlesque, seedy shows for tourists, etc. to inspire them. Television and movies sometimes encourage this attitude. And even some misguided dancers from our midst represent the dance in a way that most of us would prefer they didn't.

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