Inn of the Wandering Dragon

To say I have been busy is an understatement. I have been going in early to work, and both the boyfriend and myself have been fighting a persistant cold. It's not as bad as it was thankfully but it is lingering - never a good sign. We have recently celebrated Mother's Day with extended family up north. My Dad had his birthday and his retirement party. There have been a few birthdays to enjoy. My dance class of course continues (which reminds me, I still need to enroll in the next session) and I am debating whether to move on to level two, or retake level one and really solidify the moves I have been learning. I have been working on and off on my dance costume which has required me to stretch my meager sewing skills immensly. I have been playing with more henna. The other night my girlfriend and I took turns doodling on eachother. She has the pictures so I may post them whenever she sends me copies. Life continues, spending time with friends, family, housework and cooking. Perhaps this weekend I will scrounge some time to sit down and put together some posts. But in the meantime, I haven't fallen off the planet.

Yes I have been playing with henna again. Actually this was from last week but things have been crazy busy so I'm only getting around to posting it now. Initially the stain was really pale but eventually it made a nice brown - no pictures of the after I'm afraid. That will have to wait untill the next time.

Yes, I have been playing with the borrowed scanner! This is a little painting of my feline friend done in acrylics a couple months ago.

I have been getting a range of reactions from people when I tell them I am learning belly dance. These reactions range from the very positive (that is so cool and great exercise, have fun!!) to ambivalent (that's nice.) to the very unsure (um... OK.. isn't that like... stripping, or something? Isn't that all sexual and women performing for men..?) OK I haven't been been asked those questions outright but the significant pause in conversation and the frantic look in their eyes as they struggle to find something nice to say pretty much gets the point across.

Belly dancing originated in the middle eastern countries, and while there is a fair amount of speculation regarding its origins, all the sources I have gone through indicate that folk dance is the main inspiration. For some this dance would have been public at various festivities, remembering of course that they would be dancing in regular everyday clothes - not the costume made popular in mass media. Both men and women could perform these dances. For others this was a form of entertainment for women to perform with other women. In many areas of the middle east it would have been inappropriate for a woman to be entertained by male dancers. Several sources indicate some moves in belly dancing provided a way to express the contractions and muscle spasms of giving birth, which again would go back to the folklore roots.

Much of the confusion steps in when belly dancing gets introduced to North America. Firstly there has been a huge amount of romanticising "the Orient" in popular culture which has resulted in a very skewed concept of the traditions, people and dress. Would Hollywood have made as much money on the movies if they were accurate? I doubt it. Secondly this form of dancing was introduced in the late 1800's - can you picture an audience with Victorian sensibilities watching belly dancers (who did not wear corsets - gasp!)? There was a lot of cultural misunderstanding about what the dance actually represented and the imitations in the burlesque halls and carnivals did nothing to help the situation. It was considered an erotic dance, and that view has persisted to this day. Admitably there are some dancers that have helped perpetuate this idea, while other dancers try to overcome the stigma. In the meantime I think most would agree that the moves have changed and evolved into something beyond the village folk dance traditions.

Belly dancing has become more popular in recent years. For one thing it is a very good work out which focuses on the body core strength as well as leg strength. Many of the moves focus on isolating specific muscle groups in specific movements which takes a lot of patience and control to do well. Then go ahead and layer these moves together in a routine and you have a demanding cardio workout, now who says that is not good for your health? But I have found another very important factor for many women in chooseing to learn this art form, you do not have to be that ideal athletic shape that so few women can safely and practically achieve. This is an art and an activity that actively welcomes women of all shapes and sizes.

We are bombarded daily in popular media, to loose weight, change our hair colour, get botox treatments and plastic surgury. We are told that we are not beautiful unless we buy this product and wear that fashion. We are told over and over that our bodies are not good enough, and by extension we are not good enough. We have been told growing up that areas of our bodies must remain still and remain covered and are somehow shameful. I am not just talking about breasts or hips, how many women do you know who would rather hide stretch marks or a soft belly? These areas are given prominence in the movements of the dance in a way that is not lewd or overly sexual but shows strength and gracefulness. And I for one think there is real value in that. Belly dancing for many women is about comming to terms with our own bodies as something that is beautiful and worthwhile.

Isn't it about time?