[Irisshlass]

>>Almost every woman in that picture is over 30...<<

I hope they didn't have any of their children in the audience watching the sexual moves as belly dancing as shown by their outfits.

I'm talking about American Dance..American Culture where girls begin as early as 3. And again depending on the theme that is how the costumes are chosen...from Broadway to Disney Musicals...not Gypsy Rose Lee. And again it is on stage, not walking down the street.

>>I know that girls get sexualized pretty damn quickly, so let them be little girls until the last possible second.<<

Not all woman are sexualized either..not me, my daughters or any of my friends. So I don't understand your view of what being a woman is.

[najida]

LOL!

You clearly no nothing of Belly Dance.
It IS American mostly,
Came straight Sol Bloom and the worlds fair,
Isadora Duncan, Oscar Wilde, silent movies and Theda Bara....not to mention victorian soft porn.
WE invented the silly jewel in the belly button, floor work,
veil dancing, the stupid "Harem girl" fantasy...

Yada yada yada. The sleazy sex part WE added in
vaudeville and burlesque etc

I teach true Raks Sharki (Dance Oriental) and it is far
less sexual than most of the crap you see on stage in 'jazz' or hip hop dances. It is a woman's dance done in family enclaves and often to accompany a woman during childbirth. If anything, it's the ultimate female only dance form.

I will tell you this,
Our moves are LESS sexual than the pevlic drops, locks and boob shakes that I have seen at dance recitals and by cheerleaders. I teach my girls that 'Good girls' dance with their feet together...always. Unlike what I was taught in jazz, modern etc. The crudest dance I was ever taught was a Bob Fosse number. Ballet? Don't get me stared on own skimpy and revealing THOSE costumes are.

We are more covered than most cheerleaders I've seen lately.

We've danced at churches, nursing homes, community groups etc. We dance a combination of Classic Egyptian, Tunisian, Gitana, Tzigane' etc etc, some of these dances date back for centuries... and yes, good old American Caberet and the newer child American Tribal.

One of my students is a minister's wife who's gone on to teach her women's group at church. And yes, we've all danced for our kids, families etc.... and most dancers with daughters are continuing the centuries old tradition of mother teaching daughter and the female bond.

BTW, the term "American" moves in this dance is a synoymous with saying the move is sexual and sleazy.

And I teach my students not to do them.