Ansuya- fail...

frozen10 Says:

Nov 14, 2009 - Honestly. When it comes down to belly dance vs raqs sharqi, most people on the street or watching dancers bellydance regardless of the style do not know difference between the two. Essentially, her idea of bellydance is only pushing the stereotype that if you bellydance, whether it be tribal, the american style, or traditional, you're supposed to just shake your hips, boobs, and wear skimpy outfits. As for raqs sharqi, it has and always will belong to the ME. Why? because it was their dance!

frozen10 Says:

Nov 14, 2009 - You can't take a dance and say, oh, it's evolving, so what. It's a part of their culture. All you can do is take from it, make your own, style, but you should still respect the culture from which you took it from. Using the idea of, "it's evolving" only paves the way for bastardizing a culture. She can keep dancing,. Can't exactly stop her. She needs to realize however, the dance she does isn't needed to feel liberated or free with oneself.

ZoraidaAllat Says:

Nov 21, 2009 - MOROCCO saw a birthing ritual in N. Africa in the '60s where women "belly danced." If this dance originated as a fertility dance then associating it with sexuality is NOT disrespectful. This dance came BEFORE fundamentalist Islam.

ZoraidaAllat Says:

Nov 21, 2009 - Look at the roots of the dance: it's obscure origins, possibly in the Mid. East or North+Eastern Africa, as a fertility and/or spiritual dance; demonization by fundamentalist Islamic cultures, orientalism, westernization; it's revival by Americans and it's "reclaimation"/disdain in the Mid. East. You cannot separate this dance from sexuality.

tiflak Says:

Dec 4, 2009 - the ishue here is that people doesn't know that sexuality embrace and covers so many things...

Wonaneektte Says:

Dec 13, 2009 - I just completed a research paper on the development of belly dance in Cairo. The dancers in this interview are performers, first and foremost, which immediately separates them from tribal tradition. 'Acceptable' forms of Egyptian dance occur in ritualized events or segregated parties. Women that perform publicly were seen as 'fallen', and subject to (in 19th/ 20th cent.) their European clientele, who did, unfortunately, sometimes request that they strip.

Wonaneektte Says:

Dec 13, 2009 - What these women do, though, I think is beautiful. Sexuality as an art form is a very very recent development, even in America. I'm sorry that Jillina is so defensive here~ I don't think she needs to be.

ThatGypsyBoy Says:

Dec 24, 2009 - its disrespectful to Middle Eastern culture? Well, we aint in the middle east so tough!

jade401 Says:

Dec 24, 2009 - associating with sexuality depending on what you mean by sexuality is one thing, associating it with lewdness, taking clothes off, etc is another...what does this have to do with islam? and why are you using a term coined for christians (fundamentalist) to describe muslims? that's a pet peeve of mine, what does fundamentalist islam even mean? do you even know what that means or are you just throwing catch phrases around because they sound right? anyway, religion does not always = culture anyway

deej87 Says:

Dec 24, 2009 - I asked an american bellydancer and she said the person she met that hated bellydance and bellydancers the most was an egyptian coptic christian, so I'm just throwing that out there....and what the hell is a fundamentalist islamic culture? huh? revival by americans? huh? bd has always been alive and well in egypt; the notion that it wouldn't survive w/o the many terrible western "bellydancers" is a fairytale they tell themselves

ZoraidaAllat Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - I don't think Ansuya means she equates taking your clothes off to belly dancing. Obviously she doesn't do that in her routines. When she said "what's wrong with taking your clothes off" I think she was being a devil's advocate to Jillina and DEFENDING women who do express themselves that way. NO WHERE does she say lewd is ok. My dad was muslim, honey. ANY RELIGION can have fundamentalists. Do you know what it means? Read Morocco's articles on the subject--she's the scholar at end of the vid.

ZoraidaAllat Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - Any religion can have it fundamentalists. Research belly dance in the Middle East and you will see how the influence of religion is contributing to the repression of the dance. My dad was muslim, I have nothing against Islam, but there are variations of it and IT DOES effect the dance ESPECIALLY in the Middle East. I didn't say the dance wouldn't survive without Americans but ask older dancers why the dance is as popular as it is now, WORLDWIDE. Better or worse, it's b/c of the West.

ZoraidaAllat Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - So, to put it more simply for you--I brought up Islam b/c in countries where belly dance is being banned, it is often b/c of the Islamic influence that sees the dance as too sexual. I use the word "fundamentalist" to differentiate between strict Islam and other forms of Islam. Most scholars of the dance say belly dance originated as a fertility ritual. Conception, fertility, and birth are all connected to sex! Ansuya was merely trying to defend sexuality in all its forms, not "lewdness."

jade401 Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - I don't think it has much meaning when it comes to Islam. If you translate fundamentalist to arabic, the meaning is distorted, I use the word extremist or not even that. The word fundamentalist just puts a bad taste in my mouth. I follow Islam closely, I'm a huge supporter of my bellydance, If the word fundamentalist means following the fundamentals of the religion, I do that and I would never want bellydance to be banned. *shrug* It has just become a buzz phrase in the media IMO

deej87 Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - Many of bellydance's worst enemies are NOT Muslim though. Seriously, why are you bringing it into the discussion like that? It's more of the culture. You are speaking of the islamists that might want to ban it. These same islamists also want to ban everything else in the world lol, it's hardly a war against bellydance alone so these people are all at fault? nobody else right??? if a christian middle easterner hates bd it means nothing but if its a muslim they are a "fundamentalist" hmmmm

sharoofie Says:

Dec 26, 2009 - actually the people you are talking about would want to ban all dance and music, not just bellydance because it sexual, unlike westerners and some secular middle easterners who equate a bder with a stripper yet think beyonce is an entertainer and artist, hey at least the islamists are non-discriminatory lol

OmniZoetrope5 Says:

Jan 9, 2010 - As a male, I deeply respect the ancient art of belly dance along with its many historical, cultural and even spiritual undertones. Having said that, may I at this time also say...BOOOOINNNG!!!!!

jmc33able Says:

Jan 15, 2010 - I believe she is saying the reason why bellydancing was widespread in the western culture was due to women expressing their sexuality. It's an interesting point.

arcaneteresa Says:

Jan 18, 2010 - I just saw this whole post and am reading all the comments, whew! Lots of strong opinions. But I think you just got to the root of the whole thing.

cwmanic Says:

Jan 28, 2010 - Gee ya think women gyrating their pelvic region in amazing ways is sexual in nature? While wearing gauzy bikinis? Dumb broads BbbbOOOOOoooiiiiIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!!!

jojoPANDA1122 Says:

Feb 8, 2010 - I didn't think anyone was being disrespectful in the video. It was just a group of beautiful, talented and intelligent women voicing their opinions, and listening to those of others.

levar1979 Says:

Feb 9, 2010 - Well, I think bellydancing is not raunchy or degrading like stripping. That being said, depending on the form or context, bellydancing can be sexy or sexual. From what I researched, belly dancing descended partly from ancient birth rites, which were inherently sexual, but not in the same context as something lacivious.

levar1979 Says:

Feb 9, 2010 - Hi, I meant to give you a thumbs up and not a thumbs down for your comment. I'm sorry. I agree whole heartedly with your comment. I couldn't have said it better. Just to add, I think some belly dancers are afraid of sexuality being pinned to their artform because of a negative connotation, but they have nothing to be afraid of.

MioHabibah Says:

Feb 17, 2010 - this completly cahnge my point of view of Ansuya, but i respect her opinion. Still i belive its not sexual but a sensual dance and complete agree that its a dance of joy that need to be tranmited to the audience as something cultural and not something degrading.

femmbox Says:

Mar 1, 2010 - I think that Ansuya is a wonderful dancer and I don't believe she'ds disrespectful at all!