I don't want to start a raging debate about this but I am hoping that some on here may be able to settle a difference in opinion between me and a friend.
She thinks (after seeing a belly dancer perform at a feminist arts event in Bristol) that it's anything but feminist and thinks it's not that different to lapdancing (titillating, revealing costumes etc).
I don't see it like that. I do Bollywood dancing (which is very hard!) and have come across belly dancers through my dancing but they were all older, larger ladies (am I allowed to say that?!) and, to me, the belly dancers I saw were celebrating their form, celebrating the dance and generally having fun.
Admittedly though I don't know much about it. Does anyone have any views/experience/knowledge that would help the debate?