Belly dancing

[JessinAvalon]

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?

'Lordie all this over the fact that NB doesn't like the idea that feminists might see belly dancing as a form of titillation for men. For that we get called warmongers. How lovely. Where do the alpha females fit into that?'

This alpha female dances for her own pleasure, and being as I'm pushing 50 with a body like Venus www.blindloop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/venus-of-willendorf.png make of that what you will.

The banner-making thread is actually written in code. In fact, some of it's in double-bluff - the tampon sponging with the blood of the pateriarchy is a real plan.

You know what OP?
You did start a raging debate on this, was that what you expected, as a regular poster?

it's not fucking middles class version of pole dancing.

dittany, please read up on the history please

i promised to fuck off feminism - i still seem to be attached to the thread.

you really should read up on the history of belly dancing, though.
it is really interesting and will help you see that it's not just for men's pleasure.

Do I have a Soulpad? I have a happy-hippy-eco-warrior-with-Wiccan-bits sort of pad.

Tell you what Nickel, why don't you read up a bit on feminism?

You might be surprised to find it's not all mad warmongering.

It constantly entertains me that peopel who come on to threads and start telling us that we're all violent warmongers, then get surprised and all injured-like, when we respond negatively.

thanks HerBex - i have read up on feminism, I ^am a feminist.
i just don't like the anger and the argument, and the constant battle of words that goes on if you say something someone doesn't agree with.
that gives you the bad rep.
everytime I've come onto the feminism board, there's been a similar thing - why do you want to argue against people on the same side?
it doesn't help

i'll take a look at fat is a feminist issue, thanks SGM.

i've never been nasty to you before.
i like your forthrightness.