Hi guys,

As you may or may not know, I've had some awesome flyers designed by the legendary Antonio Coni this year (he also designs flyers for MoB, Lady Luck and many more - a true genius!)

I took the opportunity to drop a few at a belly dancing weekend, Fantasia, which is a convention/workshop that happens every six months here in London, purely for networking opportunities.

Look at the controversy these flyers have sparked on a belly dancing forum! And also the strong feelings about burlesque and whether it has a place or not alongside belly dancing. Some of the opinions voiced are pretty extreme (and ludicrous!)... makes for interesting reading.

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23488

Sapph

PS. It's worth viewing the profiles of each person who is commenting on the thread as they have their pictures online.

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Sapphira - Belly Dance to Burlesque
Mesmerizing - Tantalising - Hypnotic
www.MissSapphira.com

WOW, you've really touched a nerve there I think Sapph! I'm genuinely gob-smacked by the viciousness of their damning of you and what you represent to them - it's like a cyber-catfight !

What also seemed strange to me was how many of those who posted backed up what they were saying by stating that it's fine for you to look like that but they could never be that glamorous so they don't want Belly-Dancing and Burlesque mentioned in the same breath. To someone who is relatively new to Bq and has never come into contact with Belly-Dancing the biggest difference I can see is that Belly-Dancing doesn't seem to have boosted anyone's confidence into thinking that they are glamorous in their own right, regardless of age, size or how many clothes you take off.

I'm nothing special to look at (not a sympathy post, just being honest), but when I'm in my Bq lessons and practicing at home I feel that I am, and that seems to be what the members of the Belly-Dancing (from what I have understood of their posts) are missing out on - it must be terrible to look at another style of dance/performance and instead of thinking "that's fantastic, maybe I can use some of that in my work" thinking "I'll never be like that, so I don't want anything to do with it, or have it linked to what I do".

As for the suggestion that you should get a separate Belly-Dancing Web-site, well that's great, are they going to have a whip round for you to fund it?

Sorry I seem to have gone on a bit of a rant here, but I feel so strongly about how positive Bq has been for me and how I view myself, and also how un-sleazy the whole scene is (baring in mind that the great MoB is my point of reference so I haven't had the misfortune to be involved with the disreputable side is there is one), that I am shocked people have taken such offence to a few pictures. There rant over!

(The picture's are great by the way, I really liked how you managed to get the tenuously-linked phallic buildings in the background, because you'd never see them in any other "Arabian Nights" type scene... Shame on you :wink: )

i cant believe all this bitchiness is over your flyer! most of them clearly havent even seen you perform so how can they fairly judge you.
with all cyber bitching like this i always think havent they got something better to do (like belly dancing maybe) instead of using up all their energy on an argument, the most part of which is behind someones back.
sorry, people this pickyness towards other good performers really got on my nerves.

i agree with cherry noir (glad to see your enjoying your burly classes) that none of them sound that inspired and confident by what i've always considered a sensual form of dance. i never knew something like belly dancing was so political and it just makes them sound quite bitter and snobby and unwilling to see any diversity in bellydancing.

havent they ever heard of people like little egypt?

Heh.

My partner is a bellydancer and I am constantly suprised at the clique-iness of some of the dancers. There are some in the community who are very, very serious about their particular flavour of bellydance and exclude everything else.

Not all, of course, but there's definitely a hardcore of Cabaret dancers who hate Tribal or Baladi dancers who hate Cabaret and vice-versa.

I love it all (but am secretly a huge fan of gothy Tribal stuff!)

In a Burly vein, I've seen a few bellydancers on the burlesque circuit and I have to say unless it's done with the tongue-in-cheek parody of burlesque, it can seem a bit stilted and, well, dull. I see loads of belldance at haflas round the country - if I'm going burlesque, I want burlesque!

If bellydance is to be used as a style in a burlesque context - it really does need that sense of humour we all know and love!

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Not poems and rubbish... SCIENCE!
myspace.com/doctorwhen
Will compére for cash. Or biscuits. Well, anything nice really.

yawn, i wish they'd all get over it.


i find the ones who get the most het up are totally english!

hilarious.

ps. after reading the forum a bit,they all sound american?

is it american? i couldnt be bothered to look, i have to go wash my hair.

im really bored by the 'keep bellydance pure!' debate

unbelievable! sapphira you look beautiful and those narrow minded individuals need to loosen up and embrace uniqueness and sexiness in its many differrent shapes and forms! grrrr!

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Selena Lix and her damn saucy tricks!

Please read the below and take a minute to pray for this poor, poor person who obviously has no life whatsoever:


RL=http://imageshack.us][/url]

'Sapph-deconstructing this flyer, this is what I see:

-a woman wearing very little clothing in a powerless position, with her mouth slightly open-her arms behind her suggest she was recently reclining and sat up or is about to recline
-a veil threaded between her legs-suggesting that they were open at one time and possibly could be opened again
-the phallic buildings behind her
-she is sitting on piles of money and loot-is she a prize? can she be bought?

I am not trying to offend you but these are some of the things that run through my mind when I see this flyer.

And this is why people remember the flyer as you having just gold pasties on. Because it is such a suggestive image.'


Oh my god!!! Talk about over-analysing something! I suggest she puts on MTV base for an hour and maybe then she will see that this flyer is just a beautiful woman, sitting in a costume in a pose to try and promote both herself and her talent.

P.S. I'd hate to be with her husband if the buildings in the background look 'phallic' to her! Ouch!

By the way Cherry Noir, lose the negativity girlfriend!!! you are something special to look at-a very beautiful woman indeed

Maybe the person commenting is an over zealous media studies student? It does seem a little over analyzed! Most of the thread shows a really ignorant side of these people who obviously are completely close minded about any other kind of art form similar to their own.
Personally I can see alot of similarities between burlesque and belly dancing, the spangly costumes, the naughty but nice sexual theme,(HELLO bellydancing seems to be alot about the female form and wiggling all the female bits, this is obviously going to be seen in some sort of sexual light. As long as its the same sort of way seen in Burlesque, ie a bit cheeky but not slutty whats the problem?! )
Anyway, live and let live I say!!!
xx