![\"Tito](\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art51\/graphics51\/Titotalks.jpg\")
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Question #1<\/strong>: I am a Muslim girl. My family is from Egypt. I love to dance and have dreamed all my life of being a Bellydancer. My family will not allow me to become a professional Bellydancer. My desire is so strong and yet I am torn because my family and community will not accept me. I cannot decide. Please help me. What should I do?<\/p>\n Answer:<\/strong> I have received this sort of request a number of times over the years; some tearful, some over the phone by anonymous girls who knew me, but I did not know them; some by young girls whom I had witnessed grow up and knew well. I often told the girl to look into her heart because she was the only one who could answer this question. I told them to ask themselves honestly which was more important to them and their sense of well-being — Bellydance or their religion. If they chose one over the other, would there be no regrets? <\/p>\n Then, I would speak to them about being authentic. If Bellydance was chosen with conviction, love and integrity, then their relationship with God would remain real and honest and maybe one day they might win back the respect of her family.\u00a0 It was still a huge risk, but at least, they could have comfort in living an authentic life.<\/p>\n On this particular day, I received the request from a young Arab caller whom I did not know personally. It was on my cell phone while Tito Seif<\/a> <\/span>was teaching his first workshop here in Toronto in 2006. I was talking to the girl while I waited for Tito to get ready to go to the airport. On the way to the airport I told Tito about the girl and her predicament and asked how he would have answered her. He swiftly and emphatically said "Tell her no; do not Bellydance!" I love Tito’s kind and honest heart even more than I love his phenomenal dancing, but at that moment, I was angry at him. I thought, \u201cHow hypocritical!\u201d <\/p>\n Earlier that day, I had found him waiting for me in the lobby of the hotel reading the Koran. "Was it okay for him because he was a man?" I wondered. So I asked him "Why? Why was it okay for him and not okay for this girl?" He again quickly said an emphatic "no" without explanation. I gave him a concerned \/ bewildered \/ freaked-out stare of complete miscomprehension and he finally said: \u201cbecause she asked.\u201d<\/p>\n Then it hit me! If she needed to ask, her desire to be a Bellydancer was not great enough to overcome the obstacles and pain this choice would create in her life. <\/p>\n Her view of the dance was not as a pure art which was in harmony with God or religious belief. This advice coming from the first man to break the male Bellydancer taboo in Egypt (even at the risk of his life) was true wisdom. It spoke reams of the struggles he must have gone through and how much infinite and unconditional love he has for the art of Bellydance and his idol, Samia Gamal<\/a><\/span>. <\/p>\n Question #2:<\/strong> I live and teach Bellydance in a remote area of Canada and am frustrated with my progress as a dancer. I want to learn more but do not have teachers near me who can help. I have already spent too much money on instructional DVDs. I took your Pro Course last year and many workshops in other cities but this is costing too much money. How important is training and how can I get it where I live?<\/p>\n I could have learned much faster had I had a formal teacher. I often tell my students today that it took me 10 years to learn what I can teach them in less than one year.<\/p>\n It is only a very small handful of people who may actually make more money performing or teaching their art form than they invest in it. Most artists love their art so much that they work and make their income by any means possible that can afford them the finances and time to study more. Almost all professional dancers, musicians and actors need to supplement their income with the wonderful job of waiter or waitress that allows them schedule flexibility. <\/p>\n If you are at a certain level where the teachers in your area cannot help you improve, then you have no choice but to travel to study intensively with a master teacher at least once or twice a year or move to another city. Many Bellydancers all over the world move to the nearest large city centre that has a master teacher or two. Sometimes they return to their home town after a year or two to teach to that community and some stay permanently in the large city. <\/p>\n A weekend workshop that caters to all levels of students may offer new inspiration, but at a certain point, you need critical feedback–one-on-one. <\/p>\n Because I could not find a Bellydance teacher in my home city who could further my skill, I got a Debke choreographer who was visiting from Lebanon to critique me. He cleaned up my arm technique (or lack of). An Egyptian drummer showed me how to twirl the Assaya. Aida Nour<\/a><\/span> taught me to shimmy, among other things, in a Toronto hotel room (in 1982 while on a tour sponsored by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism<\/span>). Sometimes, when I am unable to travel to the Middle East regularly, I take other forms of dance class. Still, I always ask for critique after every performance from those whose opinions I value. <\/p>\n A professional dance artist in all forms of dance takes regular class, often everyday. Every musician takes class for his or her instrument every day or at minimum once or twice a week. It is part of being a professional artist. <\/p>\n Even the highly paid movie stars have an acting coach. Art is a glorious journey that never ends and thus the training never ends…ever. If you think you have finished training, you are finished as an artist.<\/p>\n Note: Some well-known teachers offer instruction by video, DVD or skype.<\/p>\n![\"Snake](\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/graphics\/snakequestionmark.jpg\")
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Answer:<\/strong> I personally had very little in the way of formal training but this was not by my choice. Thirty years ago, my opportunities were extremely limited compared to today\u2019s Bellydance student. However, I searched and dug deep for the little tidbits I could get my hands on. Seven days a week for 15 years, I was either in an Arab night club asking questions and studying dancers, or I was performing and receiving constant critical feedback after every performance. I cornered every Arab female (whether pro-dancer or not) and begged her to show me steps — usually without English explanation. Whenever I was in front of a TV in my home, hotel room or an Arab family home, I was watching a video of Sohair Zaki<\/span> or Nagua Fouad<\/span>. Instructional videos did not exist then and if they did, I was not aware of them. My Bellydance career was nourished by the Arab community, and they were not aware of a Bellydance community outside of Egypt.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
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