Monday, April 28, 2008

Belly dance vs. Burlesque

Since creating the wildly popular Bellydance Superstars, producer Miles Copeland has become one of the most controversial figures in our dance community. His views are not always popular, but I thought his Gilded Serpent post on the blending of belly dance and burlesque, which you can find here, was interesting and thought-provoking. I'm not sure I've made up my mind yet. I can see the argument for dancers having a social responsibility, and I can also see an argument for dancers being free to express themselves in whatever way they choose.

I'm curious to know what others think. Care to share your thoughts?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Welcome!

If you love belly dance and live in or around Orange County, this is a site for you. Over the past several years, I've watched our dance community grow, and it's exciting to see all the new opportunities for dancing come on the scene. I also know what a challenge it can be keeping up with all these changes.

That's where I hope this site can help. My goal is to create an ever-evolving online resource with information on local events, dancers, classes, vendors, and all the minutiae that makes up our wonderfully diverse belly dance community. Whether you're a classical Egyptian-style dancer, an American Tribal Style dancer, or fall somewhere in between, I hope you'll find the links and updates on local happenings useful. If you have news to share or would like to get the word out about an event, please submit it by e-mail to scribblinggypsy@gmail.com. There's a lot of great information out there, and I can use all the help I can get trying to track it down.

So consider this just a starting point. With a little luck, I hope the site will become as rich and diverse as the belly dance community it's intended to complement, a virtual place where our dancing community can come together in a positive and respectful way. To that end, I welcome any and all suggestions and comments on how best to do that.

Happy dancing!