Lebanese Male Belly Dancers Incur the Wrath of Fellow Female Dancers

Following are excerpts from a television show about male belly dancers, which aired on New TV on February 12, 2007:

Reporter: A natural, common, beautiful site. How great! Shake it like a goose! Belly dancer - shake your silky hips. But what would you say if things were turned upside down?

Alaa' is a man in the full sense of the word, but he dances better than the female belly dancers. This is what he says, and this is what others say about him. On top of that, he teaches belly dancing. Surely there were no men like Alaa; in 1000 BCE, when belly dancing began in the temples as a religious ritual, practiced only by women. Today, more than 2,000 years after Christ, male belly dancers were born from the womb of female dancers, and they can teach girls a thing or two about dancing.

Alaa' is not scantily clad, but since he is a guy, he attracts more attention than many female dancers who wear nothing.

The difference between the Arabic word fann [art] and the English word "fun" is like the difference between a dancing man and a dancing woman. one thing is for sure - whoever dances does so by the sweat of his brow. Even though "dance" is a male term in the Arabic language, it is associated with the femininity of women, from dancers and slave girls to gypsies and actresses. In our Eastern society, the shaking of the hips befits women, but who says that other creatures do not dance? The slaughtered bird dances in pain, and the dance of the snake is enjoyed by people. To conclude, we are with Alaa', in a dance familiar to men.

[...]

Belly dancer Margo Caliphian: Once I was invited to a party, I saw a guy wearing dancing clothes, with full make-up, with earrings down to his belly... How can anyone accept this?!

[...]

He wore red lipstick and glossy make-up, as if he was in Paris. This is unnatural.

Male belly dancer Alaa': You are right. Many people ask me: "Why don't you change the way you dress?" I tell them that I don't care what people think I am doing. All I care about is what I am actually doing. Things like pants, T-shirts, and jeans are fine, because this is how I am. People say: "But you have long hair." I'm not growing my hair because of the dancing, but because it is my style. I began four years ago, and I am still growing it.

Moderator: There's nothing wrong with it...

Margo Caliphian: Let me explain something. It is becoming shameful. Things are deteriorating. A woman is a woman, and a man is a man.

[...]

They cannot write in an invitation to a party: "Featuring a singer, an artist, and the belly dancer X," and then it turns out to be a guy. Can you imagine what would happen? Imagine a classy party...

Moderator: What do you mean by "classy"?

Margo Caliphian: Take, for example, an important festival, with well-known singers and a belly dancer. Imagine a guy coming out to dance with a belly-dancing outfit... It is unheard of. What would you say you if you came to a festival with a large band to do your job...

Moderator:: But Ms. Margo, he is there to do his job as well.

Margo Caliphian: I'm talking about a festival, and you're talking about a nightclub. There is a difference. I'm talking about the level and status of the belly dancer. Today, we've begun to appear all over the world. Today, many belly dancers go to America or France, and dance in the most important theaters in the world. Imagine a man in a bra, a scarf, and a belt coming out to dance...

Moderator: But he doesn't wear those things. He dances normally.

Margo Caliphian: Even so, there can be no perfection in it.

[...]

Ten years ago, a woman sent her husband to me. He would get bored when his wife gets up dance, and all he does is watch.

Debate participant: What, he wanted to learn belly dancing?!

Margo Caliphian: He would get bored just sitting there. If he clapped for her, she would say: "No, get up and shake your hip."

Debate participant: She would ask him to shake his hips?

Margo Caliphian: Yes. When he came to me, I saw a well-dressed man, 55 years old. I was astounded by what he told me. I thought he was joking. But he was serious. I said to him: "Sorry, but I can't teach you. Forget it. Even if you paid me 1,000 dollars an hour I cannot bear the thought."