You know you’re a Belly Dancer when..

Yep... I used to do that in the dark room.

Heeh!! I thought of you last semester when I was taking photography Rachel! I brought my new iPod in and spent hours dancing in the dark room developing my pictures :)

Wow Rachel! I NEVER knew that you wanted to be a photgrapher! I just found another thing that we have in common, my alumni sister! When I was a photographer for the US Navy, I also practiced moves in my own darkroom while the prints developed in the chemical baths. Except I did martial arts forms (which, in many ways, can be just as physical as bellydance moves).

Oh well, you found a different way to be artistic and creative, and now you rule the world with you dance art! Would you ever want to meet Madonna someday?

Ronin~
This one hits me alot. When I go out with my girls I rind beats in the reggaeton we dance to and just start bellydancing to it! they think im nuts!
YA!

how did we USED to dance? I used to go clubbing all the time - I have no idea what I did out there all night...

haha, totall agree on -- people start introducing you as, "X, who belly dances!"

i do henna as well, so i'm always introduced as, this is jessica, she does henna and bellydances! i'm always like, tell my life story why don't ya! lol.

Oh my goodness, sometimes I think that my HEARTBEAT is 9/8!

ADD:
When other people you happen to walk by in a non-bellydance danceclub setting gives you ''zaghareets'' out of nowhere for no reason, recognizing you're a bellydancer by instinct and movement on the dance floor alone. :)

I've become a MASTER of the Zaghareet, not to mention a loud "EEEEE-YUP!" as well, which I learned from Ultra Gypsy. Whenever Rachel, Sharon, Zoe, or Barbara are at a show, if they hear a loud "EEEEE-YUP!", they know it's me!

Last March when I was at a Renaissance Faire in Norman, I did many loud zaghareets to the bellydancer shows there. One snobby girl came up to me and said "Hey, I thought only the woman were supposed to do that call!" And I replied to her "Not when you're from California!"

I think I've somehow managed to do whole little dances to the spin cycle. My (only) favorite part of doing laundry. Kinda reminds me of that part in the Tribal Style documentary video clips where the girl is practicing shimmies while vacuuming. I love that!

These are all so true, from the glute thing (I know I've done it 1000 times since logging onto tribe tonight) to the zaghareet thing. I find nowadays, where I used to be so painfully shy of even clapping in an audience, now I just whoop, caterwaul, and shriek whenever the feelin hits me. And the dancing in a club thing is true too, I actually remember what I used to do, a weird caucasian step to one foot, step to the other, stripper-inspired swaying thing. I can't do it now, though. I either am goofing off doing the robot, or the running man, or I'm unconsciously bellydancing.

Good example is last night at DragonCon, our huge geekfest here in Atlanta. I got to experience the first official, on-record drum circle, and I know I danced for 3 hours straight, with tiny water breaks. I'd stop completely dancing to talk to other dancers, but we'd be standing there chatting and shimmying at the same time, like motors idling.

This thread truly illustrates the fork one comes to in the road of dancing, where you come to the decision- do I just go one way and make it a once-a week fun class, a neat thing to do every once in a while, or do I really give it my all, every waking moment, most of my dreams, my spare money, my time, my space?

OBSESS!!! WOO HOO!!! *right cheek left cheek right cheek left cheek....*

Ohhh! and laugh a lot louder and deeper these days.

You know you're a bellydancer when...

Your chest lifts implulses causes others to think you're having a medical episode.
You zaghareet after a good play during a sporting event.
You break down your day work itinerary into ''sets''.
You request bellydance music to be played at your job on Casual Fridays.
You refer to a day on a calendar as a ''bellydancer's holiday''.
You give family members Arabic nicknames to go with your own dancer name.
You shimmy across the street to beat a red light.
You're holding inpromptu workshops with co-workers...during lunch.
Your young children (if any) starts requesting you to dance to tunes they've memorized.
Kida run up to you patting you on the belly asking ''Where's the ON switch?'' or
''How do you turn it ON and OFF like that?'' (Maybe even some adults, too...)

OK, I'm getting addicted here...
B.

All of the above...LOL...

Yes...I am trying to plan my career from here in Oz to somehow incorporate working at the San Diego Zoo (I am doing wildlife studies) and laying myself at the altar of Heather & Urban Tribal & Rach & the Indigo...San Diego here I Come...some day!
:-)

"...you love the "New Bohemian" look that is all the rage now because your dance attire can be everyday items and you don't have to spend money to get a new wardrobe."

Or better yet, you love the "New Bohemian" look because the mainstream tires of fashions easily meaning in a few months, MAJOR BOHEMIAN CLEARANCE SHOPPING. I'm SO looking forward to stores liquidating the racks!

I'm laughing out loud and reading these to my husband. I LOVE the one about spending more on coins.. hahah!!

*Mike Portnoy's drum solo has lost it's impressiveness. Who needs drumsticks?

You know you're a belly dancer when... you want to PERFORM to Mike Portnoy's drum solos!!

OMG!! I cashier and I taxeem at the register!! I also do various shimmies when I'm stocking the store :o)

Or, you are looking at getting a Ph.D. in psychology and are more concerned with "is there a bellydance community" than "do they have research that's interesting to me" ~grin~

You're crazy enough to wear five layers of clothes and five lb. of jewelry on an 80 degree day just for a performance


Ugh, yup that's me and my troupe!

Aurelia

oh my! I was air zilling the other day in one of my classes and the teacher asked me if I was ok... it was kinda funny actually.

i have two personal:

- you see all those "in style" skirts (aka a poser tiered skirt) and think people are crazy to pay $60 for one when you can make one better and cheaper, and have.

-your friends hear you say that and refuse to buy one insisting that you could make it for them

forgot 2...

- when you sleep on the floor because your bed is covered in the new coin bra makings and you dont want to disturb the various piles of coins, thread, needles, etc..

- when you dont have a bed because you want as much dance space as possible

...."- when you start separating out old clothes into piles ... one is goodwill... the other is potential costuming".......

hahaha, doing that right now. again.

**one more: when an old metal hanger is no longer trash, 'don't throw that away, it could end up being the coolest arm band/earring/headpiece ever!".....

"when you start separating out old clothes into piles ... one is goodwill... the other is potential costuming "

I did that last night for the first time!! I have this dress that is a sheath dress but it has two runs up near the chest. It's going to make an amazing temple skirt!! wheeeee!!

" when your normal gait becomes a piston hip"

hee hee! That's so true!! I've been practicing 3/4 shimmies while walking the dog *grin*

" RE: Putting baskets on your head."
Yes! My daughter and I have a habit of putting baskets, candle holders, Trays, Oh heck all kinds of things on our heads in the stores. It is our little game to see what kind of weird objects we can balance on our head, and yes the stares, and the your outta your mind looks. Of course when it's too weird I get the MOOOOOMM! and she walks away like she dosen't know me.
Then theres the time one of my troupe members and I hit the play button in Wal-Mart on the sample music and did the maringue. (not sure how to spell it) well it was late at night. ;~)

Lol! I'm with you about the callouses :)

Variation of that one (this was me yesterday) - you consider getting a pedicure, but decide against it in case they remove that hard-won thick layer of hard skin on the bottom of your feet ...

'you go to goodwill looling for potential costume stuff'

yup. the only reason i go. i have a trunk full of stuff im giving away. to various ones so i can scan the shops!
ya!

Oh, and no one has been able to sit on my couch for weeks, because it's currently being occupied by 2 swords. Ha! Better than the typical baseball bat for protection against intruders!

They juss love you too much Kiki! And rightly so, you're SMOKIN'!! ;)

Re: You know you’re a Belly Dancer when..
". . you suddenly feel really uncomfortable if you don't have your hips tucked under, your spine elongated, your shoulders relaxed, your chest open and lifted, and your head floating upright with eyes forward, and you start spending all of your sitting and walking moments correcting yourself so that your back doesn't hurt."

in addition: you feel uncomfortable if the person you're talking to is slouching and while they're talking you subconsciously place a hand on his/her spine and another hand on his/her shoulder and gently push them into posture while they start to stutter and wonder what you're doing but you're a belly dancer so they just assume it's some mysterious way of sharing energy so they don't even ask they just keep talking cause you're always moving so it doesn't even phase them!!!!!!!

another big one is that you know you're a bellydancer when you're actually comfortable with people staring at various parts of your body, especially if their gaze is following the isolations you're doing.

and how about when people ask you "when are you dancing?" when they see you out, as if you only go out of the house to dance, and as if there weren't other things to say like, "how are you?"

and no joke folks, i actually bought the car i bought because it's the only one that would match any outfit or costume and look fly as i step out wearing all kinds of tribal stuffs.

i also only date guys whose own personal style matches/coordinates what i got going on. is that superficial? i don't think so, because since i'm a bellydancer, coordinating styles is an issue of personal well being and sanity, if i'm wearing ancient silver and he's wearing a coconut necklace, or i'm wearing sexy black pants and a hip scarf and he's wearing surf shorts and a tank top, then clearly we're not going to be compatible for very long!!! okay okay i'm not that bad, i won't eliminate them from my life, but i'm damn sure to coach them and draw some boundaries on date-gear. and since i'm a bellydancer they put up with it!!!!!!

and i love that bellydancing, just the word "bellydancing", serves as an excuse and a reason for anything!!! people can't get upset that something's not done if it's because you were bellydancing!!! or the house is a wreck cause the bellydancers were over. no one on this planet can argue with that! if they argue they might jeopardize their secret hope that you'll do a surprise dance at their birthday party. imagine if Bush wasn't jerking around on his ranch and instead was participating in a Khawali workshop or practicing his dhervish whirl, would anyone really be uspet that he's not working?! (ok maybe that's an extreme example)

OH! OH! OH!!!!!

Glow in the dark makeup and nail polish for gothic BD
And black lipstick! I just bought several for my Mystic Hips troupe

Ha!
I have a spacious office at work and i do data analysis all day so when i get up to stretch I stretch high out of my waist as if to do a standing cobra...... often I will do one just cuz it feels good.. got caught once.. all i heard was "....wow...." from the hallway.
I still dont know who it was....
tee hee hee

oh and did I forget....when you hide a bra in your lap at work under the desk so when no one is passing by you can sew on one more coin or bead........

You can't listen to ANY kind of music without thinking if you could dance to it and begin thinking out steps.

You have no problems walking up to someone (usually dancers) and grabbing them to closely examine what they are wearing--even if it's their chest....in order to possibly reproduce it in your next costume project.

You talk non-stop about bellydancing....to anyone, everyone.

You wear your class outfit --harem pants, crop top, hip scarf out in public....and those who know you don't bat an eye.

You look around your house for items you could sell in order to pay for the next cool workshop.

The makeup you wear at work now includes eyeliner, which you extend out past the eyes, Egyptian-style.

Your child goes around picking up beads, coins, and other lost items in hopes that you can make a new belt with found pieces.

The neighborhood girls come over, not to play with your child, but to learn more bellydance moves....and then you decide you might as well start a formal class for them too.

You have a passion for your sword.

Your house is now decorated in Middle Eastern styles.

Your furniture has been permanently moved to the walls so that you have more dance room. (I'm considering getting rid of the coffee table.)

#5 - yes, I got rid of cable and have Netflix for all the BD DVDs.

love this thread

when your husband goes to a guy bar with guy friends
and when the *girls* get up to dance and all his guy friends start to drool
he says lets go they cant dance to the beat and have lousy arms!!!!

your husband gets bored being dragged to BD shows (sanctioned half naked women showing off their breasts)

3m hooks are the bomba in the dorms!

OMG! I love this post! I'm still laughing over the animal comment. I just performed this weekend and Alexis' tribal group had this cool new move. I asked her about it. It's called the "Billie". She named it after her dog because there is an arm undulation where you add this head movement that looks like you are grooming yourself. It's the best!!

Also, you know you're a bellydancer when... you are stuck in DC traffic and have your music blasting and are doing mental choreography and you are so into what's going on in your head that you don't realize that your body has taken over and you are doing chest circles and the left hand (because right hand is driving) is out in front of you in some random egyptian pose and the people in the next car are looking at you like a dog that just smelled something bad.

Haha, you like that? either that or, "Keep your pants on, I'm a bellydancer, not a stripper - JACK@$$" but I don't think that would go over well when I park at church. : )

....you know you're a bd when you're in Target doing arabics in their new line of beaded slippers to see how flexible they are for dancing. .. (btw they're NOT at all...I was disappointed)

Great thread!

I've got another one:

when one of your main criteria for buying your first house is that it has a room that can be converted into a studio :)

You skip buying the $140 book for a grad class, drive over to another college to borrow the book for the semester because that's money you could be using elsewhere and look at everyone else in the class who spent a shitload of money on a book they'll never use again like they're all crazy.
(Nourhan Sharif two day workship-$100, Hipscarf from workshop-$40, saving money on your book so you can spend it on the workshop-priceless :)

Don't forget the sword and cane!

I get funny looks sometimes...

*** your cat has glitter in its fur

Good to know I'm not the only one. I have some others!

--You see sweaters and think, "That yarn might look great in a yarn belt."

--Anytime you see a movie/show with any semblance of bellydancing in it, you try to remember for later and critique as you watch. (latest I saw was in one of the episodes of Firefly.)

--You realize that most of your friends are bellydancers, and wonder if your few "normal" friends would feel left out at a party.

--Not only are you constantly mentally working on costuming, but working on costuming for different events. I.E., in case you ever had a St. Patrick's day show, you've got the perfect idea.

--At times, you daydream about big production shows. With the lights, the staging, etc.

--You now eat more Middle Eastern food in the last few years of bellydancing than you have eaten in your entire LIFE.

--You are trying to learn how to make Middle Eastern Food.

--You contemplate learning Arabic.

--You look for jobs in San Francisco just to live there for a couple years, poor as a churchmouse, to learn with the "greats".

--You have said, "Well, I not sure want my abs to be THAT flat."

--You've said, "ooooooooo. Jewelry," and walked off in a certain direction, leaving anyone with you to catch up.

--You have an unspoken agreement that you get to purchase ONE thing at any festival or workshop you attend.

--You surf the web for bellydance sites in your free time - AND at work.

--You've created a special "Drilling Practice" CD with music timed to provide a full workout.

--You have more Bellydance playlists on your iPod than any other playlists...which also have SOME bellydancing music in them.