Belly Dance Ethics

Ethics in belly dance has been and -forever will be- an issue within belly dance communities. There are many fine lines. The balance of cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Some of us are in belly dance because it is our happy place, while others hustle it for a living.

This month I surveyed dancers to find out what the climate was in the belly dance world. I was really excited to see such positive feedback from the survey. NO ONE indicated that any of the issues listed were NOT important (I know, that’s a double negative). It makes me happy to know ALL of these issues weigh on us as dancers and lovers of the dance.

Also exciting is that I received responses from all areas of the state- North, South, East and West- and even a couple from out of state! It's good to hear the voices of those outside of our small community. 

What are your thoughts? Are there additional issues you think are of concern? Would you be interested in a community discussion (virtual) about these topics? Let me know! And a big thanks to those of you who completed the survey.

Keep shimmying.

Theresa