What is the difference between American dancers and Arabic dancers?

You see, the Arabic dancer – not all of them, I’m talking about the real artists, the ones born with talent – when she is dancing, she is preparing her body for the next sentence of the music. She knows when this part of the music is going to end and when the next part will begin. The American girl does not know the music as well, and does not know when [the sentence] begins and when it ends, so she will be behind a split second.

How do you think dancers have changed from the dancers you saw in movies when you were a little girl?

Here we go back to the music thing: when you are dancing with a max of a 6 piece band there is a limit to the steps you do. It is different than dancing with an orchestra, 45 pieces and you need so many steps. The energy has changed, like life has changed. Things are faster now, with more movement. Tahia Carioca danced a whole song, moving all her body, but did not travel 4 feet. Now everyone moves so much.

How has the dance changed since you were performing?

Here we go back to the music thing: when you are dancing with a max of a 6 piece band there is a limit to the steps you do. It is different than dancing with an orchestra, 45 pieces and you need so many steps. The energy has changed, like life has changed. Things are faster now, with more movement. Tahia Carioca danced a whole song, moving all her body, but did not travel 4 feet. Now everyone moves so much.

What can a dancer do to help better understand the music?

When the American dancer dances with a CD or a tape she doesn’t make any mistakes because she knows the song; she choreographed it and knows when it begins and ends. When she dances with a live band to the same song that she knows from her CD, it will be different. It will have one beat more or one beat less. She has to be prepared for that.

The best way to be familiar with this kind of music? This is like a language, like talking. Somebody speaks English, somebody speaks Arabic? You are speaking the language of the music with your body. If you do not understand this “language”, how can your body speak it? I can’t speak Spanish, so how could I interpret for someone? An American doesn’t speak Arabic, so how can she interpret it? To avoid some of these mistakes, my advice is to listen to your own music, for your nationality: American, Spanish, or others, and have your body interpret your own music with movement. Make your body used to interpreting music, than it will get easier to do the same with other music.

Why do people look down on this dance?

The dance itself: there is nothing wrong with it. It is artistic movement. You sing the music in your body. It is all how you present [the dance] and some dancers present the movement in the wrong way.

Dancers do wear sexy costumes that are revealing.  Is this part of the problem?

So? Ladies who go swimming and wear a bikini, are they no good? Bellydancing costumes are like a uniform. You are moving every part of your body. You can’t wear a large dress with long sleeves and be able to show the movement. You can’t judge a person by a dance costume. You are on the stage to entertain; you are supposed to look pretty. That doesn’t mean you are a “bad” woman.