Kad sam s 18 godina ušla u svijet orijentalnog plesa, nije mi ni na kraj pameti bila ideja o stigmi koju, čini se, taj ples još uvijek ima. Ta, u 21. smo stoljeću, mislila je ‘mlada ja’. I mislila je krivo. Svijet nastupa je svijet u kojem se na trbušne plesačice (čast iznimkama) gleda kao na egzotične striptizete. Ples? To se nikad ne komentira. Kritike ili pohvale od neutralnog gledatelja, a ne od plesačice, dobijem rijetko. Ma što rijetko! Mogu ih nabrojati na prste jedne ruke. Ali zato uvijek padne koja pohvala za kostim. ‘Jao što se lijepo sjaji ta suknja dok treseš!’ I uvijek šaputanja i rasprave o tome koja je plesačica najljepša i ‘ima najbolje sise’.

Da ne duljim, sve to bilo mi je jednom rječju – nepojmljivo. Moja prva učiteljica plesa komentirala je jednom zgodom kako su je upravo zbog orijentalnog plesa prozvali kurvom. Zašto? Ali zar sada? I dalje? Predrasude?

Srećom, orijentalne plesačice u Hrvatskoj oštro su i bez zadrške odlučile stati na kraj toj negativnoj slici trbušnog plesa. Ples po klubovima, na momačkim večerama, u krčmama i na ostalim opskurnim mjestima gdje se na žene gleda kao na fin but u mesnici ne dolazi u obzir. Ples je ondje gdje i treba biti: u kazalištu ili na pozornicama festivala.

Ali i dalje mi nije jasno, odakle te predrasude? Neki će reći – kostimi. Ah, kostimi. Ali kad plesačica latino plesova ima dvije špagice na grudima i pareo koji otkriva guzu, to je sve samo ne vulgarno. To je umjetnost. A orijentalni, kao niža vrsta, bačen na pod. Kao da za izučavanje našeg plesa nije potreban talent, sati, dani, godine uvježbavanje, emocija, mekoća, elegancija… Ne. To se ne vidi. Vidi se zgodna dugonoga plesačica, najčešće okružena muškarcima koji joj fućkaju, u nekom late-night TV terminu. Kad ste vidjeli trbušni ples u Plesu sa zvijezdama? Kad ste vidjeli da se u emisiji prezentira ples Orijenta, a da se ne karikira miješanje guzom i uzvicima ‘Shakira, Shakira’.

No najviše me sablažnjavaju same plesačice. Pogotovo one koje su odustale od plesa jer se srame, a i one koje i dalje plešu al im je neugodno odgovoriti na pitanje ‘a koju vrstu plesa plešeš?’ Zar je onda čudno što nas drugi promatraju kao neke outsidere kad se i same sramimo onog što NAVODNO volimo? Kolike su talentirane plesačice, ekspresivne, energične, karizmatične… naprosto odustale jer su dobile posao. Muža. Obitelj. ‘Sad radim u xy uredu, molim te pobriši sve snimke i fotografije gdje sam ja u kostimima’. Često se čuje i ‘molim te nemoj me slikat na tom nastupu, vidjet će me šef’. A što ako te vidi? Zar se skidamo za novac ili možda plešemo?

Da, trbušni je ženstven. Da, može biti seksi. Ne, on nije prešetavanje u kostimu. Ne, on nije neka nova tvorevina. On ima svoju pozadinu prošlost, kulturu, inovatore, legende plesa, brojne stilove, fuzije… Mogu nabrajati u nedogled. Jedno je jasno:

Predrasuda prema trbušnom plesu, predrasuda je prema umjetnosti.

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When I entered the world of oriental dance at the age of 18, it was not at the end of my mind to think of the stigma that this dance still seems to have. We, in the 21st century, thought ‘young self’. And she thought wrong. The world of performances is a world where belly dancers (honoring exceptions) are seen as exotic strippers. Dance? That is never commented on. I rarely get criticism or praise from a neutral viewer, not a dancer. Rarely! I can count them on the fingers of one hand. But that’s why the praise for the costume always falls. ‘Wow, how beautiful is that skirt while you’re shaking!’ And always the whispers and debate about which dancer is the prettiest and ‘has the best boobs’.

Not to be outdone, all this was once a word to me – incomprehensible. My first dance teacher commented once that she was called a hooker because of her oriental dance. Why? But now? And so on? Prejudices?

Fortunately, oriental dancers in Croatia have sharply and unreservedly decided to put an end to this negative image of belly dancing. Dancing in clubs, at boys’ evenings, in pubs and in other obscure places where women are seen as a fine butcher in the butcher shop is out of the question. Dance is where it should be: in the theater or on the festival stages.

But I’m still not clear, where did this prejudice come from? Some will say – costumes. Ah, the costumes. But when a Latino dancer has two twigs on her chest and steam revealing her ass, it’s all just not vulgar. It’s art. And the Oriental, as a lower species, was thrown to the floor. It is as if learning our dance does not require talent, hours, days, years of exercise, emotion, softness, elegance … No. It’s not visible. You can see a handsome long-legged dancer, usually surrounded by men fucking her, in some late-night TV time. When did you see Belly Dance in Dancing with the Stars? When you saw that the show featured the dance of the Orient without caricaturing the shuffle and shouts of ‘Shakira, Shakira’.

But most of all I am seduced by the dancers themselves. Especially those who have given up dancing because they are ashamed and also those who are still dancing, but they are uncomfortable answering the question ‘what kind of dance are you dancing to?’ Is it weird, then, that others view us as some outsiders when we are ashamed of what we ALREADY love? How talented dancers, expressive, energetic, charismatic … just gave up because they got the job. Muse. Family. ‘Now I work in the xy office, please delete all the footage and photos where I am in costumes.’ It’s often heard and ‘please don’t take a picture of me at that show, the boss will see me’. And what if he sees you? Are we skimping on money or maybe dancing?

Yes, the belly is feminine. Yes, it can be sexy. No, he’s not a costume walker. No, he’s not some new creation. He has his background, past, culture, innovators, dance legends, numerous styles, fusions … I can list forever. One thing is clear:

Belly dance prejudice, art bias.