Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Metamorphosis, A Fantasy Bellydance Concert from Venus Uprising

METAMORPHOSIS
a Fantasy Bellydance Concert
featuring all-new choreographies, costumes and concepts
crafted to entice your heart and your senses.

"Immerse yourself in rich movement textures, sophisticated music, and the diverse aesthetics of contemporary bellydance, performed by trend-setting artists and born out of our passions, hopes, struggles and spiritual search.

Our theme for this edition is Transformation.
There are catalysts, journeys, and evolution in every dance..."

Hosted by the New York City bellydance salon Venus Uprising , this event is in its 3rd year of semi-annual concerts bringing together star dancers to create unique and unforgettable dance images, highlighting each artist's signature style.

The event will be held at Merce Cunningham studios. It's a big space,
but previous shows have been sold out... To purchase your
ticket, or for more information, visit

VENUS UPRISING EVENTS

October 2 Friday - 9 p.m.
October 3 Saturday- 8 p.m.
wine reception after Saturday's show

Merce Cunningham Studio,
55 Bethune Street, NYC , 11th Floor
(Greenwich Village, Bethune & Washington)

$30 adv | $35 door
INFO / TICKETS

Please note: No shoes allowed in theater.

5 comments:

  1. So I've noticed a definite increase in female nudity on this site. Is this some cheap ploy to boost your views? New hashtag: #professorshahadiisschemey

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  2. I wasn't sure what you meant and then I checked and saw that the bellydance post was followed up directly by the Galnida performance announcement. I'd scheduled them separately and didn't realisze they'd run back to back.

    You know, its interesting... I didn't hesitate to post the image of Galindo--she's nude, but that's part of her work-- but I am still not sure about this bellydance event. I went back and forth about it because I wondered if it wasn't playing into and perpetuating a sexist/ orientalist stereotype. And I'm still not sure.

    I think the idea of this performance scene--like the Burlesque scene, which is huge in New York--is to take this sketchy performance mode and reinvent it. That seems how Venus Uprising bill themselves, but I haven't seen them live so I am not sure.

    I know you are no prude, but are you bothered by these images? I'm really asking. Should I re-think them? Even the Galindo one?

    Let me know what you think.

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  3. Hm.Thought about it and could see how the Galindo picture could come across kind of porn-y. So I changed it out. Know what? It is kind of hard to find pictures of her with clothes on. She writes,

    "My body not as an individual body but as a social body, a collective body, a global body. To be or reflect through me, her, his or others experience; because all of us are ourselves and at the same time we are others. A body is therefore, a body of many people, that works and works itself, that resists and resists itself, because the world systems hurt, prevent, suffocate, exterminate; we in the meantime, don't conform to but survive, act, resist and create."

    Interesting, no? Still not sure about the bellydancing though.

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  4. Oh, man. Joseph hon, I was totally teasing you. I wasn't offended by the nudity at all. I just happened to notice scrolling down the page that there was lot more nekkid than usual. I kinda feel immature and unrefined for pointing it out now, like the little kid in the museum snickering at a statue's boobies. Thanks for being a grown-up, homeskillet. ::: hugs :::

    Is Galindo's employment of her nude body as an artistic device problematic? I'm going to defer to your superior judgment on that one. I remember being annoyed with the Christa controversy because of people's inability to process the nude female form as ANYTHING but sexual, and therefore vulgar, dirty, blah blah BLAHHHH. I'm wondering if I am falling into this same trap with Galindo? I hope not. Her work is unsettling, but it it unsettles brilliantly. I find her perspective - the body as a singular expression of a global collective - really intriguing (if just a smidge pretentious; guess it's allowed though, huh?)and stuff. Resistance art is still something I have TONS to read up on and learn about. I do think it's interesting that you had trouble finding pics of her clothed. Let's call that the Bai Ling Conundrum. /SCHNARK

    Now, with Venus Uprising, I sensed that you might be hesitant with the image you chose. For what it's worth, I think that photograph, with its whole "peacock" theme, is just lovely, but there's no denying the whiff of orientalism in it. My question is this: is there any way to remove orientalism from bellydancing at this point? In this country? I don't think there is; it seems minimized here though. Maybe that's as good as it gets.

    Your blog is still my favorite fruit-themed site, hands-down. Carry on. :o)

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