But I'm not Goth!

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive"><U><I><U>October Archive</U></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Front Page"><U>Front Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Editorial"><U>Editorial</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GBD:Revelations"><U>GBD:Revelations</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gothla US"><U>Gothla US</U></A></div> <div> But I'm not Goth!</div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Music"><U>Music</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fashion"><U>Fashion</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fitness"><U>Fitness</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Public Service"><U>Public Service</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="16c87590.png" border=0 width="135" height="89" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#CC0033" FACE="Berlin Sans FB" >  |    </FONT> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Navel Magazine"><U>Home</U></A></div> <div> <B>But I am not Goth! - A guide to Gothic Belly Dance</B></div> <div> <I>by Eleyda Negrón</I></div> <bR> <div> For those who know me, they all will agree that I am always saying this phrase: “I am not Goth, I am just Goth-friendly.”  My husband is a bona-fide member of the Goth community and he introduced me to the Goth scene through clubs in San Francisco, StateCalifornia.  He is not always wearing black, he does not wear makeup, and his hair is not black. Play some Bauhaus,  Abney Park, or Dead Can Dance and you will realize he is indeed Goth.  That very first day I went to the club was the launch for the “Gothic Belly Dance” DVD and I saw a live presentation with Tempest and Ariellah.  That was love at first sight … I was attracted to them as a moth to a light bulb.</div> <div>  <object width="425" height="366"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvcGKFiO-xs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvcGKFiO-xs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="366"></embed></object>  </div> <bR> <div> Not everybody has a friend or relative in the Goth community.  Indeed, not all places have a really strong Goth community, and probably will never have that access.  So what is this whole Gothic thing?  For those who are not into clubbing, or can't understand all these belly dancers in black, or why they dress like vampires in February, let me introduce you to the Gothic Belly Dance in a friendly way.  Let me be your flashlight in this dark world.</div> <bR> <div> <B>What does Goth means?</B></div> <div> When you search for Goth, the main thing you might find at first is the explanation for the Gothic movement in Medieval art<I>.</I>  Obviously, this is not what we are talking about.</div> <bR> <div> Goth is a subculture that started in the United Kingdom back in the '70s, in some sense as a derivation of the punk musical movement.  As any other follower of a particular genre in music, Goths have their own fashion trends, language, and bands.  As Goth was growing from a simple music preference to a whole subculture, it also developed its own literature, philosophy, activities and such.  Many people in the Goth community like to dress in black clothing, sometimes incorporating elements of Medieval fashion.  Punk and Industrial elements such as flashy or neon colors, and metallic ornaments can be also seen, along with other elements like Celtic symbols, skulls, spiders, gravestones, bats, and so forth.  Their music is not usually “mainstream” even though they have some recognizable exponents like The Cure, Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance.  </div> <bR> <div> Dark themes are common, especially vampires.  Voltaire, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice are some of their favorite authors. Games such as Vampire: The Masquerade may be found in their collection.  When it comes to religion, they are very diverse. People who do not understand this community sometimes erroneously associate Goths with Atheism or Satanism. The Goth community does not sponsor any particular religion.  Many are pagan or Wiccan, but you will find people from every religion, including Christians.</div> <bR> <div> More than anything else, the Goth community explores the “dark side” of things; all things that the “mainstream” culture usually neglects or considers inappropriate, ugly, or just not desirable.  Because of this tendency, the Gothic community tends to actually welcome many things categorized as “alternative” socially and culturally. They explore what the mainstream rejects and accept things as a whole.  Many of them, if not all, will agree that they do not reject light or beauty; they just appreciate the “good things” through appreciating their antithesis.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>OK, but what is Gothic Belly Dance anyway?</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1b2dd490.jpg" border=0 width="477" height="329" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0">Gothic Belly Dance (GBD) evolved in different ways.  At least in California, USA, we will agree that Laura “Tempest” Schmidt is the pioneer on this genre, and many call her the “Gothmother”. She was the founder of the Gothic Belly Dance Resource, http://<A HREF="http://www.gothicbellydance.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gothicbellydance.com"><U>www.gothicbellydance.com</U></A>, a website dedicated to define and explore GBD, and her performances were probably the first called “Gothic”.  Gothic Belly Dance, in summary, is a fusion between belly dancing and he Goth subculture.  This fusion is noticeable through costume, music, and atmosphere.  Through the years, some unique dance moves have evolved from this dance like “Spooky Mayas” or “Bat Arms”, as well as other moves.  Most of the GBD dancers have an American Tribal Style background and can be considered a branch of Tribal Fusion, but there are belly dancers with a more traditional background that perform GBD as well.</div> <bR> <div> <B>But I am not Goth… Can I be a GBD'er?</B></div> <div> This is a very tricky question even if it does have a straight answer.  Though the answer is yes, anybody can participate and be a GBD, there are some issues we need to clarify.</div> <bR> <div> Gothic belly dancers can be divided in two groups, which I define this way:</div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Practical: </B>The practical Gothic Belly Dancer is an active member of the Goth community.  This particular belly dancer has a full knowledge of the subculture, music, and fashion and will incorporate all those into their dance. This dancer was a Goth first, and then became a belly dancer. </div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Theatrical:</B> The theatrical belly dancer is somebody that does not belong to the Goth subculture but their dance is inspired by the Goth subculture and/or dark themes they might use as their personal style or for special occasions, such as Halloween, special events, et al.  This dancer was a belly dancer first and then Goth.</div> <bR> <div> There are students (like me) who have a Gothic Belly Dancer teacher, yet they are not officially Gothic Belly Dancers.  Your teacher does not define your style.  It is a personal journey as to which path you choose for your performance, but it is probable that at some point in a small venue or “hafla” you will perform a Gothic piece and/or adopt certain specific moves as part of your repertoire.</div> <bR> <div> For me, both groups have their own advantages as well disadvantages.  The practical GBD'er knows styles, fashion and music.  They are dark by “nature” so transmitting those feelings and reflecting that tendency is easier for them.  They can dress in black, white, or even gold and will still be the dark souls that we all love, and you will know they are Goth.  Yet, they need to be aware that they still need to know belly dancing in order to be bellydancers, even if they are Goth or not.  Some Goth dancing styles are already slow and eclectic and might help them to learn belly dancing moves, yet they do need, like everybody else, to practice belly dancing and learn their basics before thinking about performing as a belly dancer.  Also, many will protest that Gothic Belly Dancers are not belly dancers; but the same has been said of other styles, right? But indeed, they will feel the pressure to prove to others they are belly dancers as well.</div> <bR> <div> On the other hand, theatrical GBD'ers started as belly dancers; therefore they know the importance of practice.  If it is just for an isolated event, like a Halloween show, and the performer knows they will never perform again that way, they might not even consider that to be GDB and probably the GBD community will think the same.  They might find intriguing and provocative all these new steps and attitude, and it might be actually be a very empowering and liberating experience, where they will be portraying a whole different character that they never played before.  Nevertheless, they will have the pressure to “translate” their darkness in the dancing and this might be difficult.  Gothic belly dancers can smile, they can wear almost whatever they want, but most of their dances will reflect emotions you usually don't see in other styles.  Emotions like fear and despair, or even death itself will be portrayed and the usually “happy” belly dancer might struggle with that dramatic department.  Also, they have the pressure to prove they are Goth and that sometimes makes dancers to cross the line and “try too hard” to be Goth.</div> <bR> <div> <B>How can I be a good Gothic Belly Dancer then?</B></div> <div> If you are Goth and want to be a Gothic Belly Dancer the answer is easy: drill, drill, drill.  Finding a good Goth Belly Dancer as a teacher would be the best option, because you will practice the basics in belly dance and they will know all those Goth moves that you will not find in other classes.  Also, you will listen to your Gothic music while drilling, which makes things even better for you. If not, don't panic.  Find a good belly dancing teacher whose style you like, and “spook” things up with your own dance moves, gestures, etc.  You can always buy DVDs with Gothic or Experimental Belly Dance to get some ideas.</div> <bR> <div> If you are a belly dancer who wants to be Goth there are several things to do.  Don't forget, you also need to drill. Tempest had a workshop called “Darkly Dramatic” which is all about the dark nature of stage presence - if she or any bona-fide Goth dancer is offering this workshop, go right away.  DVDs are always useful.  Acting classes might come in handy.  Of course, finding a Gothic teacher will help greatly.</div> <bR> <div> Take some time and explore websites to learn about the Goth music and subculture in general.  Also keep in mind that this is about exploring the “dark side”.  If you are a happy person it does not means you need to be sad, or afraid, or spooky all the time.  Being a little sassy or flirtatious, smirking mischievously, all those little things that you never explored in your dance … It is time to let them out.  Look inside you to YOUR dark side, and let it free.  Also, if you are uncertain how to dress, just go slowly.  You can wear a black choli, black jazz pants, and a hip scarf and be as goth as a belly dancing version of Dracula.</div> <bR> <div> <B>And if I don't want to be GDB?</B></div> <div> There's nothing wrong about not feeling a call towards Gothic Belly Dance.  It might not be your cup of tea.  If this is not the style you are looking forward to perform, just sit back and enjoy.  Do not ignore this art expression though. Explore it, play a little with it.  Not all the people who attend a burlesque workshop are looking forward to expose their bodies to everybody and stand in pasties and a thong; they might just want to overcome being shy.  Many Gothic Belly Dancers are into the slow, excruciating isolations, and have a strong stage presence that might help in your performance in general.  </div> <bR> <div> Gothic Belly Dance is probably the newest, and a promising belly dancing style. It is growing strong, and is here to stay. Embrace your darkness!</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>