Its a long story - but the executive summary is this:

In 1996 my wife and I learned Greek folk dance - my very first experience with dance of any kind. Yea, I was a typical male with a typical male's excuse "I have 2 left feet". Well, I pretty much did, my experiences learning Greek dancing weren't pretty - but I fell in love with it, and several years later I was actually *teaching* Greek dance to a small group of co-workers once a week at noon.

One of them was a Belly Dancer. One day she called and asked me to come down to where we had our class a bit early as she wanted me to see her very first Belly Dance solo - and wanted my opinion. "I don't know anything about Belly Dance" I told her. "It doesn't matter, you're a *dancer*" came her reply.

So I watched her go through her solo several times. I loved the beauty, and I loved the connection with the music. "I have *got* to do this!" I said to myself, "I want this beauty for myself.".

So, I went to my first class, and the rest is history.

My site address is buried in my profile, but here it is:

http://www.doubleveil.net

Enjoy!

If you really want to, you can! Just be prepared to be a klutz for awhile - I'm living proof that ANYONE can dance, TRUST ME!

Find a dance form that interests you, and go take some classes. Don't worry about looking/being clumsy - that's what the class is for!

Luger Holster Repair ----- Sonny..well maybe a 173rd did now and then but no one in the 101st did.
The 101st never burnt down any PX's either! The 173rd has that honor.. We weren't banned from every R&R post in Viet Nam for wearing silk panties! Didn't the 101 go leg?


I was also a member of the 101st (1961-1963) and at that time we were all Airborne qualified but I believe that that has not been the case for quite some time now, I believe many are Legs now. While I have never had the urge to wear ladies underwear I did experience an embarrassing moment when my wife, I was married and lived off post, washed my long johns in with something red and they all came out a bright pink, shortly after that we had a Field Problem lasting several days one January and I wanted to wash up and change into some clean clothes, forgetting that my long johns were bright pink, took awhile to live that down. :o

And I crawled up outta the water on metal treads...! :cheers:

OOH RAH!

Gunny John

A Marine Treadhead!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbup:

Our repelling ropes were tied to Heaven's Gates...it was a loooong way to the ground. :thumbsup:

They went to Nam in 65 as the 101st Airborne Div and returned the 101st Airborne Div (Air Mobile) If I remember correctly, the 1st Cav was the first to be designated 'Air Mobile' and because it was the way to mobilize in Nam, the 101st became the second Air Mobile in 68 but still had one Bde airborne qualified. Later designated "Air Assault" after returning stateside. At that time the 173rd was deactivated and made 3rd Bde 101st and was the airborne Bde but that has been deleted and became Air Assault also a few years later. I crossed paths with the 173rd both in Nam and Ft Campbell when they returned from Nam. The first thing they did was set up a Belly Dancing School at Ft Campbell............:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

Best we get this thread back to Belly Dancing before any belly buttons start popping!!!!!!!!!!!!!:roflmao:

not yet!!
 

We still need to determine who can, and can-not jump out of aircraft.. with or without a chute... or rope?? ....:eek:.....And at this point in the discussion, I still am un-able to dance in any acceptable fashion??? ...:eek:... These issues need to be addressed.. :):)... best to all, til...lat'r...GT:cheers:

I use to do one hell of a Jitterbug back in England just before Normandy. Blimey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roflmao:

Zormpas, when I first saw your avatar the first thing I thought was "he must be a relative of Boy George" but I didn't say anything. Didn't want to be rude. You'll have to do alot more belly dancing so you can keep up with your new addiction!!

Yea, tell me about it. I have too many interests/hobbies as it is: Sewing and collecting antique sewing machines were a spin-off from my dancing - nothing like well oiled reciprocating cast iron. I have a 28 year old Mercedes diesel that keeps me busy, I restored an antique piano and "torture Beethoven" with it, plus keeping things fixed up around the house. Some of these things aren't exactly compatible with pretty fingernails!

And yes, then there's the Luger - I have a "thing" for good German engineering (hence the old Benz). Now I'm Jonesing for a Ruger Mk III target pistol too. My wife wants a .22 revolver to play with, and we have several other firearms. Where does *this* end?

To steer this away from 'Dirt Darts' and back to the subject.

Don't knock Belly Dancing. My Daughter is taking classes. This is her instructor, I plan on attending more of their performances. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4P73O7ggw

"They went to Nam in 65 as the 101st Airborne Div and returned the 101st Airborne Div (Air Mobile) If I remember correctly, the 1st Cav was the first to be designated 'Air Mobile' and because it was the way to mobilize in Nam, the 101st became the second Air Mobile in 68 but still had one Bde airborne qualified. Later designated "Air Assault" after returning stateside. At that time the 173rd was deactivated and made 3rd Bde 101st and was the airborne Bde but that has been deleted and became Air Assault also a few years later. I crossed paths with the 173rd both in Nam and Ft Campbell when they returned from Nam. The first thing they did was set up a Belly Dancing School at Ft Campbell............" Noncom Retired


Thanks for the info Ed, wasn't aware of the Belly Dancing School. In my case jumping out of an aircraft was a lot easier to learn than trying to learn to dance, no sense of rhythm.

I would say your daughter has a good instructor. You don't see floorwork done very often in a Tribal environment - floorwork always impresses.

There's a vague chance that my wife and/or myself may be performing in a troupe at TribalFest next year. Our Tribal-Fusion instructor has been invited to teach there.

I'm pretty much a Cabaret style dancer (What people generally think of when they think of Belly Dance, all glitz and glamour), but I dabble in Tribal style.

She looks familiar and if she is who I think she is....don't tell her where I am. :thumbup:

it went underground when the 101st returned to Campbell. :thumbsup:

Well..I guess it's not my thing. The girls wear too many clothes and the music is irritating. Similar to opera..it's a struggle to sit and watch it. I guess I is unkultured.

When I first started Greek dance - never mind Belly dance - I thought the music sounded like a pair of cats duking it out in a (running) clothes dryer. Although an appreciation for the music has grown on me, some of it still sounds that way!

I am confused. Is belly dancing a dancing style of Greek, or Indian??

Neither really, although you'll find Belly Dancing in both places. The probable center of the Belly Dance world is Egypt - although the Lebanese and the Turks might argue about that. Its generally considered "Middle Eastern", although the Western world has had quite the influence on it on the last century or so - especially Hollywood. The familiar 2 piece costume is a Hollywood invention that spread back "over there". Some of the vets from the sandbox might have seen some Belly Dance of one form or another.

Zorba, Is the Greek dancing the type where they clap and yell OPA! and balance tables etc. in the air or is that all hollywood stuff?