Should Cheryl Burke take a break from DWTS? 5/23/12

Dancer Tribute 5/23/12: Cheryl Burke (San Francisco, CA)

What a great Finale on Dancing with the Stars last night! I am so glad that DONALD DRIVER & PETA won! I have been rooting for them since my blog on 3/20/12.

By comparison, last year I sort of rooted for Cheryl & Rob Kardashian. This year I hoped & prayed that WILLIAM LEVY & CHERYL BURKE would NOT Win!!!

Why?

Too much over-scoring of basic dances done by William by the judges.
Too much William “PIMPING”
Too many lap dances, shirtless dancing and dancing around William
Not enough dance talent by William, even though the beefcake was nice
The Judge Pandering to ABC due to the Latin American TV deal made the over-scoring worse and the judges comments look fake
The judges lost their CREDIBILITY this season by obviously over-scoring William & Cheryl (The Royal Couple) while under-scoring Donald & Peta
I love all things DWTS and my favorite articles are by Pure Dancing with the Stars, especially when written by John and Courtney.

I noticed a lot of posts by this group and also message boards and forums that the JUDGES NEED TO BE REPLACED and that CHERYL BURKE needs to take a break for a season.

The worst thing about Cheryl’s choreography this season was that is was PREDICTABLE! Even Donald Driver and Len Goodman mentioned this. Also Katherine Jenkins remarks, “We’re not about taking off clothes. It’s about the dancing for us.”

Being PREDICTABLE equals being BORING & STALE! And being Boring is the worst thing any performer can do. Why not bother watching a performer, if they are going to do the same thing again and again and again.

William & Cheryl’s dances this season were all about Cha Cha, Samba, ass-shaking, bump & grinds. Which was cool the first time, but then the 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th time, I would just glance over it, yawn, and count the minutes until the next commercial break. I’m sorry, but William’s good looks can only go so far when it comes to dancing. Non-dancers noticed the lack of skill and easy, safe, predictable routines. As a dancer, it really stood out, because I’m not so simple to just watch him and say he deserves 10s based on looks alone.

Sure, sometimes we do like to hear/see our favorite performers do their hit song again and again. I never get tired of Michael Jackson performing Smooth Criminal. And what about watching Elizabeth Taylor’s entrance scene in Cleopatra? What about Rita Moreno performing “A Boy Like That” in West Side Story? I just love the side reference that she went to see a production of West Side Story on her new show Happily Divorced, and also so glad that the producers gave her a chance to sing in one of the episodes.

Anyhoo. Sometimes I root for Cheryl in some seasons and sometimes I feel sorry for Cheryl when she gets saddled with “horrible” dancers like Wayne Newton and Tom DeLay. That was so painful to watch. Cheryl really got cheated in Season 11 when she & Rick Fox got the boot, and Bristol Palin had the NERVE to be in the Finals. Another example of the judges being FAKE and over-scoring a non-talented performers to please the producers.

I’m so glad that actual DANCE TALENT prevailed this season. The producers did great by letting the true dancers win – Donald & Peta. I would have been so pissed off if William Levy won a dance content, based on looks and over-scoring. ‘

By the way, no way that MARIA & DEREK should have in 4th place. In a real world, with no over-scoring and pimping the line up should have been:

Donald and Peta, winner
Maria & Derek, 1st runner up (or WINNER)
Roshon & Chelsie, 2nd runner up
Katherine & Mark, 3rd runner up

I don’t think that Cheryl & William even deserved 3rd place. They should not have made it that far do to Judges over-scoring and pimping of the Royal Couple. And truth be told, William should have left before Jaleel, if you are looking at dance talent alone. MARIA & DEREK WERE ROBBED THIS SEASON!!!

Who do you think should have won this season & why?

All personal grudges aside from this season, I truly feel that CHERYL is the QUEEN dancer on Dancing with the Stars and LOUIS VAN AMSTEL is the KING or Alpha male dancer on Dancing with the Stars. Sorry Maks.

Watch the costumes that are worn by Cheryl & Louis and the respect that the other dancers show them. Also Cheryl has the best of the best of the best COSTUMES on DWTS! She has the most beads, the most fringe and her costumes are the most ORNATE. Even her shoes seems to be more bedazzled. Louis seems to do more group choreographies of all of the other dancers on the show. And usually when it is the pros doing a choreography, he and Cheryl are paired together.

And when you are the QUEEN BEE, the last thing on your mind is taking a break. But if you have a season of PREDICTABLE, BORING & STALE dances, then maybe you should consider some time off.

Cheryl8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Burke
http://www.strictlycheryl.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2150519/
http://www.accesshollywood.com/cheryl-burke-reveals-pain-over-weight-gain-criticism-and-affair-rumors-on-dancing_article_44099
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Should Cheryl Burke take a break from DWTS?

May 9 2012

Belly Dance Tribute 5/9/12: Adam Basma (Los Angeles, CA) original Tweet 10/12/11. What are your favorite Music CDs or Performances by Adam Basma?

Belly Dance Tribute 5/9/12: Adam Basma (Los Angeles, CA) original Tweet 10/12/11

Adam is the MAN when it comes to Belly Dance!

Dancer
Choreographer
Dance Troupe Director
Music CD Producer/Director
Video DVD Producer/Director

Wow! Is there anything that the brilliantly talented Adam Basma can’t do?

I LOVE his music, his videos, his dance performances, his dance troupe. They are so fabulous, talented and inspiring.

He is ONE OF THE BEST OF THE BEST in Middle Eastern Dance.

I am a huge fan of Adam Basma, so it was an honor to be able to INTERVIEW him for this blog. This comes straight from Adam:

1. Who influenced you in dance? Super Star Singer Sabah of Lebanon

2. Who are some of your favorite dancers? Samia Jamal 1950

3. All of your CDs are fabulous, but do you have a personal favorite CD or song? Adam Basma Drum Solo and Dance With Basma

4. Who are some of your favorite musicians? All of them

5. Do you plan to tour nationwide?

Yes ,now we have an office in Las Vegas For The Dance Co and The Adam Basma Foundation. We have a big Plan Wish Me Good Luck. We are working with the best Arabic Music Distributer Maqam From Chicago www.maqam.com. Listen to there radio maqam.com. The Best Middle Eastern Music
Thank you
Love
Adam Basma

Adam Basma Foundation
http://adambasmafoundation.com
Adam Basma Music & Dance Co.
http://www.adambasma.com
Tel:213 400-2525 Tel: 310 854-3500
Los Angeles,California

It was an honor to hear back directly from Mr. Basma. I have each and every one of Adam Basma’s Music CDs and I LOVE them all! If you don’t own them, I highly recommend that you add them to your music collection. You can purchase them from Maqam music, using this link:

http://www.maqam.com/adambasma.html

HATS off of to one our our greatest Middle Eastern Musicians and Dancers – Mr. Adam Basma!

Adam6 http://www.adambasma.com/
http://www.maqam.com/adambasma.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Basma-Dance-Company/106239492743881
https://twitter.com/#!/adambasma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabah_(singer)
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I will be posting some of my original Dancer Tributes in WordPress, only the early ones that were in Twitter only, not WordPress. Back when I first starting posting the dancer tributes on Twitter I only had 2 subscribers. Now that I have more, I realized that a lot of people missed my early dancer tributes. But as I am reposting those, I will also keep adding new content for topics like Dance Choreography, new Dancer tributes, etc.

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Apr 27 2012

Dance Tribute 4/27/12: Tap Dance! Who is your favorite Tap Dancer or favorite Tap Dance Routine?

Dance Tribute 4/27/12: Tap Dance!

Okay, so I took tap dance lessons as a kid back in the 1960s. Yep, I’m old. And to this day, I can still remember that song played on the piano at Smith Sisters Dance Studio. It was so cool having tap dance lessons with a real piano player. I usually teach to cassettes and CDs, so most dance students don’t get a chance to study with real, live music.

Tap dance was one of my favorite dance classes. It’s much harder than it looks. I remember taking Flamenco dance workshops and that challenging footwork reminded me of my tap lessons.

I’m a big sucker and huge fan of the old movie musicals, especially those from the 1930s. In particular, I love seeing tap dances by Eleanor Powell, The Nicholas Brothers and Bill Bonjangles!

I had a copy of That’s Entertainment on VHS and I would watch it all the time with my granddaughters. We have so much fun watching our favorite dance scenes and then getting up to dance along with them. I just got That’s Entertainment parts 1, 2 & 3 on DVD (Blue-Ray, no less) and so glad that now I can just skip to my favorite scenes instead having to fast forward and rewind a VHS tape.

The movie musicals from the 1930s are my favorite. That was the Golden Age for musicals, that has not ever been topped since.

Everyone has their favorite TAP DANCERS or favorite TAP DANCE SCENES from movies or TV clips, such as Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, the list goes on and on.

Here are my FAVORITE TAP DANCERS & TAP SCENES:

1. THE QUEEN OF TAP – Eleanor Powell. Wow can this lady dance! She is the best tap dance soloist in the world in the history of time. I love all of the turns, flips, kicks, stops and also creativity in mixing tap with Hula or Matador style. Did she introduce or INVENT PASO DOBLE?

2. THE BEST TAP DUET EVER – The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard & Harold. Did you know that Debbie Allen, Janet Jackson & Michael Jackson studied with them? Makes sense. As I said before you can’t go wrong in dance if you just do what Debbie Allen does. And Michael Jackson, what a dance perfectionist! He could have had a career in Tap – one of the best modern day tappers.

3. THE BEST TAP DANCE SCENE IN A MOVIE – The Gold Diggers of Hollywood, Lullaby to Broadway. I remember the old clips of this movie and my favorite scene is when they shoe the UNDERNEATH view of the 3 dudes tapping so hard, I thought they could tap their feet to death, LOL!

4. THE CUTEST KIDS TAP DANCING – Of course Shirley Temple, tap dancing in many of her movies. I love seeing her dance with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Honorable mention to Janet Jackson tap dancing on the Jacksons Show.

5. THE BEST MUSICAL FILM DIRECTOR OF ALL TIME – Busby Berkeley. The man with a vision. The man that gave you dance and singing from a DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. He changed movie and musical history by inventing and reinventing musicals.

I had a day off work today and spent many hours viewing some of my past favorite tap dancers. It was so much fun watching so I would like to share my favorite tap dancers and tap dance scenes with you:

One of my favorite dances by Eleanor Powell, the Queen of Tap!

WOW! I love it whenever I watch this clip. One of the best all-time dance scenes ever! Thrilling! I can’t believe the jump/splits on the stairs. And how close they were to the musicians, I thought one dude was gonna be kicked in the head LOL.

I LOVE this dance! So creative to mix Hula & Tap. Love the turns and quick stops in the turns. Fabulous!

It’s good to see a Show Judge “PRACTIC WHAT THEY PREACH” by showing that they really can dance! Nigel, you think you can dance, YOU CAN DANCE! I hope they show more of Nigel dancing and choreographing dances in future episodes of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!

Again, a great mix of dance styles, this time tap & Paso Doble. By the way, you don’t see this style very often in old movie musicals. Did Eleanor Powell introduce Paso Doble for future Ballroom Dance?

Love watching Mr. Tap, Bill Bojangles Robinson. I watch this with my granddaughters and they get up and imitate Shirley Temple. They are as cute as she is.

Check the 3 dudes tapping real hard at 1:50. Damn! They are tapping their asses off! I love how they show the 3 viewpoints, the front view, overhead and UNDERNEATH so you can see the shoes tapping. The shoes tapping is one of my favorite, favorite dance scenes.

This is PRICELESS! My favorite singing group the Jackson 5 with Janet, LaToya & Rebbie TAP DANCING with The NICHOLAS BROTHERS!!! Michael is really holding his own and is a damn good tapper. And Janet is just so cute!!!

I love the Jackson 5 show because it had contemporary favorites like their hit songs. But the best thing about the show was that it allowed the Jackson Family to branch out and show a WIDE VARIETY of music and dance styles. The talented Jackson Family was not LIMITED to doing the songs from their time, I loved when they did OLD HOLLYWOOD STYLE and did it GREAT! The scene at 6:16 is sort of like a PREMONITION of SMOOTH CRIMINAL, LOL.

Bill Bonjangles is tearing those steps up! Wow! He is the King of Rhythm! And little Shirley Temple is CUTE AS A BUTTON!

Gregory Hines does the SHIM SHAM dance in one of my favorite movies, The History of the World: Part I

Sammy Davis Jr. still going strong in 1990 with Gregory Hines!

Sammy Davis Jr – BURNING THOSE TAP SHOES UP!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busby_Berkeley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%22Bojangles%22_Robinson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nicholas_Brothers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Powell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Lythgoe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Hines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis,_Jr.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000923/
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Who is your favorite Tap Dancer or favorite Tap Dance Routine?

Apr 20 2012

Performer Tribute 4/20/12: Cher (El Centro, CA) original Tweet 10/11/11. Who inspired you to perform?

Performer Tribute 4/12/12: Cher (El Centro, CA) original Tweet 10/11/11

Consciously or sub-consciously, a performer or someone inspired you to perform. Think about it?

James Brown and Jackie Wilson inspired Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson inspired Usher, Hanson and a host of other generations of performers

Whitney Houston has inspired a generation of performers

Marilyn Monroe inspired many, many different performers

Cute, little Willow Smith reminds me so much of a young Jada Pinkett or Will Smith

The late, great Dick Clark inspired Ryan Seacrest and many other popular TV & Radio hosts

The list goes on and on. And it makes me wonder who inspired me to dance?

Well, looking back, seems like I was a sucker and magnet for all things Rhinestone, bling, glitter & fringe – so let’s blame that on Tina Turner and Cher.

Also, I love big, wild Diva Wigs and trying to sing, so let’s blame that on Diana Ross and Cher.

I love dancing and watching performers who dance well in their stage shows, so let’s blame that on Debbie Allen and Cher.

I love costume designers with fabulous costumes and the performers who wear them like Bob Mackie and Cher.

Also I love glamorous, exotic make up so let’s blame that on Elizabeth Taylor and Cher

Hey, wait – let’s blame everything on Cher!!! The Diva who has it all: bling, wigs, singing, dancing, costumes makeup, etc.

Cher has it all!

I would LOVE to meet Cher in person one day and just look at her Wig Room and Costume Rooms. I’m not sure if she has been in a TV special where they show that, but I would love to see it.

Cher is a hero, from acting to singing to dancing to her wigs, to her costumes to her famous Vegas Shows to her movies! Wow! She has done it all. And there are not that many performers around who have been able to change and keep up with all of the different music and fashion styles for many decades and generations like Cher, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin. They have all survived my favorite music era: DISCO and keep up, stay in style and keep it moving and grooving.

I remember watching the Sony & Cher show back in the day. Little Chastity was so sweet back then. It was great when they showed her. I also loved it when she danced with the Jackson 5. Not many performers can pull that off, but Cher did and looked pretty cool doing it.

I follow Cher on Facebook and Twitter and it was so cool when Chaz was on Dancing with the Stars. It was exciting when they announced that Cher would be coming to support Chaz.

Underneath all that stage makeup, diva costumes, wigs and bling is a real human, a mother to Chaz and a former wife to Sony.

It would so cool for Cher to make a video for DIVA WANNABEs. Or have a Reality show called Cher’s Top Divas. I would certainly audition. Are you listening Cher?

I know it’s not Cher, but could not resist throwing in this one with Jackson 5 and Vicki Lawrence from The Carol Burnett show. Who knew Mama from Mama’s Family could boogie dance so good with the J5?

Here is Cher with the J5

Cher6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher
http://www.cher.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000333/
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Apr 12 2012

Entertainer Tribute 4/12/12: RuPaul (San Diego, CA). Who is your most beautiful entertainer?

Entertainer Tribute 4/12/12: RuPaul (San Diego, CA)

NEWS HEADLINE – 4/11/12 – 4/12/12: ASHLEY JUDD HAS A PUFFY FACE!

I was upset when I read those headlines today. I agree with Ashley 100% that it is woman-hating!

Men are never dissed for having puffy faces, puffy bellies, gray hair, wrinkles or stretch marks. Only women.

This is such a narcissistic society that only in America do you see crazy headlines like this.

It is to me a form of bullying as well. Why are people picking on Ashley and being so critical of her looks?

She is a great actress and I always enjoy her movies. I don’t watch her movies for beauty, I watch them for her acting talent. Regardless, that is so shallow and stupid for people to even bring that up.

Which brings up the question: WHO IS YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL ENTERTAINER?

I have always thought performers like Diana Ross, Cher, Lena Horne, Elizabeth Taylor and including Ashley Judd are both talented and beautiful.

But one performer sticks out in my mind as the most BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. Guess who? RUPAUL!!!

That sounds crazy, but Rupaul looks better than most women, even though he is a man in drag.

If I could meet any performer in person and ask for tips on great makeup for entertainers, hair styling tips and fashion sense, it would be Rupaul.

Hell, he looks way better than me!

He works the makeup, wigs and costumes better than most women.

Sure, sometimes he goes overboard and looks too much like a DRAG QUEEN. But most of the time, he does look like a very beautiful woman. Puffy cheeks and all. I am truly envious of RuPaul. I agree with Rupaul’s statement about wigs and makeup being so important in show business. I would LOVE to have Rupaul give me a makeover. Check out his/her shows on Logo TV.

Rupaul5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul
http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-RuPaul/7911778
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Judd
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Mar 31 2012

Dancer Tribute 3/31/12: Geoffrey Holder (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad). What is your favorite movie or dance scene from Geoffrey Holder?

Dancer Tribute 3/31/12: Geoffrey Holder (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad)

Does anyone out there LOVE The Cosby Show?

I was a huge fan of the show and enjoyed all 8 seasons. But my favorite season of all was Season 5. I LOVED the opening credits dance that was choreographed by Geoffrey Holder. And being a Belly Dancer myself, I loved the Snake Arms towards the end in particular.

You sure can tell that Phylicia Rashad (Debbie Allen’s big sister) has had dance lessons.

But even before The Cosby Show Season 5 credits, I also remember enjoying Geoffrey Holder in one of my favorite movies, as Punjab in Annie. I love the dance scene with Ann Reinking, Roger Minami and Geoffrey Holder!

I also remember his 7-Up commercials from the 1970s, the UnCola and his famous line, Absolutely Marvelous!

The James Bond movie franchise has had bad eggs and some really good ones. I loved Live & Let Die. I liked the soundtrack by Paul McCartney & Wings, I loved the performance by Jane Seymour and also the crazy character Baron Samed played by none other than Geoffrey Holder.

What a talented man he is:

Dancer
Choreographer
Actor
TV Commercial Spokesperson
Painter
Costume Designer
Singer
Director
Voice Over Actor

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS = GEOFFREY HOLDER!

geoffrey5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Holder

http://www.earwolf.com/2011/10/know-your-cosby-show-intro/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390305/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390305/bio
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Mar 30 2012

Dancer Tribute 3/30/12: Debbie Allen (Houston, TX) original Tweet 10/10/11, Who is your favorite triple threat performer?

Dancer Tribute 3/30/12: Debbie Allen (Houston, TX original Tweet 10/10/11

I have a saying that describes my performing motto: JUST DO WHAT DEBBIE DOES!!!

You can’t go wrong if you follow the path of Debbie Allen!

Dancer
Choreographer
Singer
Broadway Star
Actress
Director
Producer
Dance Studio Director
Emmy Winner
Academy Awards Choreographer

What can’t Debbie do?

There is no performing road block that Debbie can’t tackle with her magnificent talent, determination and strength.

She opened so many doors of dance, that NO ONE, I mean NO ONE will be able to conquer the Dance World like Debbie did. In fact, like Katherine Dunham before her, Debbie also integrated and KICKED DOWN the glass ceiling when it came to directing and producing.

If I could come back reincarnated as any performer, it would be Debbie Allen.

There are not many performers that I admire that have so many works that I admire. I loved her performances in Broadway shows like Purlie, West Side Story and Sweet Charity. I loved her acting in TV shows like FAME, All of Us, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Quantum Leap, In The House and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! And I love it when I see Debbie’s name as a director for shows like Girlfriends, Hellcats and The Parkers!

Debbie has so many incredible performances that it would be hard to pinpoint my favorite, but I can try to narrow it down to my TOP 3:

1. Choreographer for 1983 65th Oscar Awards Live to “A Whole New World” from the movie Aladdin. The Belly Twins (Veena & Neena) and Atlantis did a great job of performing in that telecast.
2. The Debbie Allen special. I have a copy of this somewhere on a VHS, but I remember Debbie Allen “Belly Dancing” in a yellow costume.
3. Debbie Allen as Joanna Chapman in Quantum Leap episode of “Private Dancer.” http://www.tv.com/shows/quantum-leap/private-dancer-60523/

I can sing my praise of Debbie Allen all day and all night, but let me close by saying: DO WHAT DEBBIE DOES and you will never go wrong in Dance! Debbie thank you for inspiring me and so many other dancers, you are a NATIONAL DANCE TREASURE!

Debbie5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Allen
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000739/bio
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=allendebbie
http://www.debbieallendanceacademy.com/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/allen.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000739/
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Mar 20 2012

Dancer Tribute 3/20/12: Peta Murgatroyd (Perth, Australia). What was your favorite dance on DWTS?

Dancer Tribute 3/20/12: Peta Murgatroyd (Perth, Australia)

Peta and Ron Artest were the first couple eliminated on last year’s Season 13 of Dancing with the Stars.

Peta was unlucky 13 last year, but boy did she come back fighting this year!!!

I sort of expected that Peta and her partner would be terrible last night. I was in for a sweet surprise, they performed my favorite dance of the evening! Their Cha Cha had me on the edge of my seat. And when they got that HUGE standing ovation, I was in shock and clapping for them at home too.

I was shocked at the low scores for Peta and her partner Donald Driver. DANG ON STINGY JUDGES!

They really deserved more than a score of 21.

Shame on you Carrie Ann, Len & Bruno!

Sometimes the judges on DWTS are too WIMPY when dishing out bad news to the truly BAD dancers who stink – are you listening MelissaGilbertisstiffasaboard and TonyDovolanialwaysgetshorribledancerslikeMartinaNavratilova!!!

Bless their poor hearts Melissa and Martina, I know ya’ll doing your best, but if the dancing is terrible, give them 4s and 5s the score they truly deserve.

When the judges REWARD BAD DANCERS, that is when I really hate watching Dancing with the Stars. They show so much FAVORITISM and will encourage a bad dancer with good scores, when they need to encourage the good dancers with good scores.

Like then they kept theoriginalstiffboarddancerBristolPalin on for weeks and weeks and ilovehimbutstayedlongerbecauseCherwascomingBono!

DWTS Judges, be fair, be honest, it is such as turn off then the judges play favorites. Even though Peta was eliminated 1st last year, give her a fighting change because she is doing really good and deserves better scores than 21!!!

By the way, I loved how Peta’s costume top looked very similar to a Belly Dance costume, so perhaps I’m a bit biased too, sorry.

I am proud to love #teamdrivingmisspeta, and I will be voting next week for Peta again, VOTE 1-800-868-3403

Petra4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peta_Murgatroyd
http://www.petamurgatroyd.com/
http://www.petamurgatroyd.com/aboutpeta.html
twitter.com/petamurgatroyd
www.facebook.com/pages/Peta-Murgatroyd/250964298287199
For more Dance Gossip & Goodies, check out my book, "Learn to Belly Dance Textbook" available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learn-to-belly-dance-textbook-certification-program-shalimar-ali/1105014103?ean=9781465346582&itm=1&usri=9781465346582
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Now is your time to Join the Conversation! Comments, questions, concerns, controversy, rebuttals, tributes, blogs, guest bloggers, etc., are all welcome!

What was your favorite dance on Dancing With the Stars Season 14 Premiere 3/10/12?

Mar 19 2012

Belly Dancer Tribute 3/19/12: Didem Kinali (Turkey). Is it wrong to mix dance styles like Turkish & Flamenco?

Belly Dancer Tribute 3/19/12: Didem Kinali (Kuştepe, Turkey)

I subscribe to many belly dance videos on YouTube and was going through my new videos today and caught a new video by one my favorite dancers in the world: Didem Kinali.

I happened to view some of the comments on one of her YouTube videos and was a bit shocked at the complaints about her dancing to Flamenco style music,

Say what, is there a Dance Police out there who is saying thou must only dance to one dance style during one routine? So if you are a Turkish dancer, your set must contain only Turkish music? Or if you are an Egyptian dancer, your set must contain only Egyptian music? Thou must not ever, never mix music style, for example using Greek & Turkish songs in the same set. Or using Arabic & Lebanese music in the same set.

BLAH! What ever happened to artistic license, individuality, freedom of (dance) speech? Not to mention BOREDOM, only using one style of music or using the style of music set forth by the Dance Police?

I like to MIX things up. If you are dancing at a Greek restaurant, what’s wrong with using both Greek & Turkish music? What about songs like Amayaguena by the Trans Arabian Band that has elements of Spanish and Arabic style? What we are not supposed to ever mix dance styles?

I love the Flamenco music and steps performed by Didem. Rock on Didem, you are one of the best dancers in the WORLD! Pay no attention to the “negative” comments by the naysaying Dance Police. Keep on doing those great dances, using any dance style mix that you like!

The wait is over! Tonight is the Season 14 premiere of Dancing with the Stars at 8/7 Central! I can’t wait to see Steve Urkel dance! Then Castle is doing a dance-related episode at 10/9 Central. This will be fantastic night of dancing for any all dance styles that you love, whether it’s ballroom, bellydance, Turkish, Flamenco. Dancing makes the world a better place to live in.

Didem4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didem_(belly_dancer)
http://www.thebellydancers.net/directory/turkey/didem-kinali.html
For more Dance Gossip & Goodies, check out my book, "Learn to Belly Dance Textbook" available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learn-to-belly-dance-textbook-certification-program-shalimar-ali/1105014103?ean=9781465346582&itm=1&usri=9781465346582
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Is it wrong to mix dance styles like Turkish & Flamenco?

Mar 11 2012

Belly Dancer Tribute 3/11/12: Nagwa Fouad (Egypt) original Tweet 10/9/11. Who is the queen of Egyptian Belly Dance?

Belly Dancer Tribute 3/11/12: Nagwa Fouad (Egypt) original Tweet 10/9/11

Who is the queen of Egyptian Belly Dance?

There are many contenders, past queens, new queens, imposters and posers.

We all love seeing the top belly dancers in Egypt – past & present from Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamal, Liz & Lyn Jamal Twins, Nagwa Fouad, Soheir Zaki, Fifi Abdou or Dina Talaat.

The one who sticks out in my opinion as the True Queen who can’t be topped is NAGWA FOUAD!

Everyone has their opinion, by to me she sticks out as queen for one reason and one reason only: VERSATILITY!

You never know what Nagwa Fouad will do next, she constantly changes her dance style and looks, so you know her show will always be exciting, innovative and FUN!.

As far as talent goes, you can argue that Soheir Zaki is just as talented and beloved as an Egyptian Dancer. Speaking from personal opinion again, I knocked her down as 3rd place because of her HAIR! She has different hairstyles in some of her early dance clips, but then it seemed like for 10 years in a row, all shows had the same “unflattering” hair style, that severe part down the middle. Mix it up a bit Soheir and change your hair style every now and then, as Nagwa does. I have seen clips of Nagwa sporting all sorts of different hair styles from curly, to different colors (mostly shades of red hair), different styles strait, Afro, different hair pieces. Hair is important to any DIVA or entertainer, whether you an actress, singer or dancer; look at Cher, Diana Ross or Farrah Fawcett for proof.

Speaking of Egyptian Dance Divas, the 2nd place Diva is FIFI ABDOU! She really puts on a show! I love it when she runs and does the splits. Or, she takes the shoes off and throws them. Then if the audience seems bored, she’ll get right in their face and entertain them. In her ,most recent shows, she is always fiddling with her costumes, but she does it Diva-Style so it’s all good. Her entrances are always spectacular and I love to watch her dance. The best shimmies in Egypt belong to Fifi!

Then we have Dina. Dina seems to be the most COPIED dancer currently, from everything to her costume style, singing the song while dancing, the hand gestures and the famous BUTT (look at my Ass!!!) move. She is so copied that her antics are getting old, expected and somewhat “boring” in my personal opinion. It was cool the first time she did them, not every Belly Dancer and their students are copying the DINA style by singing along, the BUTT (look at my Ass!) move. It’s really, really overused, so the point that I get bored even when I see her perform. Change things up every now and again DINA and your IMITATORS!!!! Those moves were cute and endearing the 1st few times, but after seeing it again and again and again by her and so many people, I just like to shout STOP, DO SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT! Let’s put her in 4th place.

Let’s show some love to the EARLY Queens of Egyptian Belly Dance: Tahia Carioca, Liz & Lyn Jamal Twins and Samia Gamal! Tahia was our first Belly Dance Queen Diva by appearing in over 300 movies and TV shows. She brought Belly Dance to the MASSES! Tahia’s fabulous costumes set the stage for the next generation of Egyptian Dance queens like Samia Gamal. How cute were the Jamal Twins, Liz & Lyn? Their costumes were adorable – EATYOURHEARTOUTBELLYTWINS. BTW, the Belly Twins (Veena & Neena) should TOTALLY make a movie about the Jamal Twins, there is no one else better in the world to play them, perfect casting!

All joking aside, I love, adore and respect ALL of the Egyptian Queens of Belly Dance. If it weren’t for them, I would not be Belly Dancing. SALUTE: Tahia, Samia, Liz, Lyn, Soheir, Nagwa, Fifi, Dina and all of the rest of the great Egyptian Belly Dancers. Here is my favorite QUEEN OF EGYPTIAN BELLY DANCE – NAGWA FOUAD performing. Show them how it’s done Nagwa!

Fifi1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagwa_Fouad
http://www.hossamramzy.com/stars/starsofegypt_nagwa.htm
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137226/bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samia_Gamal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifi_Abdou
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dina_Talaat
For more Dance Gossip & Goodies, check out my book, "Learn to Belly Dance Textbook" available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learn-to-belly-dance-textbook-certification-program-shalimar-ali/1105014103?ean=9781465346582&itm=1&usri=9781465346582
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Now is your time to Join the Conversation! Comments, questions, concerns, controversy, rebuttals, tributes, blogs, guest bloggers, etc., are all welcome! Who is the queen of Egyptian Belly Dance?

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