Opinion of Dancers

In the article "Defining the Dance" by Jen Al-Amira she writes, "As a feminist, no, as a whole person I claim the right to display my sexuality in a context that empowers me but does not dis-empower,  overpower or alienate my audience, just as I would display any other experience. To deny sexuality is to deny a part of ourselves, to castrate ourselves, a mutilation as savage as foot-binding or clitoridectomy. Would we deny our other emotions to protect society's sensibilities?" Her belief that belly dance is a way of displaying femininity and should not be judged as demeaning
or demoralizing. Unfortunately when the dance first began to grow in popularity it was not uncommon for night clubs to hire girls to perform as belly dancers and provide other services as well. This led to a lowered opinion of the art in several communities. As a result, legitimate dancers had to begin defending themselves against people who believed them to be prostitutes because of the way they danced. Al-Amira points out an important fact in her article, that while belly dance can be a sensual performance, that is not its main goal and those who dance should not have to be ashamed of displaying their talent to avoid offending people who are uneducated about its true origins and meaning.