I started belly dance in a studio setting at 50. I'm now 51. I danced kind of on my own at home for 10 years. I'm from a really small town and there's never been opportunity til now. I would have had to travel 2 hrs to dance. I'm disabled, suffering with a bad back. I'm an oral head and neck cancer survivor. Belly dance allows me to stay active and feel good. Through all my struggles, I definitely don't look 50 and im a darn good dancer too ! Get out there ladies and move it !! 🎉🎉
Serena Wilson known as Serena danced professionally until her early 70's until she then unfortunately passed away. She had her own dance studio, taught, booked dancers and actually had her own TV show on middle eastern dance. She paved the way for this dance form to be respected and acknowledged for it culture and history. She was my teacher. Sahira, you remind me of her in your skill, knowledge and passion.
@SahiraBellydances You are very welcome, Sahira. It was a wonderful blessing to be her student. I must admit, one that I did not fully understand until I was older. I began with Serena when I was 17 years old. Please do keep this very important conversation going.
Serena, thru her book, was my 1st teacher (of a sort) as well. I was a teen in South Carolina in the 1980s, and books was about all I had access to! I never got a chance to meet her and thank her, sadly.
I started dancing when i was 40. I'm still dancing and I'm going to turn 57 this November. I dance in restaurant, parties and any places I can but people love a older person with the love for this dance still perform. I know I'm not young and thin but my love to this beautiful dance is so much i want to keep sharing it until I can't 😊
I'm 71 and have been dancing for 50 years, i have performed professionally, for charity and taught the art of belly dance right up until covid...in all my years of performing i encountered ageism only one time out of thousands of performances, racism only once... the majority of audiences were enthralled by the dance and in awe...it is the joy the dancer brings to the performance that surpasses the age and race of the dancer...
I'm 44 and am still a very active dancer. I also do all kinds of styles, not just ones "appropriate" for my age. I always cater my costumes and acts to each event. My troupe similarly has many dancers around my age and we get lots of repeat clients. When I read comments and hear commentary on this topic from other dancers, a lot of the time it's our own internalized ageism that is projecting. On your comment about whether we cater to requests for younger or more fit dancers, we used to do that a long time ago, but now have taken a stance that we won't entertain any sort of ageist or racist or fat-shaming requests anymore (not that it occurred very often, only a couple of times in about 20 years). I'm lucky to say we have amazing clientele!
Stop worrying what others think. Keep dancing professionally. I had two 75 year olds in my troupe. Yes, they were having a hard time keeping up with the bollywood songs, but most people loved seeing them up there. Make age on stage normal!
Love your video today! As I dance my way through my 50s I find I am having to change and adjust the way I do things to account for decreasing flexibility, mobility and endurance, but I still love it and plan to keep on moving through this new stage in my dance journey.
It’s always best to make adjustments than to abruptly stop, the body still needs to move so I commend you for keeping at it and listening to your body. Great work! 💃
I was a professional dancer in LA in the 1980s and back then I NEVER saw a dancer over 35. So when a back injury and a move to rural Northern California put a stop to my dancing I walked away for almost 40 years and moved instead to other stage work---Fast forward to 5 years ago and an accidental chance to dance, and since then, even though I'm now 66 years old, I've never been the oldest dancer on stage at any of the performance I've performed in. Do I take the "Greek Restaurant" gigs, nope, but not because I haven't been asked but because I don't want to. Hey, sure, there are plenty of moves I can't do anymore, and I might lack the flexibility that I had 40 years ago, but I make up for that limitation in stage presence and the sheer joy I bring to my performances----or at least that's what the venues that keep hiring me say. I love playing with my audience and my audiences seem to enjoy playing along with me, and as long as people want to hire me, and I'm still having fun---I'll keep dancing. Currently, I have a dance partner who's ten years older than me, when she was recovering from a partial hip replacement, we participated in a Belly Dance Nutcracker performance. To accommodate her need to use a cane, we did a duet as dancing candy canes, and the audience ate it up (yes, pun intended). It's been my experience that whether or not my age (and wrinkles) are an issue depends on the venue (so now I only perform where the organizers ask me and not the other way around) and how much I give a damn about what some naysayers might think. And since I left my "give a damn" in the rearview mirror a very long time ago, I will continue to dance as long as I'm having fun. If some people think I'm too old---that's their problem, not mine---if you don't like it, don't watch. At this point, I think I have two goals in my dancing: to have fun and encourage young people to explore and enjoy this art form. And second to model empowered aging to all women. Thanks for the forum.
This is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Really interesting to see how the age range has shifted over the past couple of decades. I feel like the Bellydance community in general is tending towards an older crowd more now than when I first started dancing two decades ago. (Not just because we are all aging, but I feel there are also fewer younger people coming into the dance form.) I am thrilled to know that you were getting regular paid work as a dancer and venues are going out of their way to ask you to perform! This is a beautiful thing… Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story
Brilliant conversation to have. I started in my 20s. I'm now 46. I run my own fat chance Troupe plus a festival in Austria where youth and beauty is prized. Look at the Salimpours. Carolena Nericcio. It's about time 'western' world culture caught up on how magickal older women are. Look at Kirah Mazin in Egypt. Try telling her not to perform. She'd shoo you off with her cane. There's room for us all and I'll cheer on anyone brave enough to go on stage and dance. It's hard. Sahira, you're blooming gorgeous. I'd love to see you dance. X
Abd just to add, Sahira, you do not look Like you are in your 40s! Some of us Like watching older women performing! You are more experienced and there are all ages of ppl in the audience watching us older performers! Don't feel your dancing is now bound to only the studio !
Thank you for this comment! I don't feel like I look my age either, but I will admit that I desperately wanted to avoid any issues with my venues with regards to my age. I would hate for someone to complain that the dancer was "too old"… So I thought I would go out while I was ahead!
I'm 37 and performing in restaurants and at private parties and care homes and I do it very classy and kind of holden era style. I feel older dancers do it better and are being accepted more now as I do see alot of younger dancers it's more of a fake look and the costumes are not very traditional looking anymore and alot of places will prefer an older lady who looks elegant and beautiful classic belly dance moves and using zills and veils ect and not just moving their chest around... You get where I am going with that lol. I train hard everyday and it's upsetting to see sometimes restaurant taking a dancer on with no proper costume or veil and doesn't know what she is doing. And that I see alot these days. It's a real shame. I will still be dancing when I'm 60s 💃💃🤗🤗
I would agree that at 37 you have many many more years of dance ahead of you! I definitely found that when I started booking dancers about 10 years ago, that the venues would often go gaga for the young inexperienced dancer with a beautiful face and prefer them to the older experienced dancers, who perhaps did not look as much "the part". I think that was big in informing my view as to when I would retire from the restaurant scene. It is definitely apparent when a venue does not know much about the dance… But in the end, they are catering to their audience, and what brings people in the door and get them to spend money, which is often why they hire the dancer in the first place.
![ค้าง (STILL) - GEMINI [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ftxx3hk5vkU/mqdefault.jpg)
I started belly dance in a studio setting at 50. I'm now 51. I danced kind of on my own at home for 10 years. I'm from a really small town and there's never been opportunity til now. I would have had to travel 2 hrs to dance. I'm disabled, suffering with a bad back. I'm an oral head and neck cancer survivor. Belly dance allows me to stay active and feel good. Through all my struggles, I definitely don't look 50 and im a darn good dancer too ! Get out there ladies and move it !! 🎉🎉
Wow! I’m definitely touched by your story and so glad that you’re still dancing considering your circumstances. 🙏
Just turned 70, started bellydance 44 yrs ago...just danced last week at an event.
Awesome! Love it!
Serena Wilson known as Serena danced professionally until her early 70's until she then unfortunately passed away. She had her own dance studio, taught, booked dancers and actually had her own TV show on middle eastern dance. She paved the way for this dance form to be respected and acknowledged for it culture and history. She was my teacher. Sahira, you remind me of her in your skill, knowledge and passion.
Thank you for your kind words! Serena was an amazing dancer... what a blessing to have been her student.
@SahiraBellydances You are very welcome, Sahira. It was a wonderful blessing to be her student. I must admit, one that I did not fully understand until I was older. I began with Serena when I was 17 years old. Please do keep this very important conversation going.
Serena, thru her book, was my 1st teacher (of a sort) as well. I was a teen in South Carolina in the 1980s, and books was about all I had access to! I never got a chance to meet her and thank her, sadly.
@@raqsasim That is amazing. Brava for you.
I started dancing when i was 40. I'm still dancing and I'm going to turn 57 this November. I dance in restaurant, parties and any places I can but people love a older person with the love for this dance still perform. I know I'm not young and thin but my love to this beautiful dance is so much i want to keep sharing it until I can't 😊
Wonderful!! Keep at it 💕
I'm 71 and have been dancing for 50 years, i have performed professionally, for charity and taught the art of belly dance right up until covid...in all my years of performing i encountered ageism only one time out of thousands of performances, racism only once... the majority of audiences were enthralled by the dance and in awe...it is the joy the dancer brings to the performance that surpasses the age and race of the dancer...
Definitely!
I'm 44 and am still a very active dancer. I also do all kinds of styles, not just ones "appropriate" for my age. I always cater my costumes and acts to each event. My troupe similarly has many dancers around my age and we get lots of repeat clients. When I read comments and hear commentary on this topic from other dancers, a lot of the time it's our own internalized ageism that is projecting. On your comment about whether we cater to requests for younger or more fit dancers, we used to do that a long time ago, but now have taken a stance that we won't entertain any sort of ageist or racist or fat-shaming requests anymore (not that it occurred very often, only a couple of times in about 20 years). I'm lucky to say we have amazing clientele!
Wonderful!! 👏 👏 👏
very informative and valuable message to share and recommend!❤🔥
Thanks so much
Stop worrying what others think. Keep dancing professionally. I had two 75 year olds in my troupe. Yes, they were having a hard time keeping up with the bollywood songs, but most people loved seeing them up there. Make age on stage normal!
Love your video today! As I dance my way through my 50s I find I am having to change and adjust the way I do things to account for decreasing flexibility, mobility and endurance, but I still love it and plan to keep on moving through this new stage in my dance journey.
It’s always best to make adjustments than to abruptly stop, the body still needs to move so I commend you for keeping at it and listening to your body. Great work! 💃
I was a professional dancer in LA in the 1980s and back then I NEVER saw a dancer over 35. So when a back injury and a move to rural Northern California put a stop to my dancing I walked away for almost 40 years and moved instead to other stage work---Fast forward to 5 years ago and an accidental chance to dance, and since then, even though I'm now 66 years old, I've never been the oldest dancer on stage at any of the performance I've performed in. Do I take the "Greek Restaurant" gigs, nope, but not because I haven't been asked but because I don't want to. Hey, sure, there are plenty of moves I can't do anymore, and I might lack the flexibility that I had 40 years ago, but I make up for that limitation in stage presence and the sheer joy I bring to my performances----or at least that's what the venues that keep hiring me say. I love playing with my audience and my audiences seem to enjoy playing along with me, and as long as people want to hire me, and I'm still having fun---I'll keep dancing. Currently, I have a dance partner who's ten years older than me, when she was recovering from a partial hip replacement, we participated in a Belly Dance Nutcracker performance. To accommodate her need to use a cane, we did a duet as dancing candy canes, and the audience ate it up (yes, pun intended). It's been my experience that whether or not my age (and wrinkles) are an issue depends on the venue (so now I only perform where the organizers ask me and not the other way around) and how much I give a damn about what some naysayers might think. And since I left my "give a damn" in the rearview mirror a very long time ago, I will continue to dance as long as I'm having fun. If some people think I'm too old---that's their problem, not mine---if you don't like it, don't watch. At this point, I think I have two goals in my dancing: to have fun and encourage young people to explore and enjoy this art form. And second to model empowered aging to all women. Thanks for the forum.
This is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Really interesting to see how the age range has shifted over the past couple of decades. I feel like the Bellydance community in general is tending towards an older crowd more now than when I first started dancing two decades ago. (Not just because we are all aging, but I feel there are also fewer younger people coming into the dance form.) I am thrilled to know that you were getting regular paid work as a dancer and venues are going out of their way to ask you to perform! This is a beautiful thing… Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story
Brilliant conversation to have. I started in my 20s. I'm now 46. I run my own fat chance Troupe plus a festival in Austria where youth and beauty is prized.
Look at the Salimpours. Carolena Nericcio. It's about time 'western' world culture caught up on how magickal older women are. Look at Kirah Mazin in Egypt. Try telling her not to perform. She'd shoo you off with her cane. There's room for us all and I'll cheer on anyone brave enough to go on stage and dance. It's hard.
Sahira, you're blooming gorgeous. I'd love to see you dance. X
Phenomenal 👏 maybe I’ll come to you, I have been intentional about traveling more lately.
Abd just to add, Sahira, you do not look Like you are in your 40s! Some of us Like watching older women performing! You are more experienced and there are all ages of ppl in the audience watching us older performers! Don't feel your dancing is now bound to only the studio !
Thank you for this comment! I don't feel like I look my age either, but I will admit that I desperately wanted to avoid any issues with my venues with regards to my age. I would hate for someone to complain that the dancer was "too old"… So I thought I would go out while I was ahead!
Beautiful
Thank you
I'm not sure how old Phyllidia was when she retired from dancing but she was in her late 60s at least. Mid 70s I'm guessing
I'm 37 and performing in restaurants and at private parties and care homes and I do it very classy and kind of holden era style. I feel older dancers do it better and are being accepted more now as I do see alot of younger dancers it's more of a fake look and the costumes are not very traditional looking anymore and alot of places will prefer an older lady who looks elegant and beautiful classic belly dance moves and using zills and veils ect and not just moving their chest around... You get where I am going with that lol. I train hard everyday and it's upsetting to see sometimes restaurant taking a dancer on with no proper costume or veil and doesn't know what she is doing. And that I see alot these days. It's a real shame. I will still be dancing when I'm 60s 💃💃🤗🤗
I would agree that at 37 you have many many more years of dance ahead of you! I definitely found that when I started booking dancers about 10 years ago, that the venues would often go gaga for the young inexperienced dancer with a beautiful face and prefer them to the older experienced dancers, who perhaps did not look as much "the part". I think that was big in informing my view as to when I would retire from the restaurant scene. It is definitely apparent when a venue does not know much about the dance… But in the end, they are catering to their audience, and what brings people in the door and get them to spend money, which is often why they hire the dancer in the first place.
@SahiraBellydances thank you. I love your videos 🤗