Bellydancers going to D.C. !
Feb. 6th, 2004 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodiThere is a group from Massachusetts going to a Pro Choice Rally in Washington D.C. on April 25 - they will be shaking their hips to let the government know what they think about control over women's bodies.
I'm not affiliated with this group at all and don't know the person that sent out the info (I got it from a Massachusetts Area Bellydance list). I thought that some people here may be interested in the info.
Message:
"Forwarded from members of my troupe, Bad Raqsan'e Sahra of Natick, MA.
Official invitation to all belly dancers in the US: (Please forward!)
One of the most wonderful things about being a belly dancer in the United States today is meeting the many different people who dance. As a group we are practically a study in diversity. We are white, black, middle eastern, Asian, and Indian. We are Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Jewish and Buddhist. We dance tribal, ethnic, cabaret, raks sharki, gypsy and as yet unnamed modern forms of belly dance. We are single, we are parents, we are widows, we are married. We are straight, bi, lesbian, gay and transgendered. We bust stereotypes for breakfast. Our diversity unites us because the dance binds us all together. Belly dance and one other thing: When we dance we have perfect control over our own bodies.
Off the dance floor, slowly but surely, that control is being taken back by the federal government.
There is a Pro-choice march in Washington DC on April 25th. Info and directions can be found here: http://www.marchforchoice.org/ The women of the Bad Raqsan'e Sahra dance troupe of Massachusetts will be there. We are planning on dancing, as our way of marching, in this protest. We don't want to do it alone. We know there are thousands of dancers out there who are also concerned about the eroding right to control our own bodies in this country. We feel it is time for our community to find our voice and
speak, through dance, of what is important to us.
Besides, the image of a thousand belly dancers shaking their hips at the White House to protest their control of our bodies is just too awesome for words.
Please bring: Your troupe, your dance friends, yourself. A hip scarf, the more jingly the better. This is how we will know you want to dance with us.
(BTW, dancers who are not Middle Eastern dancers are welcome to join in. The more, the merrier!)
Any drummer who wants to come along and set the beat. Proper footwear and warm clothing. (It's April... who knows how warm it will be?)
Please leave behind: Your ego. Whether you have been dancing for 20 years or 20 days, the point is to dance together, as equals, with one vibe, one voice of protest, one collective no.
Meet us on the Mall in Washington DC between 3rd and 14th street starting anytime after 10:00 am on Sunday April 25th. Look for the jingly belts and band together. The March starts at 12:00 noon.
We hope to see you there!
With much love and shimmies, Dervishspin, Simoon and the ladies of Bad Raqsan'e Sahra And Teresa/Safira
PS: I understand that not everyone is pro-choice. I don't wish to offend, but I do wish to share this with any who might be interested."
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I'm not affiliated with this group at all and don't know the person that sent out the info (I got it from a Massachusetts Area Bellydance list). I thought that some people here may be interested in the info.
Message:
"Forwarded from members of my troupe, Bad Raqsan'e Sahra of Natick, MA.
Official invitation to all belly dancers in the US: (Please forward!)
One of the most wonderful things about being a belly dancer in the United States today is meeting the many different people who dance. As a group we are practically a study in diversity. We are white, black, middle eastern, Asian, and Indian. We are Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Jewish and Buddhist. We dance tribal, ethnic, cabaret, raks sharki, gypsy and as yet unnamed modern forms of belly dance. We are single, we are parents, we are widows, we are married. We are straight, bi, lesbian, gay and transgendered. We bust stereotypes for breakfast. Our diversity unites us because the dance binds us all together. Belly dance and one other thing: When we dance we have perfect control over our own bodies.
Off the dance floor, slowly but surely, that control is being taken back by the federal government.
There is a Pro-choice march in Washington DC on April 25th. Info and directions can be found here: http://www.marchforchoice.org/ The women of the Bad Raqsan'e Sahra dance troupe of Massachusetts will be there. We are planning on dancing, as our way of marching, in this protest. We don't want to do it alone. We know there are thousands of dancers out there who are also concerned about the eroding right to control our own bodies in this country. We feel it is time for our community to find our voice and
speak, through dance, of what is important to us.
Besides, the image of a thousand belly dancers shaking their hips at the White House to protest their control of our bodies is just too awesome for words.
Please bring: Your troupe, your dance friends, yourself. A hip scarf, the more jingly the better. This is how we will know you want to dance with us.
(BTW, dancers who are not Middle Eastern dancers are welcome to join in. The more, the merrier!)
Any drummer who wants to come along and set the beat. Proper footwear and warm clothing. (It's April... who knows how warm it will be?)
Please leave behind: Your ego. Whether you have been dancing for 20 years or 20 days, the point is to dance together, as equals, with one vibe, one voice of protest, one collective no.
Meet us on the Mall in Washington DC between 3rd and 14th street starting anytime after 10:00 am on Sunday April 25th. Look for the jingly belts and band together. The March starts at 12:00 noon.
We hope to see you there!
With much love and shimmies, Dervishspin, Simoon and the ladies of Bad Raqsan'e Sahra And Teresa/Safira
PS: I understand that not everyone is pro-choice. I don't wish to offend, but I do wish to share this with any who might be interested."
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 09:16 am (UTC):-D
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 09:24 am (UTC)Is there more room on it? I'd love to go - but don't really have a good way to do it . . .
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:00 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:03 am (UTC)Thank you so much! I would love to go to this. If it doesn't work out I'm going to see if anyone in the bellydance community wants to try to get a bus (or find another way to get there).
Now, I wonder if *your Mom* would don a hip scarf and get out there and shake her stuff! ;)
I really liked the writing of this invitation (I didn't even know there was a bellydance group in Natick). I almost got all weepy reading it, but I'm a softie after all!
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 01:43 pm (UTC)