Belly Dancing

(UPDATED: March 1, 2012)

Belly dancing is one of the most beautiful forms of dancing anywhere. It is a style where undulating movements, back bends, and daring balance acts all result in some of the most beautiful and graceful dances of any kind. I don't know the entire history of belly dancing, but I have heard that in the past, women were not allowed to show their bellies when dancing. When you hear sexy Middle Eastern-style music and a beautiful lady in a lovely belly dancing outfit, she is ready to wow you with her moves and her appeal. Belly dancing can be both artistic and even sensual. There is true appeal to watching a belly dancer dance both gracefully and even add some sexy charm to it all. Some even dare try some bold moves- such as dancing with fire, dancing with snakes, and more. What guy doesn't love a girl who tries dangerous stuff in the interest of wowing an audience?

I'll share as much as I can on belly dancing here in this blog entry. I don't know too much on belly dancing, but I will mostly discuss Oriental belly dancing here.

--- Belly Dancing at a Glance ---

What makes belly dancing so enticing? For most guys, there are three "B's" that make a woman beautiful- her belly, her butt/booty, and her breasts. If you were to ask me what I think is the most beautiful part of a woman's body, believe it or not, I'd say her belly. The belly offers so much fluidity and charm. I actually become more attracted to the belly and the navel more than I do any other part of the body. Females who try to add some sexy appeal to their looks usually wear belly-baring shirts as well as unbuttoning shirts or knotting shirts to show the navel. And of course, there's nothing like a beautifully-sculpted midsection.

So you can imagine how I feel when I see the lovely moves of a lady belly dancer. I am seeing a lady wearing a lovely outfit dancing to some awesome music. Now you may ask why I'm mentioning ladies so much so far. Reason is, there are also men who belly dance. But as I've always known, it's all about the lady belly dancers. As I don't know much about male belly dancing, I will mostly talk about feminine belly dancing. Most people envision female belly dancers as having beautiful and voluptuous and sexy bodies. However, there are belly dancers that are full-figured and even pregnant belly dancers. Here is an example of a pregnant belly dancer:


^ Serap (35 weeks pregnant) bellydance

Most belly dancers usually wear a cropped top along with a long skirt. Some long skirts have open sides to express the elegance of a femme's legs. Really graceful belly dancers wear Isis wings. If you've never seen belly dancing with Isis wings before, here is a sample video to show you just how belly dancers dance with these Isis wings:


^ Nur performing Isis wings

Beautiful, isn't it? Belly dancing can be enjoyed by all. Even children take up belly dancing. Girls even as young as five years old have fun belly dancing. Nothing can be more fun than when children take up belly dancing. Don't fall into any kind of belief that only super-sexy women belly dance. You can be curvy or pregnant and still enjoy belly dancing. It's all about having the moves and feeling confident in beautiful in your moves.

--- Examples of Belly Dancers ---

I've come across a number of belly dancers online. Here are a few for you through pictures and YouTube videos:

UPDATED: March 7, 2011 - you can now visit the official websites of each belly dancer (if offered)!

Dolphina.

^ from: images.morris.com - Belly dancing goddess Dolphina

I think of Dolphina as the goddess of belly dancing. She is very beautiful and graceful in her moves and style. Dolphina even has a line of workout videos to help shape your body like a goddess.

Samara.

I think Samara was born in Michigan, but dances in San Antonio, TX. I heard of her on Myspace. Samara is a beautiful blonde belly dancer with lovely moves and lovely outfits.

Annwyn.

Annwyn Amar is a beautiful young American belly dancer with graceful moves and exceptional beauty. Her style is amazing.

Neena Nour.

Maybe the most dynamic belly dancer I've ever seen, Neena Nour has amazing flexibility, great balance, and exceptional beauty.

Nadira.

Nadira is an award-winning belly dance with lovely moves. She is truly beautiful with some lovely legs and a beautiful figure.


Those are most of the belly dancers whom I can recall off the top of my head.

--- Do You Have to be Slim to Belly Dance? ---

From a previous section, the answer is no. There are male belly dancers, curvy belly dancers, pregnant belly dancers. All you need is a love of dancing to lovely Middle Eastern-type music. If you love your body and love to dance, why not try belly dance? Same goes for if you're pregnant. Be fabulous belly dancing!

Male belly dancers usually wear just some harem pants and maybe a top or vest. Most feminine belly dancing outfits consist of a cropped top and a long skirt. Some females even wear harem pants. The key accessory is often lots of little coins. You have lots of scarves and tops that have miniature coins. When the dancer shimmies while dancing with these coins on their outfits, the coins make a lot of noise.





In conclusion, belly dancing is a graceful and beautiful style of dance. It tends to have the perfect synergy of style and sex appeal. It is stylish just watching a belly dancer gracefully move about on the floor. It is sexy because the shimmying and many undulations and gyrations are visually appealing. Belly dancing can be enjoyed by almost anyone. While best known for female belly dancers, there are some males who do belly dancing. You don't need to look super-sexy to enjoy the graceful and sensual art of belly dancing.

I have now (completed) my blog entry on John's Shop Space with belly dancing outfits and resources you can check out on Amazon. You have two options:

You may visit:
"Belly Dancing" on John's Shop Space

Or... any of these links:
• BellyDanceTeacherTip on YouTube (belly dance resources for belly dancing teachers)


Or use this widget to find belly dancing material that interests you:



One last note... please check out Hollywood Music Center's website for some lovely belly dancing music and DVDs. Until next time, take care! I also want you to check out bestbellydancing.com, who kindly linked to this blog entry. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for reading!

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Scarves

Scarves, at least in the minds of the fashionable, are not exclusive for cold weather. They are also not exclusive for older women. Some designers have made attempts to make scarves for both males and females. The scarf has essentially become a unisex favorite. With many designs and styles of scarves available to many, options are limitless. What kind of scarf do you want? What fits your style? There's a scarf for almost everyone, and I'll prove it in this blog entry!

Here are some scarves pictures to set the mood:


^ from: whipup.net

NOTE: This blog entry contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item or even purchase these items if you so choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.

I am very uneducated about scarves. I normally don't blog about anything unless I really know what I'm talking about. This was initially to be about scarves, but I will also include shawls and stoles. PLEASE comment to this blog entry if you know more about scarves than I do (just don't curse me out or send harsh remarks). A scarf can be a stylish way to add some extra substance to your look. There are scarves for males and females, and even for cool and warm weather. I am not sure about shawls and stoles, so I won't discuss those.

Scarves aren't just to go around your neck. Especially for females, scarves have been worn as belts and even tops. Scarves can be very versatile for the female (as is many other fashions).

--- Versatility of Scarves for Females ---

All pictures listed here are the best I could find through Google Images:


Scarves as Belts.

^ from: scarvesandmore.net

This was actually a trend in the early-mid 2000s. Just put a scarf through the belt loops of your bottoms. You could also wear it a different way around your bottoms. Unfortunately, I can't find a good enough picture to show another way to wear a scarf as a belt. So I'll just mention what I did in this paragraph.


Scarves as Tops.



^ both images from: beverly.livejournal.com

Some scarves are wide enough and long enough and to be worn as their own tops. With thicker and wider scarves, you can wear them basically as basic tops.


Scarves as Sexy Tops.
http://www.chameleoncreations.co.uk/images/website783cropmini.jpg
^ from: chameleoncreations.co.uk (this was the best picture I could find to describe this next part).

On warm or hot days, daring females wear scarves kind of like a sexy halter top. Just make sure to tie everything properly and make sure it holds up long enough. Because... you don't want a wardrobe malfunction if the scarf comes loose as you're wearing it as a sexy top. How sexy can this look be? Here is an example in this video:



Again... you have to be VERY daring to try this look. But for those who can pull it off, wearing a scarf as a top can be every bit as hot as wearing a bikini top or a tube top.

--- Scarves on Amazon ---

NOTE: This section contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item or even purchase these items if you so choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.

So you want a scarf? I can show you to scarves on Amazon. Just be sure to click on any of the images supplemented to this blog entry. If there isn't one you like from the ones I've shown, you can always check out the search widget I've supplemented to find more scarves, shawls, and stoles you can buy from Amazon. You are encouraged to click on and even order anything you like in my blog entries, but I don't force you to. All pictures and items are from Amazon.

So let's talk scarves!


Male Scarves.
I'll start with scarves for us guys. Please note that some of these scarves may be unisex (made for males and females).



^ Here is a stylish houndstooth scarf. It may be monochromatic, but it's plenty stylish. According to Amazon, this is a scarf worn by KanYe West. It comes in over 15 colors! In Neon Orange, it looks like the scarf is on fire. So there's bound to be a style you'll love.



^ This men's scarf is a black silk tuxedo scarf. This is a stylish scarf to wear with a very professional look to it.



^ Sport some Indian (as in the country of India) style with this scarf here. It comes in a beautiful design here.


Female Scarves.
Remember that if you don't see a scarf that you like, there is a widget or two at the end of this blog entry that you can use to find scarves you do like. I want you to be able to read a blog on something and then be able to do a little shopping if you see something you like. It would seem pointless to discuss something without giving you the chance to find something you like from that blog entry. So here are some feminine scarves.

Some of the scarves MAY be unisex (for males and females).



^ This scarf comes in 19 colors! There are many colors ranging from light to bold. There obviously has to be a color just for your liking with so many options.



^ In 29 different colors, this feminine scarf is beautiful and wearable. There's a color for a scarf as beautiful as this is for you and your wardrobe. It also comes with its own free box for safe keeping and storage. Since it comes in so many colors, you may well be tempted to purchase this scarf in multiple colors! Or as I read in a Myspace comment... "if the shoe fits, buy it in every color!"



^ Love and peace! Many white peace symbols adorn this black scarf. This scarf is also available in white with black peace signs.



^ This is a shawl wrap in a beautiful dark blue color. It looks beautiful while delivering great warmth and style.


There are many more scarves to showcase, but some of them are belly dancing scarves. I may actually blog about belly dancing in the future to better approach belly dancing scarves.

--- Just for Fun... ---

There are more scarves in the search widget at the bottom of this blog entry. You can find scarves there of many kinds. I encourage you to take a look at them and go order a scarf if you see one you like from Amazon. Since this is a just-for-fun section, I'm not hoping you'd buy some of the items in this section. This is purely for entertainment purposes.

You wouldn't want to pay more than you want to for a simple scarf. Well, if you feel compelled to spend lots of money on scarves, here's what your splurge-happy money can buy on Amazon:



^ This is the most expensive scarf on Amazon, made of Chinchilla fur.



^ Stoles and shawls from here come in a variety of colors. Just be sure to fork over $625 USD if you want one. It comes in at least 15 or 20 colors.



^ This is the most expensive men's scarf. It is made of cashmere.





I actually was thinking about getting my own scarf. However, I'm not overly crazy about them that I want to rock my own style with these scarves. Did you enjoy my blog entry, but didn't like any of the scarves I shown (if you're looking for scarves to buy)? Here are many more to choose from. Happy shopping, and thanks for reading!

Exclusive Contracts in Games

The premise of exclusive contracts in gaming upsets me at times. They are good because a company feels happiest working with a certain deal rather than having someone else do it. It means that only a certain game company can deliver something better than other people ever will. However, if a game isn't all that good or if the game company just isn't all that good, fans will become almost monopolized. Part of the gaming industry (let alone any other) is competition. The majority of exclusive contracts in video games usually pertains to sports games (racing/driving games count as sports games).

--- Positives to Exclusive Contracts ---

The positives of exclusive contracts in games is that one company (and only one company) can deliver gaming experiences better than any other. It means someone loves your product so much that only you can create games the representing companies can be proud of. It means that only your company can make the most satisfying experience even if some other company makes their own product.

--- Negatives to Exclusive Contracts ---

The negative to exclusive contracts is that you're basically being stingy in preventing other companies from making their own products, causing certain games to not be as good or have to consider other alternatives. In the case of racing games, some companies can't include certain car companies. Think of all the people who bitched (yes, I said it) about Gran Turismo 4 not nearly having car companies most discriminating racing gamers care about (like in the Forza Motorsport games).

--- What Competition? ---

NOTE: This section contains links to YouTube videos. Performance of this blog may slow down based on your Internet connection. Click on the links below the embedded YouTube videos to go straight to the YouTube video rather than stay on my blog to see them.

Let's take a look at competition. Some games are better than big-name titles, and some others aren't as good. I tried to find the best videos that don't have some blaring loud rock songs I don't like. Let's take a look at different companies utilizing certain licenses:


NFL Games.
I'll stick with a certain year here. Madden NFL 2005 vs. ESPN NFL 2K5:

Madden NFL 2005:

Madden NFL 2005 sample

ESPN NFL 2K5:

ESPN NFL 2K5 (includes gameplay footage)


NBA Games.
Now some more modern titles! This is a battle of NBA Live 09 and NBA 2K9:


NBA Live 09 (LAC at LAL)


NBA 2K9 (DEN at PHX)




College Football.
I'm again being consistent with games based in a certain time. So since the NCAA 2K game was way back when, I'm being consistent and include NCAA Football 2002.


NCAA Football 2002


NCAA 2K2: The Road to the Rose Bowl


College Basketball.
To be consistent- NCAA March Madness 08 vs. College Hoops 2K8:


NCAA March Madness 08


College Hoops 2K8





How do you feel about exclusive contracts in games? Feel free to read and comment!