Ballet

(UPDATED: October 16, 2011)

Whether you love it for its grace or if you dislike it because it's too "pretty," ballet is one of the greatest showcases of grace and spirit among any art. It is by far one of the most popular and oldest performing arts in existence today. Both males and females ranging from children to adults take part in the beautiful and graceful art of ballet. This blog post is my contribution to ballet. I don't know much about ballet or is any kind of aficionado of ballet, but I will do my best to discuss and showcase ballet in a classy and respectful manner. I hope you will enjoy my blog post on ballet.

If any of you are in ballet or have done ballet before, I'd like to salute you and thank you for visiting John's Blog Space!

LATEST UPDATE(S):

OCT 16 2011 - made a few simple edits to this post

--- Ballet at a Glance ---

Some information supplemented from Wikipedia for this section.

(from Wikipedia) The origins of ballet originate back to the the Italian Renaissance courts in 15th Century, and then later enhanced by the French and Russians. Ballet is something that requires great concentration and grace to be amazing. No one average person- not even my out-of-shape self- can ever do any of these moves as gracefully as a conditioned and trained ballet dancer. There is an exact science to precisely and properly executing the many maneuvers ballet dancers make. A good deal of fitness and exercise can help in more precisely executing each stunt and performance. I don't know the name of any such ballet moves even if my life depended on it.

Anaheim Ballet mentions ballet as a "beautiful strength." This video will set the mood for the style of dance to be showcased in this blog post:


You have now been introduced (by me) to ballet. You can read much more about ballet from a much more qualified source than I by reading the Wikipedia page on Ballet.

--- Ballet Misconceptions ---

I touched on it a bit in the introduction. I won't name all of them, but I will touch up on some of the most common misconceptions.

I guess for a lot of people, ballet is too pretty and girly and soft. Like EVERYTHING is supposed to be hard and raw. Almost as if many people believe those who are in ballet are somehow wimpy and couldn't fend for themselves if in a compromising position. Then again, who said ballet dancers are as tough as gridiron football players or any hockey players? I think people often look beyond the grace and charm of ballet and just think of ballet as a pretty art form where everything is seemingly perfect. The training to have everything perfect is tough. I wouldn't survive one day in ballet class, let alone multiple days trying to get EVERYTHING perfect.

If you'd like to learn about more ballet misconceptions, I invite you to read "Ballet Myths Busted" at www.theballetbag.com.

--- Ballet Outfits ---

Let's see these ballet dancers in their outfits. This is ballet from a style perspective. All of these are descriptions of what most ballet folk wear.

Leotards and Unitards.

The most basic outfit for any ballet dancer is a leotard. Leotards cover the body much like a one-piece swimsuit. Some leotards may or may not have sleeves to them (most do not). These leotards mostly are in spandex, but some may even be polyester among other materials.

Leotards are usually accompanied with tights to complete an outfit. Unitards can be thought of as rompers/playsuits or jumpsuits for ballet dancers. They consist of the leotard top and are joined with either short legs or pant legs as part of the whole outfit.

Ballet Skirts.

Dress yourself up a bit with a ballet skirt. Accompanied to a leotard or unitard, a little extra diversion is offered to your ballet outfit with these skirts.

Ballet Dresses.

As beautiful as any leotard, a ballet dress can be equally graceful and beautiful to wear. What girl wouldn't want to be just a bit more lovely in her ballet dancing?

Tutus.

The tutu is a petticoat for ballet dancers. Just put one on and twirl to your heart's delight!


And of course...

Ballet Shoes.

Ballet shoes are mostly form-fitting shoes designed for various foot movements. A good pair of shoes designed for tip-toe moves and bending the feet are needed for various ballet dancers. Two of the most common ballet shoes are your basic ballerina slippers and pointe shoes. Their soles range from full sole shoes to split sole shoes. My best guess is that they offer different levels of comfort and control when performing ballet moves.

You are probably thinking of ballet flats if you're reading this. However, ballerina slippers are the real dancing shoes of ballet dancers. These shoes were specifically designed for ballet dancing. They contour to the feet and are more comfortable to wear for the various routines and moves such ballet dancers execute. The appeal and style of ballerina slippers found their way into ballet flats you've probably seen or worn. I asked online what makes ballet flats different from ballerina slippers, and one girl said that ballerina slippers were specifically made for ballet dancing; not just to wear with your outfits casually. The cute ribbons and bows you see on most ballet flats usually originate from the lovely ribbons and straps you see on ballerina slippers. Just know that your ballet flats are for wearing with your outfits; ballerina slippers are graceful shoes to wear in your ballet routines and moves.

Pointe shoes are so beautiful with the ribbon ties to secure them. Pointe is so graceful and beautiful as a form of ballet dance. Pointe shoes offer a basic ballerina shoe with many ribbon ties to help secure them. To get an idea of what Pointe is like, I have found this video, courtesy of the Ballet Center of Houston. Take a look at this video and see these Pointe shoes in action as well as pointe ballet:



By the way, I doubt they were wearing blue in support of my blog. ;) The song playing in the background is beautiful.


Many of these items have even influenced everyday fashion. In fact, the movie "Black Swan" in 2007 offered up a look at ballet-inspired fashion. For a detailed look at ballet-inspired fashion, please check out this site: "ballet inspired fashion" on dancemana.biz.

--- Ballet Videos ---

Would you like some ballet videos? I've found a number of them online to share with all of you. Feel free to get your ballet fix right here!

• Russian Ballet
I mentioned Russia as one of the key players in the evolution of ballet. Well, a young lady named Natalia Osipova at Moscow's (as in Moscow, Russia) Bolshoi Ballet Academy performs a ballet routine for all of you in this video. Take note of her graceful moves. This is a beautiful performance:



• Twinkle Toes!
Here are some videos showcasing a few different ballet moves.

Italian fouettes are performed by this (then) 13-year Canadian old girl named Alys Shee:


How about some pirouettes? Here you go:


Finally, here are some arabesques. These are done beautifully by this lady:



• Ballet Boys
My objective in blog posts like this one is on factual material. So therefore, I tried to find a proper video to suit this section. I tried to find a proper video on a male in ballet rather than some random video of males fooling around as ballet dancers. I don't have just one video... I have two. Many people think that males who practice ballet are gay or wimpy. Fact is- males have performed ballet LONG before mostly females have taken up the ballet scene. So what you're about to see is the kind of ballet most have come to know before most know ballet as a girly form of dance.

Believe it or not, what you will see in the first video is classic ballet... but are all played by males! Before women essentially took on these ballet roles, these roles were played by men. So have a look at this interesting video featuring men wearing feminine ballet outfits and wigs:


This male performer practices in contemporary ballet here. Check out his moves here:



• Ballet Fun With Kids
This video could not be embedded. Therefore, I will make this link regarding the video. This is a very cute and fun video of a little girl (then) 10-years old showcasing a vivid imagination coupled with ballet dancing.

Again, embedding was disabled. So if you want to see this video, click on "KIDS BALLET DREAMS Rochelle Marks (10yrs old)" on YouTube.


There are your video inspirations on ballet. Hope you enjoyed your time here!

--- To All Who Practice (or Have Practiced) Ballet... ---

You all are the ones who help exhibit and showcase what makes ballet so enjoyable and graceful. You help showcase the beauty and grace of such fluid movements while also dancing to lovely musical scores. It is just too bad you ballet folk get such a bad rap from most people. Those especially include people who think ballet is just pretty and wimpy, like everything has to be hardcore and tough. People fail to realize (let alone appreciate) all that goes into being great ballet dancers. I am not any kind of serious fan of ballet, but I greatly appreciate what all goes into ballet.

So uh, keep doing your thing! You dig? :)

--- Ballet Resources ---

That concludes this blog post for the most part. I may make a post to my alternative blog, "John's Shop Space," but JSS is still being considered and mapped out for renovation. So I will not be posting to that site until renovations are complete. And if I do post to JSS, it will feature more personal selections for you ballet lovers/dancers.

So here are some resources for you ballet dancers. More will be added in future edits. These are all my own words on each resource. I am not paid anything to talk about any of these resources in the way that I do:

Discount Dance Supply.

With many kinds of dancewear items for dancers (including those in ballet), this is one place to look towards online for your ballet gear. Dancewear for other kinds of dancing are also offered here.

The Ballet Store.

All the gear and merchandise you could want for ballet can be found here at The Ballet Store. There are even various resources available for all of you into ballet including news items regarding ballet. This is more of an all-in-one place for all kinds of ballet fans.

Capezio.

Capezio is one of the most respected companies in the realm of dancewear. With over 125 years of dance, Capezio has something for just about everyone.

Motionwear.

From ballet to cheerleading to gymnastics, Motionwear has just about everything for every kind of dancer. Relevant to this blog post, click on the "Dance" link to see the ballet material.

Dancewear Solutions (links to Ballet).

Dancewear Solutions has all kinds of items for all kinds of dancing. The link above takes you to the Ballet store of the site. Various items and accessories are offered on the site for ballet dancers to be properly suited for gracing the floor with their moves. Everything from ballet outfits to ballet shoes are offered on DWS.

Tip Toe Dancewear.

With a variety of items offered for various dancers, Tip Toe Dancewear has you covered with many different items to dress you up for dancing. There are also items offered for cheerleaders as well. So if you enjoyed my Cheerleading blog post, you may find some great cheer gear here as well.

Men's Dancewear.

An Australian author on HubPages named Marisa Wright mentions mens' dancewear on her page. My male audience can look at this site for some notes on male ballet items.


Again- more items should be made available to this blog post should I find some more worthy resources. If there are some you think I should consider posting, I would appreciate if you contacted me via Email. Help me help my reading/visiting audience.



Special request for all of my readers- please help support my work by finding items online featured in my blog posts. One such way is by checking out these items on Amazon. Use these widgets to dress yourself up for ballet. I would appreciate your business if you buy something useful. If you enjoyed my blog post (or any of my blog posts) please support my work, if you don't mind, by finding certain items that interest you based on this blog post:

Ballet on Amazon: Apparel.

Ballet on Amazon: DVDs.

Ballet on Amazon: Books.

Thank you for visiting (and shopping (if you done any))!





Subscribe if you love my blog. Follow if you love my blog. "Like" my Fan Page if you enjoy my work and have a Facebook account. Just show me some love if you love my work! It's not that hard to do so. In fact, look below to find out ways to show your love for my work. But before I show you how to connect with me, let me first thank you for reading! Now show some love already!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
• Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)

Haka

A haka is a Maori war dance designed to ready warriors for battle and strike fear into their enemy. It is a really powerful routine. I usually think of the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team when I usually think of the haka being performed. If you follow American pro wrestling, you may have seen that The Usos have adopted a haka routine before their matches in World Wrestling Entertainment. One other thing- it is considered disrespectful to laugh or taunt at someone if the haka is being performed.

If you've never seen or experienced the haka being performed, this blog post will introduce you to this Polynesian war dance. I will show you some videos showcasing the haka routine. The blog post mostly showcases the haka routine being performed and isn't really supposed to be a completely educational look at the haka.

Since expanding my blog horizons to the South Pacific, I have tried to come up with more posts that may interest my readers from the South Pacific. I am really sorry I haven't done more blog posts to cater to my South Pacific and Pacific Islander audiences.

--- Haka in Videos ---

Here are some videos showcasing the haka. I'd like to thank all the YouTube channels that have allowed for video embedding.

Haka: An Informative Look.

A PBS documentary kicks off a look at the haka. The haka has been a ritual for over 50,000 years. Have a look at this video to gain insight on the haka:



I had actually learned long ago that what most of the world know as New Zealand is Aotearoa to the Maori. That was my sort of reminder of Aotearoa if you saw the above video.

Haka: New Zealand All Blacks.

Because I mentioned the All Blacks, I will continue discussing them. What you are about to witness in this video is the haka routine performed by the All Blacks. There were actually those who wanted to ban the All Blacks from performing the haka. I know very little about Maori culture. I actually planned on blogging about Maori culture as part of my "Pacific and Oceania" label. Anyhow, here are the All Blacks performing the haka before a rugby test:



I told you it was powerful. BLOGGING NOTE: I actually tried to post a blog entry about rubgy football, but I've never completed it. I do want to introduce that topic to John's Blog Space eventually for my readers.

Haka: University of Hawaii [Rainbow] Warriors' Football.

Now for a different kind of football. The University of Hawaii/Hawai'i at Manoa is known for their haka routine in the realm of college football. A lot of football players who play for the University of Hawaii mostly come from Hawaii, Samoa, American Samoa, and some other South Pacific island nations. Here is a look at the Warriors performing the haka:



On the other hand, though, there are those who disapprove of Hawaii doing the haka. I read that Hawaii has a similar routine called the ha'a. One time in a game, Hawaii received an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty for performing the haka. Some Hawaii types felt it was some sort of targeting against the Warriors in performing this routine. A lot of others feel that while it's great to see Hawaii perform the haka war dance, that not as many tend to credit that the Maori were the ones to originate the haka.

Here is another video showcasing the origin of the haka by mentioning the University of Hawaii's football team. It is a video featuring the the haka as well as some insight on what the haka is meant to incite. Check this out:

Haka: The Usos.

This video showcases pro wrestlers, Jimmy and Jey Uso, performing the haka before a match. Have a look:



This is already a powerful tag team. They are even more so readying themselves for matches with the haka performance.

--- Final Thoughts... ---

All in all, celebrate and honor your culture and heritage. Just learning about the haka and the power and story behind it really enhanced my knowledge of this war dance. I had once planned on blogging about the Maori culture as an educational deal, and I was going to include the haka as part of the discussion.





If you are of Maori descent, you probably know MUCH more about the haka (and other rituals and customs) than I do. So feel free to supplement your input to help enhance my knowledge as well as the knowledge of my readers/subscribers. Thank you for reading!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
• Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)

America's Best Dance Crew

A show that I've watched for the first time ever was America's Best Dance Crew. Each season of ABDC showcases eight of the best dance crews to compete for the honor of being... America's Best Dance Crew. This past season was the fifth season of ABDC. When I saw this show for the first time, I actually thought Blueprint Cru was going to win over Poreotix. Didn't happen. Still, ABDC is a lovely show. Every crew that competes would LOVE the honor of becoming...


^ from: photobucket.com - America's Best Dance Crew logo.

--- Champions of America's Best Dance Crew ---

This section focuses in on the five champions of the past five seasons of America's Best Dance Crew. YouTube videos will be embedded to give you a first-hand look at what each crew brings to the dance floor.

Please visit the hyperlinks to each heading to visit their official websites. You can click on the links to learn more about any performance fees for each crew if you're wanting to book them.

JabbaWockeeZ.

^ from: photobucket.com - the first champions of ABDC, the JabbaWockeeZ.

America's very first Best Dance Crew is the fun and creative JabbaWockeeZ. They have great style and some creative moves. They are best known for the white masks they wear. They are absolutely creative in their moves. Maybe what's best about this exclusively American Southwest crew is that there's no real leader and they they all march to the beat of their own drum. This is really a great crew.

Want to see the JabbaWockeeZ in action? Check this out:

Super CR3W (Super Crew).

^ from: laist.com - Meet Super CR3W. They won the second season of America's Best Dance Crew.

The second-ever team to take the honor of "America's Best Dance Crew" is Super CR3W. These boys from Las Vegas have some sick breakdancing moves. Super CR3W is more like a team of possessed dancing demons because their style is unreal. Their flexibility and style are nothing short of amazing. They'll wow you with some insane breakdancing-style moves. They have amazing flexibility.

This video below is a video compilation of Super Cr3w in action. Not sure what the song is, but the video is audioswapped. Be warned that the song contains some foul language. Here's the video:

Quest Crew.

^ from: poptower.com - The Quest Crew took top honors in the 3rd ABDC season.

ABDC Season 3 champions, Quest Crew, is a crew all with unique characters. This is a diverse and creative crew with a great convergence of styles. These Los Angeles guys are crazy. They should have called themselves Crazy Crew.

Here is an insane performance by Quest Crew from Season 3:

We Are Heroes.

^ from: dancetalk.info - We Are Heroes is the first all-female crew to win ABDC, winning the fourth season of ABDC.

Girl power reigned supreme as Los Angeles' We Are Heroes won Season 4 of America's Best Dance Crew. They are the first all-female dance crew to win ABDC. These ladies have their own intense style and moves. While they aren't as eccentric as their male counterparts, this group has shown to be every bit as capable and fluid as any male dance crew. Some regular watchers of ABDC thought Rhythm City or Artistry in Motion should have won instead of We Are Heroes. Some of the more chauvinistic fans think that the only reason why We Are Heroes won is because they are females.

Here's your chance to see We Are Heroes light up the dance floor. This was part of a Karate/Martial Arts challenge:

Poreotix.

^ from: angryasianman.com - Poreotix is the most recent champs of ABDC as the fifth season of ABDC.

A close championship battle between Poreotix and Blueprint Cru saw Poreotix pull off the win. The boys from Westminster, California says that "Poreotix" is a combination of popping, choreography, and robotics. They try to incoporate humor into their routines.

These guys are silly. About as silly as the lady who Poreotix danced to in this video below. Watch them dance to Taylor Swift's "Love Story" here:



Who will be the ABDC Season 6 champs? I'll start watching this deal more often.

--- America's Best Dance Crew: Bonus Video ---

Here is my friend Arika Sato interviewing both the first two champions of ABDC. Check out this interview:



If you like Arika Sato's videos and commentary, check out Arika's home page!



(ADDED: April 7, 2011) The Sixth Season of "America's Best Dance Crew" started (to my surprise) tonight! This season is the "Season of the Superstars" I want to wish on all the crews the best of luck this season.

Here are the crews for this season and where they are from:

• I aM mE (Houston, Texas, USA) (woohoo!)
• Eclectic Gentlemen (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• REQUEST DANCE CREW (Auckland, New Zealand)
• PHUNK PHENOMENON (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
• STREET KINGDOM (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• 787 Crew (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• FootworKINGZ (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
• ICONic Boyz (Englishtown, New Jersey, USA)
• Instant Noodles (Los Angeles, California, USA)
• JAG6ED (Crenshaw, California, USA)

Should be a great one!

--- Meet the ABDC Season 6 Champions! ---
(ADDED: July 5, 2011)

The sixth season of ABDC was the Season of the Superstars. This is where producers District 78 had a number of Superstar Master Mixes of hit songs from some of the top names in hip-hop and pop. Many crews battled in Season 6 until it came down to two. I actually missed seeing crews like Instant Noodles (I loved those guys!) go down. I was even sold on Boston's Phunk Phenomenon. Season 6 came down to ICONic Boyz and I aM mE. This would be the first time in ABDC history where a crew NOT from the West Coast or from the western part of the United States will win the title of "America's Best Dance Crew." And...

I aM mE won Season 6 of "America's Best Dance Crew!" So here's another one to add to this blog post:

I aM mE.

I aM mE caught my eye when I actually noticed what all they brought to the dance floor. This was a crew that took risks and never failed to captivate. 15-year old Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales was surely one hard-hitting girl on the floor. I was not only proud of I aM mE not only because they're representing my hometown of Houston, but because they really brought it.

Want to see the finale (all 42+ minutes of it) of ABDC Season 6? Check this out: http://www.mtv.com/videos/americas-best-dance-crew-season-6-ep-10-the-finale/1665165/playlist.jhtml






Thanks to all of you for reading my blog! Hope you have a great day/night! An unofficial Blogspot blog I found with more on ABDC can be found at a blog called Blogging America's Best Dance Crew. Check it out if you get a chance.

Thank you for reading!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
• Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)

Gymnastic Ribbon

No style of rhythmetic gymnastics can be more graceful than gymnastic ribbon. While I don't watch gymnastics competitions much, I do admit that there's something beautiful and graceful about twirling around a gymnastic ribbon. So what does gymnastic ribbon competitions entail? A female gracefully twirls around a ribbon as well as perform various dancing routines with the gymnastic ribbon. Just seeing how a girl can twirl around a ribbon while also performing beautiful dance routines is just amazing. Sometimes, she even tosses her ribbon up into the air while tumbling on the floor and gracefully catch the ribbon. A number of different routines are put together to wow the crowd. There is NOTHING like gymanstic ribbon. Here is a picture to set the mood:


^ from: edmontonrhythmics.com

There is also gymnastics with a gymnastic ball, but I love gymnastic ribbon much more. What I have done is include a video to give you a demonstration of what makes gymanstic ribbon so beautiful and graceful. Check this out:


^ These are some beautiful moves from this little gymnast!





To all of you who take part in gymnastic ribbon, I salute all of you! Keep making those jaw-dropping moves and twirls to keep the audience on edge! :D Here are some gymnastic ribbons on Amazon if you are looking for some gymnastic ribbon wands and streamers:



Thank you for reading!

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!

Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow! Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
• Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)

Go-Go Dancing

(UPDATED: April 6, 2012)

Dance to the beat! You're the star of the show along with your other partners. Go-go dancing (or gogo dancing) is all about dancing to the beat of the music and energizing the crowd around you. Whether on platforms, trapped in cages, or whatever... a go-go dancer's goal is to entertain the crowd with lots of exciting moves. Go-go dancers even go with interesting clothing choices.

NOTE 1: This blog entry may somewhat be unsuitable to some audiences. It may even be a bit not safe for work. Read at your own discretion.

NOTE 2: This blog entry contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item. You are free to order any items featured in this section or in any widget if you choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.

LATEST UPDATE:

DEC 8 2011 - made some edits; edited Resources section (towards end of blog post)

--- Go-Go Dancing at a Glance ---

I've always known go-go dancing for one thing- ladies wearing hot outfits and dancing to the music, entertaining all in attendance. I've first started looking at pictures of go-go dancers in action from a few websites. The DJ usually plays a hot song either modern or classic. Go-go dancing today consists of mostly appealing young women in scantily clad outfits dancing to some of the hottest music from today and yesterday.



If you want a sample of today's go-go dancing, check out this video below to get a feel for go-go dancing:


^ (not safe for work!)


^ (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!) Go-Go Candy Girls - note the one-piece suits and the dancers in sneakers.

But if you want to see some old-school go-go dancing, I have two videos for you. Check out this first video featuring lots of '60s go-go dancers here. The second video is a go-go dancing piece within the credits of "Bikini Beach." Who's the lady go-go dancing? Candy Johnson:




^ Candy Johnson in the closing of "Bikini Beach"

Go-Go Dancing: Footwear.

Because of so many people looking for go-go dancing boots, what I will do here is offer more go-go dancing boots, including a Search Widget to where you can find your own go-go dancing boots. I thank EVERYONE who have visited my blog.

One of the most basic fashion pieces for go-go dancers are boots. The basic go-go boot is simple and sleek and has a 3-inch tall heel. Here is an example below:


^ from: kaboodle.com - pastel pink classic go-go boots.

Note the simple, yet elegant design of these boots. Nothing extremely fancy, just simple and elegant design. These have become quite fashionable even back in the earliest years of go-go dancing. You even see these worn by cheerleaders at sporting events. Not all go-go dancers wear boots. Some, like go-go dancers here in Houston, wear these Converse-like sneaker boots. Some just wear athletic sneakers.

And for those looking to elevate themselves (almost literally), there are two kinds of boots that have become popular with go-go dancers the past few years...

The most popular alternative go-go dancing boots are these 5-inch tall platform boots, the Stack boots from Demonia:


^ (UNISEX ITEM) In so many colors, in so many styles, and for both males and females, the Demonia by Pleaser Stack-301 boots have been the go-go dancing boots of choice by many of today's go-go dancers. They are also popular among men, though they are for at clubs and other entertainment events. These wildly popular boots are available in various styles. There are regular leather, patent leather, and glitter styles. I've mostly seen females wear these, but there are some men with their own Demonia Stack boots. Sizes for these boots range from 4 D(M) US to 13 D(M) US. If you're a female reading this blog entry and want to get your own pair of these men's-size boots, it's recommended you go two sizes down for your women's shoe size. So if you wear (for example) a women's size 8, order a men's size 6.

Now that you've seen the Demonia boots I've discussed, watch this YouTube video as someone demonstrate these boots and how they feel when worn:


^ "Pink platform boots"

These boots have been the most popular go-go dancing boots of the past few years. It's quite common you'll see a modern go-go dancer wear these boots. I've read that these are quite comfortable to dance and walk in. Of course, I'm not a go-go dancer myself, so I can't comment. Their popularity has lead to these boots coming in a variety of colors and material styles, ranging from glittery boots to patent leather. An interesting element of the above boots is that these are unisex boots- meaning that these are head-turning for both femmes AND males. A few times, I've seen some males wear these boots. One of the contenders on Speed Channel's "Bullrun: One Helluva Ride" reality show featured one driver wearing these boots in red. These boots are still crazy popular for what I know. I was even inspired by these boots to create a fictional character. The massive boots and sexy charm to these thereof have gotten me to make a fictional character. This is an old picture of mine featuring a fictitious go-go dancer I made initially designed to be in a fighting game. Her name is Candy Love:


^ a fictional character I've created for a fighting game project named Candy Love, a go-go dancer. To read more about my fictional character, check out Fictional Character - Candy Love

A note about my character is that I've been trying to make my own character for the very popular fighting game engine M.U.G.E.N. That's a rather old picture. I've re-imagined her a bit recently. The other pair of popular alternative go-go dancing boots are these Camel boots from Demonia:


^ These are the Camel boots from Demonia by Pleaser. The chunky high heel measures five inches off the ground. They come in white, two different black colors, and tan suede. Sizes range from 6 B(M) US to 12 B(M) US. These are more like Winter-type boots to feel hot in even while it's bitter cold. And since they're so furry, probably not a bad idea to tuck these into your favorite jeans or pants.

Here is a similar pair of boots from the same maker:


^ Demonia's Cubby boots have less of a platform than the Camel boots, and it also has a significantly lower heel. A few colors are available for these in sizes ranging from 6 B(M) US to 11 B(M) US.


Think of these boots as the lace-up alternative to the platform boots I mentioned earlier. They would be overkill to wear on cold days. I do see these boots in go-go dancing pictures. These are boots you also see worn by some models at import car events. But unlike the previous boots, these are not unisex.

If you would like to purchase go-go boots (or even go-go dancing boots) from Amazon, here is a widget I've provided for you to find go-go dancing boots you'll be most happy with. These even include go-go boots for girls. If you see something you like, click on it to learn more about the item and to find out what sizes and colors are available:





You can now look for more go-go items on John's Shop Space! Click on the graphic below to visit my alternate blog and more items on go-go dancing:

--- Go-Go Dancing: Outfits ---

NOTE 1: This section contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item. You are free to order any items featured in this section or in any widget if you choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.

NOTE 2: This section may feature some material not suitable for all audiences. Please read at your own discretion.


The most common outfits are usually scantily clad. Most go-go dancers go with swimwear or with or dancer outfits like dancing shorts or dancer-type tops. Some others even go with skirted bottoms or mini skirts. Part of the go-go dancing appeal is to wear clothing that is as hot as the music playing. I've usually seen (especially female go-go dancers) wear all sorts of items layered to try to add extra appeal to their outfits.

Go-Go Dancing: Accessories.

Boot covers are common among most go-go dancers. These boot covers are usually furry and are at times worn with go-go boots. There are also leg warmers worn by go-go dancers at times. Arm warmers are also worn by some go-go dancers. Adding to leg appeal would be fishnet stockings. A nice pair of fishnet stockings along with a hot pair of boots. Plenty of big ribbons are also big attention-getters as well.

As with any fashion piece, accessories can mean a great deal. I look at this as looking your hottest while dancing with hot moves to hot music. That also means wearing a lot of things to add to your overall appearance to be eye-catching even as you're dancing to the beat. Be one with the music and groove your booty off! :)

If you're interested in getting some go-go dancing accessories, please use my Search widget to find some extra items to help build your go-go dancing costume courtesy of Amazon.

Furry Boot Covers.

Some leg warmers have something to help fasten the boot covers to your boots. Here's one you can purchase along with a few others:

More furry boot covers:

--- Other Kinds of Go-Go Dancing ---

Go-go dancing can be very fun. What I'm discussing in this section is where you may see all kinds of go-go dancing. I have included links to videos you can find on YouTube to help give you a sample of what other kinds of belly dancing there is. Feel free to open these links in a new window or tab (depending on your browser). All of these videos are on YouTube and are mostly provided to educate you more on go-go dancing.

Regular Go-Go Dancing.

You regularly see ladies in scantily clad, attention-getting outfits dancing to pulsating music. If you want some go-go dancing, feel free to seeing Helen Su and Natalia Marie in action

Go-Go Dancing... Boys?

^ from: fireislandqnews.com - a male go-go dancer.

I've said go-go dancers (rather than go-go dancing girls) often. There are also some guys who do go-go dancing. They wear some of their own appealing outfits. These can range from trunks to almost whatever. This video here is an example of go-go dancing boys.

Go-Go Dancing Ladyboys.

^ from: photobucket.com - three go-go dancing ladyboys in Thailand. In Thai culture, Male-to-female transgendered Thai women are known as katoeys (or kathoeys). Ladyboy go-go dancing and ladyboy clubs are very popular in Thailand.

I only hear of ladyboy go-go dancing in Thailand (commonly in Bangkok). This is where male-to-female transgendered dancers entertain the audience with their eccentric moves on go-go platforms. This is a sample of go-go dancing ladyboys.


You've now reached the page break. You can read on for a more detailed look at go-go dancing and even find out how to get started as a go-go dancer yourself. As my way of thanking you for reading this blog entry so far, this widget features go-go boots on Amazon. Go-go dancing boots are the key item for traditional go-go dancers. Even if you are not a go-go dancer, you can still enjoy the appeal these boots provide to your look. So go ahead and find a pair of go-go boots you like most. Read after this page break for more on go-go dancing!




Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow!

--- Go-Go Dancing Considerations ---

There is a misconception people make that go-go dancers are strippers. In fact, go-go dancer stripping is STRONGLY discouraged. The penalties for doing such can be devastating. You can lose contract deals and promotions. Go-go dancers are primarily provided at events to dance in front of many people. Their outfits may be appealing, but I repeat- stripping is STRONGLY discouraged. You could face a lot of trouble for stripping as a go-go dancer with your promoter or whatever club you're dancing in.

UPDATED 4/25/2010: I found some videos that may help you if you're wanting to become a go-go dancer. I am only offering these as context and not as saying that I've actually seen these:


^ This is a workout video for you go-go dancers to be.


^ This is the video where the very first YouTube video is from. Go-Go Dance, by Katie Krause, teaches you the ins and outs of being a go-go dancer. So if you liked the first YouTube video in this blog entry, feel free to purchase this video by clicking on the graphic above.

--- Popular Go-Go Dancers ---

I'm most familiar with go-go dancing by import models. So that will be the majority of what you'll see in this section. You can look around online to learn more about these ladies I'm going to feature. But, this is just to get you to know about some of the go-go dancers out there.

(UPDATED: January 26, 2011 - click on the headings to visit their official websites (if available)!)

Teemaree.

^ from: macanie.blox.pl - Teemaree in a calendar shoot back in February 2007. She is a go-go dancer who also is an actress, DJ, and model among other talents.

Teemaree is possibly the first whom I've seen go-go dancing in pictures. Teemaree does more than just go-go dancing. Her media work is an expansive profile consisting of DJ'ing, modeling, and acting. Her work is very diverse. Her go-go dancing involvement is very special. In fact, she was the host of what was dubbed as the first-ever go-go dancing reality TV show called "Sweat, Boots, and Booty Shorts." Here is a sample of this online-only program:




Or to just see Teemaree go-go dance the night away, check this out:


^ WARNING: neither video not safe for work!

Amanda Jordan, (also known as "Lady Denali").

Amanda Jordan hails from Eagle River, Alaska... but she's very hot as a go-go dancer. The beautiful Alaskan also does belly dancing. She is multi-faceted in all of her work. When I first learned about her, she was part of a go-go dancing group called the Arctic Angels. Now, she's with Hell's Belles. She's still immensely beautiful, both in looks and in her moves.

Pam Rodriguez.

Pam Rodriguez boasts one of the most delicious bodies of any model, almost like a classic Coca-Cola bottle. She is half-Puerto Rican and half-Guatemalan. I don't usually know her for go-go dancing, but she does do a great deal of go-go dancing.

Flo Jalin.

Very popular in the import car scene and among go-go dancers is the beautiful Flo Jalin.

Helen Su.

Helen Su is a very beautiful young lady, but she's also very hot sporting some platform boots and go-go dancing. The native of Denver, Colorado, USA is one with the music while wearing some high platform boots and dressed hot. She is one of my personal favorite go-go dancers for her sweet moves and lovely looks.

Sasha Singleton.

Sasha Singleton may just be the most popular go-go dancer among the import car scene. Her style is beautiful along with some hot moves.

Thuy Li.

Thuy Li is a very hot go-go dancer. Her and Sasha Singleton are often times together go-go dancing to crowds.

Sunisa Kim.

I first learned of Sunisa Kim when I saw a magazine release party for a magazine release party. She's beautiful with some nice moves.

Jenny Chu.

Jenny Chu, who I often call "Jenny Cute," is a model I best know for being the girl on "Street Fury" along with Big-C. Jenny Chu does some go-go dancing. She's one of a few that perfectly balances cute and sexy without much compromise either way.

Jeri Lee.

Jeri Lee has beautiful looks, a beautiful voice, and beautiful moves. She shows you how to go-go dance in this YouTube video. Watch between 2:51 and 3:45 to get schooled proper on go-go dancing. :) Enjoy:

Tila Nguyen (better known as Tila Tequila).

Personally, I respect Tila Tequila for the fact that there aren't as many Asian superstars in American pop culture. She was born in beautiful Singapore and raised here in Houston. She's someone who has been awesome in go-go dancing, though I don't know too much about her as a go-go dancer. I do know that she's a very hot model. As I said previously, there aren't as many Asian superstars. She's definitely one of the most popular. A site listed at the end of this blog entry shows you where I came up with including Tila Tequila in this blog entry.



There are MANY more go-go dancers than the ones I mentioned. But at least now, you have a little insight on go-go dancing. But there's one more thing I need to mention...

--- The Future of Go-Go Dancing? ---

One reason I came up with this blog entry is because I never heard too much about go-go dancing lately. It makes me wonder if the appeal of go-go dancing has died down, or is it still going strong... just that you don't hear about it as much? I still think there's nothing like go-go dancing. I think wearing those massive boots while dancing gives go-go dancing that daring character. Go-go dancing is a lovely style of dance to those who can go-go dance as best as they can.

--- Go-Go Dancing Resources ---

So... do you want to be a go-go dancer? Are you interested in learning more about go-go dancing? Here are some links you can visit:

Go-Go Dancing Resources:

• Okay, So What Is Go-Go Dancing? (site not safe for work)
• Go-Go Dancing for Dummies
• HOTTEST GOGOs (kind of like Pure Hot Models for go-go dancers)

Go-Go Dancing Groups and Agencies:

• Go Go Dancers Needed | ExploreTalent.com
• NYClique Dancers (Myspace) (New York City area)
• Pure Bliss Entertainment (Philadelphia area)
• Eye Candy Go Go on Myspace (Seattle area)
• Seattle GoGo on Danceexperts.com (Seattle area)

• The Arctic Angels - Hottest GO-GO in Alaska and the South Bay

• GO GO Dancing - Toronto Talent Entertainment Agency (Toronto area)
• the Actionettes! ('60s style go-go dancing group) (London, England, U.K.)

Go-Go Dancing: Event Promotions and Others:

• Havok and Mayhem (links to dancers)


I will try to add more resources to help better assist my readers. You spent your time reading my blog and this blog post, so I need to return the favor any way I can.





That's all for this blog entry. Thank you for reading my blog entry on go-go dancing! Please comment if you like my work and don't forget to subscribe! Don't forget also to do some shopping on Amazon with items that I've posted, especially if you are looking for your own go-go dancing gear or other things.

Take care and thanks for making this blog entry popular! Thank you for reading!

"Like" me on Facebook, Follow JBS, and/or Contact Me via E-Mail!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Shop Space (JSS)	Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space (JGTS)