Our friend Chris de la Töad just had a birthday, and the Töad Code commands us to celebrate at times like this. Chris’s understanding wife volunteered to take care of their tadpole for the night, and thus our small group was free to go in search of live girls.
We found ourselves at Habibi of the Nile for Belly Dancing Night.
Belly dancing is the sexiest entertainment that you can talk about openly at family dinners or other family functions, like funerals. Belly dancing appeals to men and women of all ages. Anyone with a spark of life in them has no choice but to enjoy belly dancers.
Joie de belly dance…
Buffalo Belly Dancer Katherine Melek
Belly dancing is an art form where all present can celebrate a display of unabashed femininity. Upbeat, Middle Eastern music announces the start of the show. The performers emerge in joyfully colored costumes (often homemade) as attractive women shimmy through the crowd swaying their hips and bodies.
My favorite accoutrement would have to be the dancers’ coin belts — it’s like an over-sized charm bracelet that wraps around the waist and accents her hip movements with cheerful ringing as the charms collide.
Katherine Melek and Annakiya entertained us this evening. Both were lively and talented. Annakiya added hand cymbals to her act.
We loved how the girls went through the crowd to give everyone an up-close experience. Annakiya’s mystique was so powerful that when she approached our couch to dance, Chris de la Töad was overcome with emotion. Though recently out of the hospital for a major surgery, he jumped up and wiggled his sacrum right alongside her.
…versus the world
Annakiya performing in front of the Great Pyramid of Hertel Avenue
But soon, the Töads started to notice something awkward at Habibi of the Nile. The crowd was listless and detached. Rather than be present in the moment, they were more interested in taking cell phone selfies. One of these corpses even sat staring straight ahead as Miss Melek danced inches from his face, as if looking anywhere near her would invite some sort of personal connection that he wasn’t ready to handle.
I have dead houseplants with more vitality than this crowd. For real.
Why is this? Does a Töad experience life that differently from the rest of the world? Has ready access to hard core pornography destroyed people’s appreciation for the delicate sensuality of the belly dance?
Though the ways of the Töad may be a tiny minority, I wouldn’t trade my subjective experience for theirs for all the belly dancers in the world. What sense would it be, if I couldn’t enjoy it? Our time at the belly dance saloon reminded me of why we need our triannual Celebrations of Reality. These cherished celebrations allow us an outlet to experience fully, and to sink our teeth into, our existence and shake it by the neck. Spectators and milquetoasts that infiltrate are mocked or burned at the stake, as they should be.
Your article really came together beautifully. Very insightful. At strip clubs and other small preformances I have noticed the same thing. People are trying so hard to pretend they are not even there, I always found it strange. Like.. your fucking there! show some appreciation fuckers. So rude and disconnected. It ties in perfectly with that metamodern art article as well- if you give preformers energy to bounce off they will generally preform better anyways. Give and take. We must oscillate with our performers! I can’t wait to find a spectator to burn at your next celebration.
Last night I went to an Opeth concert and the lead singer made this 2 minute+ long speech on ‘Stop watching the concert through your cellphones / cameras and enjoy the show!’ And the amount of people filming the whole speech was insane. 2 people directly in front of me filmed it, even as he went on pointing / calling out people in the crowd that were filming, never looking away from their screens. Were they even listening? It was hard to tell. Regardless it was a great concert, but I found myself increasingly tempted to smash into people filming in hopes to knock the camera from their hands, which I believe should be the new standard for all concert goers.
chris de la toad….perfect