by Anuka
People who give a guy that knowing look when they find out his girlfriend dances just prove they don’t know a thing about what it is like to be a Bellydance Boyfriend. The unsuspecting male may even buy class gift certificates for his girlfriend picturing a Hollywood harem scene in the future. He may get a sensual private performance every once in a while if he’s lucky, but the reality is far removed from the sultan’s tent.
First, there are the classes. The Bellydance Boyfriend (henceforth referred to as BDB) is the one left alone on the couch several nights a week as his girlfriend attends and possibly teaches classes. It starts off as a weekly thing, but grows into more classes, practice time and possibly joining a troupe.
Then, there are the shows. The BDB is not only required to attend most if not all shows, he must also carry costumes and props, take pictures, hold the valuables, and afterwards listen to the dancer and her friends discuss the event for hours. He will often be the only male present during these discussions, and must suffer in silence. The BDB with a professional dancer had the added pleasure of driving her to her many gigs on the weekends.
And the costumes – non-dancers tend to faint when they hear the cost. When the BDB recovers consciousness, he is made to understand just how much of the budget is reserved for those sparkly things. Before a show where vendors will be present, the BDB may be required to hand over all of his cash as the dancer rushes out the door. Some BDBs have even been known to wield a beading needle or spend hours at the sewing machine!
So the next time you are at an event and you see the silent, lone figures hovering on the edges a group of chatting dancers, give them a smile. Their help in the dance community is so often underappreciated!