Mehiras Jewels

Turkey is a beautiful vibrant country well worth a visit. I travel there once or twice a year to relax and also learn what i can about local culture and dance. Unfortunately bellydance is still not well thought of in Turkey as apart from the famous dancers, 'shaking about a bit' in next to nothing is an easy way for girls to earn money, often making deals with customers for after dance services also. So this gives bellydance a bad name and makes it difficult for us westerners when we go there thinking that it is well liked and accepted because thats where it originates. As the reality is that in many tourist places if you bellydance in public the locals are likely to assume you are easy game, in many local dancers cases this is the truth. A sad state, but one im sure will gradually change, as more and more western women have dance holidays there and perform a decent standard of dance demonstrating that it is an artform. Then people will have to admit that there is dance performance, and there is prostiution and the two should be separated. The Turks do love dance however, but performing Gypsy or folk styles is regarded higher than bellydance, unless they see a dancer who impresses them with her (or his) grace, skill and musical interperpretation.

There are many different folk dances, each area has its own dance and costume style.  You can see some folk dancing on You tube as well as many famous Turkish bellydancers, the style is quite different that of Egyptian bellydancers and its well worth having a look, check out Didem for Turkish and Dina for Egyptian as they couldnt be more different!

I have just returned from the beautiful small resort of Dalyan, it is a riverside town not far from the beautiful 'Turtle Beach'. Famous as a nesting place for Loggerhead Turtles, the beach is a protected area and there are no hotels or reastaurants on the beach and it is only open to the public from 8am till 8pm. Reach it by boat along the river into the reed delta or by bus which takes you to the other end of the beach.

I met whilst there a lovely English lady who now lives there and runs a bellydance shop and performs under the name of 'Jameela'. Originally from London, Jameela and her partner run the shop from 9am until 1pm 6 days a week May until October. Long long hours. They also have an ebay shop- Suncelauro- Dance Costumes and Handmade Products.  Costumes can be made to measure at request. I have a few hip belts from there to sell and can get more next time i visit.

 visit http://www.jameelabellydancer.co.uk/ to find out about Jameela and how she ended up in Turkey.