Interesting letters I have gotten:

Saqs,

I just saw your Instructor's Seminars and I have a request as to part of this curriculm (kinda goes over the phychological part of it).

 

Please make sure that teachers know to be non judgemental of their students and realize that some of their students may just be doing it for fun and not trying to make a career out of it or trying to be a professional dancer. I have seen to many "teachers" treat studenst like crap. Also make it known to them that they should ask their students to be kind to each other and also non judgemental. I ask this of you because I feel it is a shame that in a "womens dance" women turn into a bunch of woofing bitches and cause it to be one big piling heap of disappointment for those who are just trying to have fun and enjoy themselves.

 

Just wanted to say that.

My name is [name withheld] and there is a photo - or two - of me on the Rakkasah Web Page taken during the Rakkasah West Festival Show on the [withheld], March
2005.  This photo comes up on google when my name is typed in and I must ask you to remove it/them from the site.

I live in Turkey and Oriental Dancers are not considered to be a legitimate part of Turkish Society.  I have lost six jobs now, beginning my my university job in Izmir, Turkey in 2006, the first time my articles and the photos were seen by the administrators at my university.

 After that, I was unable to get any more teaching jobs and always get the same answer: 'Your photo is on the Internet near women dancing with snakes and men stripping.  This sort of activity is not tolerated at our institution.'  I explained, in each case, that it had been ten years since I have performed professionally and that show was my 'Official Retirement' performance. 

Unfortunately, no one believes me, particularly as the blurb under the photo says 'Aniteppe, Ankara, Turkey.'  Although my neighbourhood is residential and peaceful - and just across the street from Kemal Ataturk's mausoleum - the Founder of the Turkish Republic and revered alomost as a god here in Turkey - there is also a part of Aniteppe where Russian girls dance with costumes that look like Oriental Dancer's costumes yet these girls are un-trained dancers, there only for selling themselves.  I am frequesntly mistaken for a Russian girl as my middle name, though Greek in origin, is '[withheld -- a common name that could be either Russian or Greek]'.

PLEASE remove the two photos you have of me as soon as possible.  I cannot get work and as a result am suffering severe financial distress.  [Photos were removed immediately]

I am an English Lecturer at the University level and now is the month for recruitment.  If my photos are seen again I may not have a job in the Autumn.  Please do this for me!  I have begged [editor] of [American online webzine] to remove my Bio photos but she suggests I leave Turkey if they don't like me here.  I am married with a Turkish man and am trying to make my home here as he also has a life here and a job. Why should I leave my husband???  We LIVE here!
 My 'disgrace' is affecting his family, yet dancers in America fail to understand the urgency or the depth of my problem.

You have my permission to tell any of your students or fellow dancers that the Turks, while happy to take your money for Turkish-made costumes or zils or Seminars, or provide Dancers in Tourist Venues, they continue to look down on Oriental Dancing for a number of reasons.  Every Turkish girl does this sort of dancing as soon as she can walk and so there is no reason for 'professionals' to perfrom anywhere but at special parties or events.  And then, they are not accpted socially anyway...
Strange but true!

Thank you SO much for your help!


Sincerely,