[Editor’s note: the following two letters are in reference to Star Begley’s Aug. 9, 2007 story “Nothin’ but a Hoochie, Mama”)
Sorry this comment is so late, but I thought it important to share, regardless of the timeliness of my reply. I also want to preface my statements by mentioning I am an Irish German Haole, who has spent about nine years studying the culture and the music, so feel free to disregard my remarks as poppycock. But if you do, then pray tell, how are yours valid?
Primarily, Ori is a celebration of life. Your fixation or dissatisfaction with the movements within the dance may be based on a misunderstanding about their meaning. Hula tells the story with the hands, Ori speaks via the hips. To contain the hips is to contain the story. The fact that Tamari‘i are taught the same moves as adults is more generational egalitarianism than an attempt to assuage the pedophilic thirst of random perverts, or to get an early start in promoting promiscuity.
With that in mind, it seems that it is your myopic perspective which needs to be examined rather than cultural dances of Tahiti and the Cook Islands.
-Darrel Smith, Kihei
Just writing a shout out to Restless Native. Although, I did at times find Holoholo Girl mildly amusing, mostly it was a pathetic waste of a public platform. Thank you for using your precious freedom of press to write about something other than booze, boys and bars.
I honestly don’t know why all your Holoholo fan critics decided just now to take what they read in the Maui Time too seriously. Or why they can’t help but completely overlook that you are pointing out a very critical issue in modern society surrounding little girls because they are too busy trying to defend themselves or are too uncomfortable with the real issue to let you point it out to them.
My sister and I both used to belly dance when we were really little. Yes, we knew it was sexy. Come on, we got louder whistles than our moms. It’s just too bad nobody taught us self-defense, too, so we could deal with all the perverts we learned how to so easily attract. And this was way before Britney!
Besides, kids don’t need that to feel good about their bodies. Moms need the classes so they can feel good about themselves and not put their daughters down for being or dress them up as a younger, hotter version of what they once were. Yeah, maybe this is just my harsh reality, but if one other person can relate than it is worth sharing.
These ancient tribal dances can be a richly educational, cultural, fun and even healthy experience for many. However, both them, and sexuality in general, must be recognized for the power they induce, which when wielded by a young person who knows nothing about it can bring about disastrous results.
Yeah, sex and sensuality is a beautiful thing we ought not to be ashamed of. But let’s face it, sex education is practically non-existent for most people. You can’t learn that on Reality TV!
-Anonymous, via email
CORRECTION
In our Aug. 30, 2007 cover story “Taste of Maui,” we got Sansei’s Kapalua address wrong. It’s 600 Office Dr., Kapalua.DANCE, DANCE, DANCE
[Editor’s note: the following two letters are in reference to Star Begley’s Aug. 9, 2007 story “Nothin’ but a Hoochie, Mama”)
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