I was not sure what to expect, as I have never attending a belly dancing event, nor one in Korea of all places. One usually does not think of Koreans when thinking of belly dancing.
Ashley let me know beforehand that this wasn't belly-dancing she was used to, as it's supposedly more Egyptian style, with a little Korean hip-hop thrown in. (Like I would be able to tell...)
The party was held in Apgujeong, an area of Seoul I have been to a handful of times. The party was being held on a popular banquet hall (which also happens to be a boat docked on the Han River) called "River City." Our tickets were 40,000W which was a little high, but we were seated at the front as VIP's. The ticket included an all you could eat buffet (from traditional Korean fare, to sushi, fried foods, deserts, and -- everyone's favorite -- all you could drink soju, beer, cider (Sprite) and Pepsi. (It's a good deal!)
When I first entered the room I was blinded by the sea of bright costumes, sequins, bells, and flashing gold tassels. Beyond that there was an abundance of scantily clad Korean women who dominated the room (besides Ashley who is white, blonde, and from Iowa). At first they all seemed to stare as we white people entered the room, but the soon learned that we were with Ashley, and seemed welcoming. (or maybe they were just commenting on how tall Gideon is - he's at least 6.5 feet!)
The show was interesting. It reminded my of sitting through my little sister's dance recitals. There were about five groups or so, varying in age. There was a group of about six little girls who must have been ages 8-11, who danced seductively to a popular Korean Pop song that is really sexual in nature. (We refused to take pictures of them, as it didn't seem appropriate. We also wanted to hit their parents for allowing them to partake in such a manner all too similar to those poor little girls who are paraded around by their mothers at those despicable preteen beauty pageants.)
If you were sitting at our table at the show you would have heard the following comments depending on the group that was dancing. They were as follows:
"What is that woman, like 50?"
"That lady's face scares me"
"That girl was good, she can sure make her belly dance!"
"All that pink is blinding me!"
Ashley's group seemed to be the most similar in age to our own, and was by far the most talented, and seemed to know what they were doing. Ashley did a great job!
To see another dancing video, click this link:
The MC of the evening was really into getting the guys to participate (but most of them were clearly drunk -- I think they needed to be). Marcus and Gideon even joined in the fun.
Marcus and the really drunk man...
Overall, it was a interesting show, a fun night, and a unique experience.
