Mousbah Baalbaki is a contemporary male belly dancer from

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described Baalbaki as "sinuous and seductive...in a gauzy black caftan over Bedouin-style white robe, she undulated on stage with a faraway look in his eyes and a bodyguard close at hand". The ''New York Times'' article was criticised by Stavros Karayanni for an Orientalist "sadly anticipated tone that ranges between sardonic and superior—an efficient and popular technique for relating information about something titillating, enticing and 'different'". Baalbaki has said that he wishes to break societal taboos: "Here we grow up thinking men shouldn't dance Arabic."

Biography and family

Baalbaki was raised in a conservative

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

household in

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

. He attended the

Lebanese American University The Lebanese American University (LAU; ) is a secular private American university with campuses in Beirut, Byblos, and New York. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is recognized by the Lebane ...

. Baalbaki is

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

, and identifies as male: "I'm trying to prove that a man can do it, can dance in this society."

External links

Video of Mousbah performing in Beirut
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baalbaki, Mousbah Living people Lebanese dancers Lebanese gay men Gay dancers Gay Muslims People from Sidon Lebanese Muslims Lebanese belly dancers Lebanese American University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Lebanese LGBTQ people