I enjoyed learning more about the role and contributions of male belly dancers. Coming from a more Egyptian style, and trained background, this 100% confirms what my professor Hassan Khalil has shared. Male choreographers such as Ibrahim Akef deserve mention and credit for the boom of the Golden Era aesthetic that became so popular. Your thesis was all engaging, the impersonation portion was something I’d like to dive deeper into. From the western perspective, male display of “feminine” attribute that define our dance are seen as impersonation, but the book you mentioned challenges that, I’d like to know more. I was mostly surprised by how a career ending in 2012 required oral traditional research. Wow! Things have changed so fast and thanks to researchers like you we can be better informed. Thank you for acknowledging the gaps in understanding and not discrediting John for not knowing what was not known. This is a very inspiring jump point to dive deeper into our history here in the US and continue to educate ourselves on the traditions and ever evolving dynamics of this dance at the source.

- Sadie (she/her)

This presentation was a wonderful mix of focus, facts, and emotion. Drake’s admiration for John shone through. The firsthand stories and beautifully edited video gave us a feel for John Compton, his influence on the belly dance community, his lasting legacy, but also the person he was and his journey from a student to icon. Drake’s research and open presentation style gave us the opportunity to make our own decisions about the choices John made within the time and place he was dancing. By collecting the oral history, Drake has given future historians the opportunity to retell John's story, and preserved part of the American Belly Dance Fusion development. I believe this presentation provided not only an entertaining and educational glimpse into John Compton, as a dancer, but also a much needed example of how research into dance, and belly dance, should be captured.

- Sara Shrapnell (she/her)

I absolutely loved the presentation. I've been a part of the belly dance community for 20 years, and knew very little about John Compton. It was fascinating to find that he hadn't studied for very long prior to jumping into performing and teaching, although I knew it was common for the time frame. I particularly loved hearing your comments about the simplicity in his dancing, and how you've taken that to heart, that you don't have to layer all the things to be an impressive performer...you don't have to cram all the moves you know into one performance. I would love to read or hear more of your insights, not just on John Compton, but on the other influential male bellydancers in America. I think more people need to be educated on the fact that men have been doing this dance, and that it's not just by women/for women. I absolutely appreciated when you discussed and disputed the mother/Goddess fakelore that has circulated for decades.

- Mina Mac Gabhann (she/they)

I went into this class as an impulse decision. After the first 15 minutes, I knew I was in the right place. My dance journey has been a combination of emulating historic dancers while trying to express a non-binary identity. Seeing how dancers of the past navigated the same choppy waters was validating on multiple levels. Beyond the validation, I found myself diving deeper into references the class introduced to me. Overall, I would say this class was a perfect combination of lecture and conversation.

-Khush

Reconstructing a beloved community figure's life and background through oral history without eulogizing or narrowly focusing on several aspects instead of providing a holistic vision of who they were as a person in their unique circumstances is already an arduous task. Reconstructing a queer person's life, the time in which they lived in, and the circumstances that led them to make the choices they did while trying to justify your presence in their former community and debunk long held myths while holding space for their complications and sharing overlapping identities with the figure you are researching makes it even harder.

Drake navigates these spaces within his thesis and the lectures presented here admirably, taking on the role of a public historian to the US bellydance community and presenting a thorough picture of John Compton's life. He contextualizes the socio-political climate of John's life and the history of male bellydancers around the world to explain John's choices while making it accessible to dancers and non-dancers alike. He spares no attention to detail, but guides you to ensure that you are not overwhelmed with the volume of information you need to understand and critique the materials in front of you alongside him.

John Compton' was a complicated man and a flawed human being, as we all are. His legacy cannot be understated, but his kindness, spirit of generosity, and dedication to his craft lives on in Drake von Trapp.

-Lior (they/them)

I have a background in academia and queer art and have been bellydancing since 1997. For decades, I have longed for more academic discussions around gender dynamics in bellydance and have been hungry for more "non-wishistory" information to fill my many knowledge gaps. I was taken aback by the profound level of research Drake has done, and I am so grateful he has. This course was rich with valuable information that I'm still processing and looking forward to having more conversations about. I hope the knowledge disseminated in this class will permeate our community, helping to correct and refine the misconceptions Westerners often harbor about bellydance. This course offers a nuanced and enlightening perspective on bellydance that anyone interested in this art form should consider. It's also just FUN and exciting (if you're a nerd like me).

-Allison Schulte (she/they)