ABOUT BELLYDANCE

Its History and Culture

Raqs Sharqi, Dance du ventre, Raqs Orientale...... or to call it by its most common name "Bellydance".  The stereotypical name accorded to this very skilful dance form is a constant source of irritation for many serious dancers.  It is widely believed to have derived from an entrepreneur called Sol Bloom who introduced this type of dance to the Chicago World's Trade Fair in 1893.  Since then, with the introduction of the two piece costume by Hollywood and its subsequent adoption by the Egyptian dancers of the 1930's and 40's the name seems to have stuck.  If you tell anyone that you do "Arabic dance" or "Raqs Sharqi" for a hobby or a living - they usually looked puzzled until you explain that these are actually other terms for "bellydancing". 

For my own part, I have no problem with the term if it can describe the dance properly.... however it simply doesn't do it justice.  As one well known dancer exclaimed "you may as well call Flamenco the "foot dance!"  Still we are stuck with this name, and must do our best to help people understand the rich and varied cultural and historical roots behind what some believe to be the world's oldest dance form. 

Historically there is evidence that the dance we see today descended from the sacred rituals involved in goddess worship prior to the rise of the major monotheistic religions in the region.  However, with the advent of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the region, all of them male dominated, the dance came to be associated with "immodest" women and secular entertainment rather than the religious and the divine as it had been previously.  This may be why dancers, even today, struggle with the effect that becoming a dancer can have on their reputation..... one dancer I know is even estranged from her father because of her choice to become a professional dancer.  Wendy Buonaventura, in her well researched books "Serpent of the Nile" and "I Put a Spell on You" points out that the word for woman in Arabic is "fitna" which is also the word for chaos or disorder.  Women (especially it seems in Islam) are to be feared for their "disruptive" influence over men - hence the need for women to be veiled.  This idea is also put forward in "Beyond the Veil" by Fatima Mernissi, a book about the woman's role in Islam.  Imagine how the women who became dancers for a living, refusing to wear the veil or be reliant on a man for anything (like, for example, the Ouled Nail women) were viewed as the most disruptive of all - indeed this must have been a very threatening concept.  As a result of this, dancers throughout history have suffered persecution and even death for the sake of their art and their freedom.  It was reported by one French writer Auriel that so disruptive did Napoleon believe the Ghawazee (dancers) of Cairo to be on his soldiers, that he had 400 of them decapitated and their headless bodies thrown in the Nile.  In 1832, the ruler of Egypt, Ali Pasha, fearing the effect that the dancers would have on his city's reputation, especially with the influx of European tourists, banished all the Ghawazee to Aswan and Upper Egypt.  This did not stop travellers such as Gustave Flaubert (author of Madame Bovary) from seeking them out.... he was particularly taken with the most famous dancer of that time called Kutchuk Hanem, who he persuaded to perform a dance called "The Bee" for him. 

And so what of the present day....?  Despite the persecutions and the prohibitions put on the dance throughout history it still survives.  Admittedly, it has changed over the years, incorporating moves and ideas from other dance styles such as ballet, flamenco and samba etc. But essentially it remains a dance of the Middle East, easily recognisable by the music and the skilful isolated movements of the hips, torso, stomach, arms and head. And this is the strange thing about the name "bellydance" and maybe why a lot of dancers take issue with it - your "belly" does not need to be on show, nor indeed does any part of your body.  Furthermore, the moves that are performed in this dance actually incorporate the whole of the body.....from the head to the toes.  It is a very skilful, beautiful, empowering dance form for women.  It is suitable for women of all races, ages, sizes, and levels of ability; it gives a woman the chance to express her passion, her individuality and her interpretation of the music; it allows her to be strong and masterful, sensual and lyrical, playful and cheeky - whichever mood she wants according to the type of music she is dancing to. 

Today, more women than ever are finding out the health and spiritual benefits that can come from learning this dance.  It has lasted for over two thousand years ....... may it survive and give joy to women for another two thousand.........

If you want to read more about the history of Arabic dance a very good place to start is Wendy Buonaventura's "Serpent of the Nile", published by Saqi books.