Belly Dance

Ask any dancer the history of belly dance, and you are likely to get a variety of answers. In fact, you may even get a variety of different names for the dance—Oriental dance, Raqs Sharqi, or Middle Eastern dance. It is perhaps easier to first explain what "belly dance" is. "Belly dance" is distinguished from typical Western styles of dance in its use of layered or segmented muscle isolations, circular movement, and torso-driven movement. Western-style dance relies heavily on arm and leg movement and the creation of single lines, which makes the dance movements easily seen from a distance on a stage. Belly dance, however, has humble beginnings in the social folk dances of ancient cultures. It was a private dance done largely by women for women, an intimate form of expression and communication. Some believe belly dance originated as a means of training women for childbirth, and many dancers and midwives insist that the breathing and muscle training involved help for an easier delivery. You can see the influence of this ancient dance in the folk dances of the Middle East and North Africa, the Gypsy dances of Turkey, the variety of formal and folk dances of Asia, and the stylized movements of Spain's flamenco. While the dances have evolved differently over the centuries, they clearly share a common root. Note that in this article the dancer will be referred to as "she," but there are fantastically talented male dancers who perform folkloric and theatrical styles.

When Westerners picture belly dance, they may envision a sequin-clad dancer swathed in silks and wearing a heavily decorated two-piece, belly-baring outfit. They may think of Salome's seduction of King Herod, the exotic dancer Mata Hari, the television show I Dream of Jeannie, or rubies in navels. Though this costume and image was a creation of the Western cinema, it was adopted enthusiastically by Egyptian dancers to attract tourist business in Cairo nightclubs in the early twentieth century. Early dancers would have worn dresses, layered tunics, skirts, or caftans. They would have been ordinary people engaged in social dancing or been entertainers hired to dance at festivals and events such as weddings. The Orientalist desire, even as early as the eighteenth century, of traveling Westerners to see the "exotic" gave rise to a different form of dance. Women of the East were not typically seen by visitors at all, so Western visitors assumed that the performers they saw dancing were what all Eastern women were like. These performers were generally Egyptian Ghawazee or Turkish Roma dancers and musicians—or lower-class entertainers. In some cases, they may also have been prostitutes. At the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the folk dancers of the Streets of Cairo exhibition shocked the American spectators with their torso-based movement. The French called it la danse du ventre (the dance of the stomach) and American event-promoter Sol Bloom called it "belly dance" or "hootchy kootchy" to titillate crowds. A dancer known as Little Egypt, who was very likely not of Middle Eastern origin, created a more risqué, burlesque-type dance based on these dances and caused a moral uproar, forever coloring the Western view of Middle Eastern dance. Belly dancing can be flirtatious and sensual, but a properly trained dancer is never overtly sexual. She dresses for proper coverage and support as well as for the venue, type of audience, and piece of music she is performing. It is never a strip tease, regardless of Salome's legendary performance and the dreams of many bachelor party organizers.

Perhaps the most surprising features of belly dance—and one of the most challenging and rewarding for the dancer—is that it is usually performed through improvisation. A trained dancer learns by listening to a great deal of music, studying rhythms and common melodies, and building a vocabulary of dance movements and combinations that she will use when on the floor. Performances are often done with live bands or musicians who put together a collection of songs and a variety of rhythms to create an original show. Shows usually include songs with fast and slow rhythms. A slow, solo instrumental improvisation called a taxim or taqsim may be followed by a lively drum solo, and the performance may also include the use of finger cymbals, a veil, and balancing props such as a sword or tray. Some dancers in the Turkish style may execute floor-work in which a dancer performs deep back-bends using flexibility and strength, sometimes while also balancing a prop. While a dancer may indicate to the musicians what songs or rhythms she would like, a band rarely plays anything the same way twice, and the performer's dance floor, audience, and mood determine the performance. The dancer and musician are partners, and an experienced dancer communicates subtly throughout the performance with regard to tempo, music, and style changes. As the world moves more heavily toward prerecorded music and as styles diversify, dancers are beginning to choreograph performances, but the energy of an improvised performance for both dancer and audience is unparalleled.

Why has this dance lasted the test of time, and why has it become popular once again? There are many answers. Some are now turning to belly dance for its health benefits. A proper belly dance class involves healthy stretching and a cardio workout, toning the body from head to toe, and yet the dance is generally low impact and joint friendly. The dance is also meant for women of all ages and shapes. The circular basis of belly-dance movements massages the joints and helps to maintain flexibility. The weight-bearing movement helps to tone muscles and maintain strong bone density. The correct dance posture, the very first thing a dancer must learn, combined with the core toning, quickly improves overall posture. Most people who participate in this dance find it has far more than physical benefits. Many places have large and thriving dance communities with classes, performances, and hafli, or Arabic dance parties, providing a wonderful social outlet. Dancers also say that this dance has affected their confidence, body image, and spirit. It has been used successfully in therapy with patients with body image and eating issues, as well as types of abuse and trauma. Not everyone who studies this dance form chooses to perform it publicly, but often teachers teach a choreographed performance in class and provide students an opportunity to perform it at a local event or recital.

The variety of styles of belly dance today are limited only by a dancer's creativity and training. From the most traditional styles to the most inventive fusions, belly dance has captured the world's imagination.

Cabaret-Style, Oriental Dance, or Raqs Sharqi  

This is the most well-known form of modern belly dance and is popular internationally. A dancer in a sparkling beaded dress or in a glittering two-piece outfit, called a bedlah, is most likely performing the style of belly dance known as cabaret-style belly dance or Raqs Sharqi (dance of the East). This modern style started as a folk dance but has since incorporated moves from jazz and ballet in an effort to make it more stage- and Western-friendly. Performed in Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey—with each of those countries having its own unique style—this dance was created for the nightclubs of Cairo and is now performed more in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

Folkloric  

Folkloric dances represent the roots of modern belly dance, and there are as many folk dance styles as there are people who dance them. Folk dancing can be a social event, or it can be theatrical and made for the stage as a means of presenting a culture. For example, Mahmoud Reda of Egypt created the famous Reda Troupe, a dance troupe focused on bringing folk dance to the stage as a means of promoting and preserving Egyptian culture. Folkloric dancers may perform as soloists or in groups. The folkloric dancer must be careful when selecting both music and costuming, as she is responsible for presenting the culture as authentically and respectfully as possible, especially if it is not her own, and avoiding cultural appropriation. Indeed, Randa Jarrar, a writer for Salon, posits that "many white women who presently practice belly dance are continuing [a] century-old tradition of appropriation." It is always a positive skill for a dancer to know the roots of her form of dance, even if she does not perform folkloric dances.

Pharaonic  

This form of belly dance is actually a form of theatrical belly dance. While modern dancers do not know for certain how the ancient Egyptians danced, depictions of dancers and musicians fill the walls of the tombs of the ancients, so we have an idea of what the instruments might have sounded like and what the dance movements might have resembled. By imitating the images in ancient Egyptian artwork, dancers re-create an imagined vision of those times using costuming and music.

"Gypsy" Style  

It is impossible to say that "Gypsy" belly dance is a style of its own, as there are many different "Gypsy" (Romani) communities, from the Turkish Roma to the Egyptian Ghawazee to the Bopa and Kalbeliya of India. Gypsy-style dancers often wear full skirts that figure prominently in their dance and may also wear blouse-like tops with laced vests on top. They dance to complex rhythms and may use finger cymbals, a fan, a sword, or even a dagger. Turkish Gypsy is the most common style, known for its challenging 9/8 rhythms and vivacious energy.

Tribal Style  

Tribal-style belly dance rose to prominence in San Francisco, California, in the early 1970s. Jamila Salimpour, a well-known belly dancer and folklore specialist, began to blend the moves of folk dances from throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa to gave rise to what was called "tribal" style. Tribal dancers often wear colorful, layered fabrics and traditional tribal jewelry from across the cultures they draw from. Tribal-style dance is primarily danced in a group of two or more, yet the style maintains the tradition of improvisation by having a vocabulary of moves that each dancer knows and having "leaders" who change throughout a performance, using subtle cues to tell the other dancers which move they are going to do next. When watching a group perform this style, it is hard to believe that they are not dancing from a planned choreography. The moves of tribal-style dance are often more earthy and aggressive than cabaret. American tribal style (ATS) is the most well-known type of tribal-style dance and was created by Fat Chance Belly Dance in San Francisco, California. International tribal style (ITS) is another common form.

Tribal Fusion  

Originally created as a type of fusion between the cabaret style and the tribal style, tribal fusion has taken on more of a modern edge in recent years, with many dancers utilizing the pops and locks of hip-hop and break dancing and combining them with the smooth fluidity of the circular movements of belly dance. Costuming is widely varied but often uses dance pants or a combination of skirt and pants.

Gothic/Fantasy/Theatrical Belly Dance  

Dancers in these styles of belly dance use costuming, nontraditional music, and props to create an artistic vision or mood. While you may see black-clad dancers expressing darkness and despair dancing to heavy metal, you may also see steampunk performers dancing to industrial pop, and stories both new and old being told in a variety of ways. Dancers could dress as anything from a Celtic warrior to a goddess or a zombie—anything goes. When the dance is no longer belly dance but performance art, it is always important to have a strong base in fundamental belly dance techniques before jumping into any fusion genre.

Belly Dancing for Fun vs. Profit

Most belly dancers dance as a hobby. They use it as a form of pleasure, exercise, and social engagement. They may perform with a student troupe at local festivals, social centers such as nursing homes, or local dance events and fundraisers. In the dance community, fundraisers are a popular way to use dance in a positive way.

If you are aiming to dance professionally, you must study, practice, and attend as many professional performances as you can. Watching a professional dancer perform, especially in a venue you may wish to dance in, is highly educational. Listening to a band that would be playing for you is crucial preparation for a performance, as each band has its own style. Learn the basic songs and rhythms that you may expect to hear at a venue. Have appropriate costuming and test out that costuming vigorously at home before performing in it to avoid costume malfunctions. If you are creating your own music set from prerecorded songs, be sure you are suiting your music selection, costume, and dance style to the venue and audience. You would not, for example, want to perform a tribal fusion piece—costume, music, and all—at a traditional Lebanese restaurant.

If you wish to dance professionally, realize that few dancers make a living doing this. Pay is not high and, unfortunately, disrespect for dancers by club and restaurant owners and high levels of competition in the community have resulted in falling rates for restaurant "gigs" and private parties. Talk to other professional dancers in your community to get a sense of the going rates, and try to support the dance community by adhering to those rates. Always behave in a professional manner, dress nicely (remember to never spend time outside of performance in your costume), and arrive in a timely manner. Determine beforehand if tipping is allowed and how that tipping will happen. At some of the older venues of Greek or Turkish origin, the audience may tip by placing the tip on your costume, but no one should ever be allowed to touch you inappropriately. In most clubs and modern venues, tips are generally tossed onto the dance floor. Some venue owners require you to share tips with them or the band. If you are performing for a private party, it is a best to have a contract with an explanation of what is and is not allowed and expected, including the length and location of the show. It is also a good business practice to require a down payment to hold the date. It is a good idea to bring a chaperone with you to all private performances to assist with costuming, communicating with the client or DJ, and providing security. Most dancers do not perform for bachelor parties out of respect for the dance and their own security. Ultimately, how you allow yourself to be treated will affect your future performances and those of the dancers around you. As a professional, you are investing a great deal of time and money in training, costumes, makeup, transportation, and marketing, and you should not be afraid to demand that you be treated appropriately.

Learning More

Many regions, countries, and states have their own dance organizations. It is worth using a search engine to seek out area-specific organizations that may have pages to link you with local resources, classes, teachers, and events. The larger, more general search sites often only feature teachers who have paid to sign up or who are aware of the website, which greatly limits your options. There are also many forums and online interest groups to join for idea exchanges and candid reviews of products and instructors.

Websites  

Egyptian Academy of Oriental Dance <http://egyptianacademy.com>

International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance <http://www.bellydance.org.>

Raqs Vajra <http://www.vajravision.com/linkheaven.htm>

All About Belly Dancing! <http://www.shira.net>

Books  

Buonaventura, Wendy. Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World. 2nd ed. Northampton: Interlink, 2010. Print.

Carlton, Donna. Looking for Little Egypt. Bloomington: Intl. Dance Discovery, 1995. Print.

Dallal, Tamalyn. Belly Dancing for Fitness: The Ultimate Dance Workout that Unleashes Your Creative Spirit. Berkeley: Ulysses, 2004. Print.

Rawi, Rosina-Fawzia B. al-. Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing. Trans. Monique Arav. Northampton: Interlink, 2000. Print.

Sharif, Keti. Bellydance: A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance, Its Music, Its Culture and Costume. Crows Nest: Allen, 2005. Print.

Van Nieuwkerk, Karin. "A Trade like Any Other": Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt. Austin: U of Texas P, 1995. Print.