The History of Belly Dance
Disclaimer...
The following is not meant to be an exhaustive history of the dance or the art form, only a brief introduction.  The interested reader is referred to the Links Page.  One can happily spend hours upon hours learning the history of this dance form.

 
Belly Dance?  Danse Oriental? Dance du Ventre?  Middle Eastern Dance? Raks Sharqi?  Baladi?  No matter the name, the dance is beautiful, sensuous, a great way to exercise and FUN!

Belly dance is the oldest documented form of dance.   Belly dancing is thought to have begun about 5000 years ago as a part of religious ritual and ceremony, as a way to honor the goddess.  Some feel it was to aid in childbirth.  Regardless, it was a part of matriarchal societies.

This dance form has spanned centuries and millenniums, as well as countries, changing and growing as time progressed and as dancers migrated to new areas.  The dancers absorbed the local movements and rhythms, incorporating them into their dance style.  Over the centuries it has become an integral part of everyday life and culture in the Middle East. Women danced at home to entertain themselves and each other, and the dance evolved into an important social pastime. Today, Middle Eastern dance is a performance art form popular in the United States and throughout the world.

Belly dance is based on muscle moves, or isolations, unlike western dances, which are step based. The dancer combines sequences of these isolations of the body muscles when she dances. The main areas of the body used in the dance are the hips, chest, and abdomen, accentuated by the arms and hands. Some of the movements are slow and undulating, involving the entire torso. Others are faster, such as a shimmy or shaking kind of move of the hips or shoulders.  Which moves or isolations a dancer chooses to do depend upon the music and the dancer’s interpretation of it.  The dance comes from the heart and soul and is a reflection of the mood conjured within the dancer by the music.

Often, as a dancer becomes more experienced, she may begin to dance with “props”.  Props can give an added dimension to a performance, and may include such objects as baskets, canes, swords, veils, candles, trays (sometimes with accompanying pitchers and glasses), and even snakes.  The dancer can also enhance the music by playing finger cymbals (zils), a tambourine or drum.  Some dances, like the tambourine dance, are reminiscent of the family dances of the Bedouin tribes and Gypsies. Dancing with a sword or cane is derived from a type of folk dance known as weapon dances. Veils and fans give a more contemporary, western and/or Spanish feel to the dance.

Desert Rhythms' performances, dances and costumes are designed to suit both the audience and the situation. Shows include an introduction explaining the dance, usage of props, and audience participation.  We compliment and enhance our shows with live music, including drums, zils, and tambourines.

Dancing Styles
Belly dance, particularly that done in the United States,  has different styles and can reflect moves and music from a wide range of countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, and Morocco.  Other countries, both past and present, have influenced the dance as well.  Both Iran and Iraq were part of the ancient “Persia”, and the Ottoman Empire used to include parts of Spain.  Two prominent styles are known as Ethnic and Cabaret and each is associated with a particular type of costuming, music and dance steps and styling.

 “Ethnic” dancing refers to a ‘folk dance’ style, or ‘country’ dancing.  The costumes worn cover more of the dancers’ body and are made from heavier (non-transparent) fabrics.  Traditional folk costumes can consist of harem pants, skirts, vests and blouses, sometimes including coin bras and belts, and heavy jewelry.  The history behind the coin covered clothing is interesting.  As dancers migrated to new areas, they would dance on street corners to earn money.  The only way for a woman to keep this wealth, now that patriarchal societies ruled, was to wear the coins she earned.  Therefore, she sewed or otherwise attached the coins to pieces of fabric that she could wear.  This dance style is typically done bare footed, with flat feet, so the dancer is closely connected to the earth.  Since the dancer is firmly in touch with the ground, the movements of the hips can be larger and more ‘earthy’.  Props can include cane, sword, tambourine, drums, & zils.

 “Cabaret” style dancing refers to the type of dance seen in nightclubs and is probably what most Westerns think of when they imagine a ‘belly dance’.  The costumes are skimpier, cover less of the dancer’s body and the fabrics are more sheer and transparent.  Dancers in Egypt, however, are forbidden by law to expose their midriff or stomach.  They get around the law by covering their stomach with a sheer fabric or stretchy net, similar to fish net stockings.   The colors are exciting and vibrant.  Beads and sequins are used to cover the costume. The costume can be a tight fitting dress or caftan, known as a beledi dress, or a beaded/sequined covered bra and hip wrap (belt) worn over a flashy skirt.  The dancer often wears high heels when performing. The dance movements are smaller, closer to the body and refined.  Props may be a cane, sword, fan, candle, traditional oil lamp, veil, tambourine, drum, and/or zils.

“Oriental” style dance is interchangeable with cabaret.  The costumes are similar to Cabaret costumes, but with floral print fabrics & sheer harem pants.  Beads and sequins are used on the bra and belt. Props may include cane, sword, fans, candle, traditional oil lamp, veil, tambourine, drums, and/or zils.

Regardless of the type of costume worn, they all highlight and accentuate the movements of the dancer, adding to the overall effect and mood.