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| Female Belly Dancer |
The practice of belly dancing is said to have originated in and culturally spread through a "vast region extending from the Atlantic Ocean in North Africa and the Balkans in the west to the eastern areas of China, Central Asia, and the western portions of the Indian subcontinent in the east" (Shay). The timeline of when the dance formed is unknown but can be traced back to dancing styles from the Middle East. Some myths state that the belly dance may date back to a tribal ritual performed by Pagan women to the goddess of fertility in order to ensure a safe birth. The dance is characterized by improvised motions of the torso, hands, arms, and the head. In different cultures some women incorporate musical instruments, sing music, and act out scenes. Many dancers are often seen performing together but rarely have "group choreography" in which they move in unison. This usually only occurs when dancers perform at social events. As variations of the dance emerge in separate cultures the central idea of self expression and displaying the female form in an expressive manner are consistent.
The negative connotations that are associated with belly dancing are present in both the Middle East and Western societies. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the tradition of belly dancing increased in popularity and following in the United States. At the time social norms and ideals were beginning to expand as the topic of sexuality and the representation of the female body became less of a taboo. During the time period when belly dancing became popular the feminist movement was also on the rise. The two coincided to help diminish the conservative ideas of self expression. Feminists helped to argue that the body was not negative and belly dancers displayed a form of artistic expression while celebrating the female form.
In the Middle East some view the performance of the dance as low class and a misrepresentation for their culture. "This disrepute stems not from prudishness, but rather from Islamic mores that dictate that women must not appear uncovered in front of males who do not stand in proper kinship relation to them" (Shay). Belly dancing contradicts the morals of Islamic followers who are the majority of the population in the Middle East, yet this form of dancing originated in surrounding areas. Belly dancers are under frequent condemnation by Muslim because of the sinful acts they believe come from dancing. In Iraq and Afghanistan the performance is banned yet is still practiced in private. Belly dancing and the display of the female body challenges the patriarchal nature of the Middle East and although some view it as negative, it is slowly expanding the ideals and normalities of society. Belly dancing and acts of self expression that go against typical norms will continue to be under scrutiny yet they will continue to develop artistic diversity in multiple cultures.
Works Cited
Belly Dance: Orientalism: Exoticism: Self-Exoticism
Anthony Shay and Barbara Sellers-Young
- Dance Research Journal
- Vol. 35, No. 1 (Summer, 2003), pp. 13-37Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of Congress on Research in Dance
