Belly Dance
There is a vast plethora of information all over the internet describing, speculating, and explaining how belly dance originated, spread, and became the phenomenon it is today. There is a lot out there, and many will argue which stories, traditions, and myths are true. I want to share that all these stories showcase and represent how much belly dance is rooted in women’s history. For thousands of years, it has had a place and an impact on cultures, geographics, and traditions worldwide. Whether you want to believe one story or tradition came before the other is your prerogative. I fell in love with belly dance as a young girl, and it has become an integral part of my journey into womanhood, as I navigated through puberty, pregnancy, motherhood, and life’s insecurities. I think every woman should experience the pure joy, freedom, power, and connection that is belly dance.
Belly dance is arguably one if not the oldest dance form in the world. It is a ritualistic dance passed on from generation to generation across cultures. Ancient tomb paintings in Egypt and Greece, believed to be over fifteen thousand years old, depict belly dancing as a ritual fertility dance. It is most commonly believed that belly dance originated in Ancient Egypt. However, there are similarities and influences in the music, movement, and body connection throughout history, spanning through cultures and geographic regions from modern-day Northern India to Central Asia and the Middle East, to even the Mediterranean countries. In some cultures, women belly danced to initiate a rite of passage, while others danced as a way to prepare for childbirth. In Islamic cultures, belly dance was an after-dinner dance where the women would congregate separate from the men and dance as a form of camaraderie and connection. A famous myth of Ishtar and her Seven Veils connects belly dancing with women from as far back as 5,000 B.C. As history continues, there are stories documented of gypsies from Ancient Egypt and European countries such as Spain, performing belly dance.
The term “belly dance” originated in the 1800s from the French term “Danse du ventre,” which means “dance of the stomach.” Then, in 1893, belly dance was introduced to America at the Chicago World’s Fair. It immediately gained popularity as an “exotic dance.” It went against the grain of the Victorian era for women, as the women who did belly dance wore costumes that showed parts of their legs and ankles and were not wearing tight corsets as the social atmosphere of the time represented. There was a huge spread of belly dancing throughout the United States in the 1960s as a result of the rise of feminism and the increase of large groups of immigrants from the Middle East after World War II. More and more restaurants opened in cities where Arabic music and traditional belly dance were introduced to more and more Americans.
Whether you call belly dancing Oriental dance, Raqs Baladi, Raqs Sharqi, or the countless other names and styles that represent this dance today, it is a celebration of the woman’s body.
The ritualistic dance is a celebration of women’s bodies from the moment of birth until the end of a woman’s life. Women of all ages danced to represent, express, and connect. The dance represents individual expression, the kinesthetic way a woman’s body moves and prepares for the stages of life. It embodies grace, body awareness, self-expression, improvisation, music, and movement connection. This dance began from a woman’s center, and the movements extend from the center of the body outward, sharing energy from within her torso, internal movements that bring a connection and awareness of her body. These internally created movements natural to a woman’s body use the music's strong and unique beats for self-expression through improvisational movement stemming from emotional and physical feelings in the moment. Most importantly, women can create energy through movement intentionally, exploring their bodies, capabilities, and emotions.
Because of the way that belly dance follows the natural rhythm and movement of a woman’s body, there are incredible benefits. Belly dance is a low-impact dance and signifies duality and strives towards balance. An opposition and contrast occur in the body when moving through isolations, circles, waves, and shimmies. It is beautiful to watch and an incredible way to strengthen muscles, support the spine, promote good posture, relieve menstrual cramps, support the body’s preparation for childbirth, and stimulate digestion.
Coming together with music or other dancers to interpret, move freely, connect with your body, and create a story with your movements helps build confidence and body awareness. What a beautiful way to support our emotions, hormones, human connection, and physical body! Belly dancing is as magical to feel internally as it is to watch. I hope this gives you the confidence to dance and enjoy everything your body is capable of doing.
References:
“Belly Dancing” (2022). Retrieved from https://factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/sub395/entry-5951.html
“Egyptian Raqs Sharqi Analysis” (2022). World Dance Heritage. Retrieved from https://worlddanceheritage.org/usa-belly-dance-history/
“History and Origins of Belly Dance.” (2022). Retrieved from https://www.worldbellydance.com/history/
Lo, I. (2019) – Dance as Living Cultural Heritage: A Transcultural Ethnochoreological Analysis of Egyptian Raqs Sharqi. Retrieved from https://worlddanceheritage.org/phd-research/
Shay, A. and B. Sellers-Young (2003). “Belly Dance: Orientalism: Exoticism: Self-Exoticism.” Dance Research Journal 35(1): 13-37. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1478477
Posey, Hillary Elise, "Transformation in Belly Dance: Movement, Rhythm, Ritual, and Connection" (2015). Dance/Movement Therapy Theses. 6. https://digitalcommons.slc.edu/dmt_etd/6
