The Movement of Belly Dance:
‘I believe
That in every woman
A belly dancer is hidden,
Longing to escape.
To feel the music
And move with passion.
To mesmerize men
And enchant women.’
Just how have people come to believe that the art of belly dance is similar to an exotic lap dance by a stripper? For many years, the public has been both disdainful of, and yet oddly fascinated by, the sacred dance performed by women dressed in flowing cloth, glitter, sparkling jewels and jingling coin belts. Something about it—they are not quite sure what it is—strikes their memory and tugs at their own feet. How can a dance of such Oriental flavor make such an impact on the Western public? What the audience sees and may know is very different from the true meaning behind the movements. Perhaps some history and facts along with an open mind and heart will shine some light on the unfamiliar belly dance and explain the fascination while bringing some understanding to the misconceptions of the West when it truly meets the East.
In order to understand the history of belly dance, one must first understand the history of dance itself. The word history actually came from dance. From ancient Rome, the word Histor, a dancer, was also the root for many other derivatives including minister and later minstrel (Stewart 2000: 7). As such, it is through dance that we unearth and rediscover history of people. Dance was the oldest form of worship, the most religious form of expression, with movement being the medium between the physical world and that of the cosmos or spiritual dimension.
Dance is the oldest art form as well as a primary worship ritual. In Turkish, the word oyun stood for the shaman and his/her rites. It is now used today for dance, drama and poetry (Stewart 2000: 3). Through dance, worshippers expressed their inner-most feelings of grief or joy. Although dance predates the written word, the oldest examples of religious dance were documented in the Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures where there is hardly a chapter that does not have an indirect relationship to dance. There are eleven Hebrew verb forms in the Bible that describe dancing. In the Aramaic Jesus spoke, “dance” and “rejoice” were the same word as he, Jesus, recognized that dance was a normal means of expressing joy and could be used to praise the Lord (Gruber, 1990: 48; Taylor 1990: 16). As the church became more authoritarian and noticed a difference in a “right” and “wrong” way to dance, it began to regulate all forms of religious expression in the Middle Ages, and dance took a turn from the sacred to the secular. The goal was to live a pure life, denying the bodily desires and expressions (Jonas 1992: 37-39). The church became more ambivalent towards dance as they focused on subduing the urges and movement of the flesh. Despite this undertaking, in the long run, the church failed to stop the masses from dancing.
The origin of what is known today as belly dance is difficult to determine. Most Middle Eastern Arab and Mediterranean countries claim it originated with them, but unfortunately this cannot be proven, as there is almost no historical record of it before the 14th century. It is known that its roots are ancient and that it’s perhaps the oldest form of dance connected with the Pagan rituals and Mother Goddess worship. Mother Goddess statuettes dating back to 6000 B.C. at archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia and Anatolia (modern day Iraq and Turkey) areas give evidence of the Earth Mother cult. High priestesses of these Pagan cults would employ themselves and other followers in a form of sacred prostitution during festivals and ceremonies dedicated to enriching the city, placating the gods, and ensuring crop fertility. Many Greek priestesses of Aphrodite and other women connected to civic temples held high positions in society. The sacred dance, perhaps used not only to worship but also to seduce, was an important fertility ritual in many cultures in Greece, Persia, Palestine and North Africa (IAMED 2004; Ozdemir 2000: 62, 63). It is possible this sexual act was a source of belly dance.
With the change of Paganism to Catholicism, Islamic and Christian documentation and recording of this dance were destroyed and dancers executed, which gave rise to the idea that this dance form was much older (Lewis 2003). Many believe the dance originated in Egypt, while others maintain it was brought there by nomadic gypsies. A reason for this mystery is the unknown origin of the professional dancers in Egypt called the Ghawazi. Many of their customs and traditions predate Islam, their antiquity proven by an image on the wall of an early 18th dynasty tomb of Neb Amon (Stewart 2000: 88). The Ghawazi, like the gypsies, are not Egyptian and stay apart from society living on the outskirts of towns where they preserve their oral history and speak their own language. Their dance, raqs sha’abi, is similar to classic belly dance movements (Stewart 2000: 88).
Another mysterious group of people are the Ouled Nail of Algeria, who have also kept themselves apart and maintained their ancient customs. Their unveiled public dancers were known for their jeweled crowns all the way back to the 6th century B.C. Their rhythmic rolling of the abdominal muscles gives another clue to the origins of belly dance. After an Ouled Nail dancer earns her dowry by dancing, she returns home and marries within her village with no effect on her reputation (Stewart 2000: 89).
In all Middle Eastern countries, gypsies appear to be the center of belly dance history. It is generally accepted that gypsies originated in Northern India. They are a unique nomadic people called various names in different regions they occupy (Stewart 2000: 88). Around the 5th century A.D. they immigrated to the Middle East, Mediterranean and Europe and lived in small suburban bands outside cities where they sustained themselves with simple jobs. They brought with them their talent, sharp wit and mastership in music and dance derived from Indian religious rituals (Ozdemir 2002: 61, 62).
Some gypsies in Pakistan were brought into Persia around 950 A.D. when a Persian ruler, Shah Bahram Gur went to Pakistan to choose some competent musicians and selected able men and women from a local tribe (Belly Dance Museum 2004). Dancing girls were fixtures among Persian courts before and after Islam. When the Muslims from central Asia established the Mughal Empire in Northern India, they brought with them a taste for dancing girls. In 527 A.D. a former dancing girl became Empress Theodora, co-ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire when she married Emperor Justinian (Jonas 1992: 116-118). But as early as 1420 B.C., Egypt had their own dancing girls in court as depicted from a fragment of a banquet scene from the Tomb of Nakht, Thebes, Egypt (Jonas 1992: 116). Gypsies were first mentioned in European history in 1385 A.D. in the Roman Archives and by the 15th century they’d spread throughout Europe, living as blacksmiths, musicians and dancers (Belly Dance Museum 2004).
The Turkish classical dances as performed by the chengis, female gypsy dancers of the Ottoman era, also hint at early belly dance. Although these gypsies adopted the Islamic belief, they were reluctant to obey the rules and held on to many of their own traditions. They worked as an organized group with a chief dancer who was generally a lesbian. As most of them preferred members of the same sex, their performances were typically for women’s eyes only, in women’s baths, weddings, festivals, and to teach concubines, often becoming concubines themselves. The chengis were the entertainment industry for the Ottoman Empire and were sexually open and ribald (Ozdemir 2002: 36, 44-45).
Wherever belly dance originated, there are many styles of “belly dance” that differ, depending on what country it’s being performed in, and what sort of establishment it is.
Among all traditions, however, costumes are most often colorful, flowing and accented with scarves or veils. Finger cymbals, known as zills, date back to 200 B.C., with exotic jewelry
and coin belts completing the ensemble. The dancer’s costume is a thing of fantasy, a young girl’s dream come true. The fantasy is the dance itself, further accented by the dazzling array
of color and glimmer. The nightclub and theatrical ensemble is much more glitterized, glamorized and cabaret style and in no way resembles the traditional Middle Eastern performers of
the 19th century in long-sleeved gown and pantaloons. The nightclub costume of sheer chiffon, flowing skirt, sequins, sparkly jewels, coins, bells, beads, mirrors, crystals and velvets
owe much of the glamour to Hollywood and American nightclubs which influenced the Egyptian film industry and the styles themselves in the 1930s (Stewart 2000: 102-3).
The general basic moves and characteristics of belly dance, despite all the variety, include: hip shimmies, hip rotations, serpentine arms, snakelike head movements and abdominal undulations, the foundation of belly dance. Some show biz dancers use high heels, but the general practice is to dance barefoot, to better “emphasize the intimate and physical connections between the dancer, her expression, and Mother Earth,” the focus being mostly on the abdomen. A dancer is to represent a serpent which, ironically enough, is and has forever been, the mythological figure of rebirth and life in most cultures, in being “all torso and no legs,” (IAMED 2004; Stewart 2000: 90-97).
The multitude of dance forms grouped under the English phase “belly dance,” from the French danse du ventre, dance of the abdomen (Jonas 1992: 118), have a variety of names as well: Greek, cifti telli; Turkish, raklase; Egyptian, raqs Masri; but can also be grouped under raks al sharqi, “dance of the East,” or raks al baladi, “dance of the people” (Stewart 2000: 80). The four most popular styles of belly dance are traditional and Egyptian, Arabic-Lebanese, Turkish and Greek (Lewis 2003).
Traditional styles are very earthy, grounded and strong. They accent hip movements, with strong arms and hands and simple, flat footwork. The body is usually fully covered with hip scarves to bring focus to the hip, and sometimes props such as sticks, veils, zills, swords, snakes or candelabras are used. This is a very folkloric style and only done for small family groups to celebrate circumcisions, weddings, harvest festivals or holidays. It stresses musical interpretation, as the dancer uses muscle control to perform a dialogue with the musician (Lewis 2003; Stewart 2000: 81).
The Arabic styles of the Lebanese and Golf country are very snakelike and rounded, with smoother, undulating movements, with legs close together. Here, instead of a dialogue, the musician plays to the audience through the dancer. Her costume is usually a colorful bra and belt with full skirt and open belly (Lewis 2003).
Turkish style of belly dance is much different. It is very open and revealing, with legs further apart and bent while the body twists and bends in a back bend with very angular and
strong arms. The dancer, unlike the performers in Islamic countries, uses any and all open space to interact with the audience. She first dances to reveal her talents, then becomes one in
the group and encourages others to participate. The musician plays for the dance while she plays for the audience. Staying true to the historical chengis’ sexual openness, a Turkish belly
dancer is loyal to the sexual instinct otherwise suppressed among Egyptian dances that can, however, last up to two hours longer than a Turkish performance. The Turkish dancer thrusts
her pelvis and hips to show her strength, sexuality and ability to produce children. It was once considered that the dancer would perform for a group of men in hopes of finding a
husband. If he were to hand her money he would be, in a sense, staking his claim on her. Nowadays, however, Turkish belly dancers are professionals and no longer look to ensnare a
match. The dancer of this fast tempo chooses very revealing, skimpy costumes to best show her legs and busty breasts (Lewis 2003; Ozdemir 2002: 70-82).
There is no specific Greek style of belly dance due to the Egyptian and Turkish influences, but a Greek dancer will use both cifti telli music and other Arabic and modern Greek music while wearing costumes very similar to the Egyptian costumes (Lewis 2003).
It is also noteworthy that Oriental dance has also influenced Flamenco. Coming from a variety of sources including Hindu Romany (Gypsies), the flamenco incorporates hip rotations and serpentine arm patterns, strong emotion and passion with Arabic flavor (Stewart 2000: 90).
So how exactly did belly dance come to receive such a distorted view in modern times when it’s rich with mysterious and fantastical history and meaning? As mentioned before,
the Hollywood film industry has had an influence, but before that, talk and speculation of the vulgarity of belly dance was being whispered among society. In 1893, an illustrious dancer
named Little Egypt performed for a shocked but fascinated crowd at the Chicago World’s Fair. Although it’s said she was fully covered in the traditional costume, one must consider the
times. In the 1890s, no respectable woman would go out in public without corset and long flowing skirt to cover the ankles. People would go so far as to cover table legs to avoid the
hint of indecent behavior in furniture during this time when the country was still so young with Queen Victoria reigning in England. Up until the late 19th century, belly dance was
mostly performed privately among women and not intended for the male gaze in Persia. Unlike modern thought, the dance was
concerned less with the sexual act of conception, and more with the sensual act of labor and birth (IAMED 2004). In this age of forced “decency,” only “common folk” and people of
shady nature would be involved in what was called Vaudeville entertainment, or show biz. The Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition made its debut among this environment to
celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World and the public was introduced, for the first time, to the Ferris wheel and “moving pictures” (Shira 2001). As
previously discussed, the Moroccan dancers were fully clothed in long-sleeved outfits, but the scandalized audience was outraged by the effortless movement of their midriffs, causing
even a senator to move to shut the act down. This furthered the scandal and delighted the Fair promoters who profited as the curious public demanded more. Vaudeville performers
quickly added the so-called “Hoochy Koochy” (belly dance) to their acts, and the sensual dance evolved into burlesque and eventually into stripping (Belly Dance Museum 2004). With
such historical, although deeply divergent ties, it is no wonder people associate stripping with belly dance.
The environment in Europe before the Chicago World’s Fair also contributed to the questionable perspective belly dance holds today. In the 1700s and 1800s, European leaders made a power dash to claim parts of Africa. An Oriental art movement arose and artists, poets and tourists flocked to the Middle East and the Mediterranean to depict these intriguing new cultures. Letters home, poetry and diaries were extremely racist of the locals and their traditions, especially when describing the scandalous dancing, thus encouraging more European travelers to visit the region and hire local entertainers for amusement. Nightclubs sprung up in Cairo and Beirut to entertain these wealthy tourists in the early 20th century. The dancers of such establishments were required to sit with the patrons and encourage the men to spend money on them. As it is forbidden under Islam law for women to dance publicly for non-family men, and even more of a taboo to dance for foreigners, local populations came to resent and were offended by the owners and performers of the clubs that exploited their women and catered to the decadent European attitude and powerful cash. Belly dance in clubs as a form of entertainment spread throughout the Middle East by the mid 20th century. As a dance, it had strayed far from true Oriental dance, and many of the local clubs featured scantily dressed women, often foreigners themselves, who had little dance knowledge, let alone talent (Shira 2001). What the tourists believed was Oriental dance was actually twisted and molded for them.
Belly dance has changed, not only because of tourism and immigration, but also because of the film industry. After Little Egypt’s performance, the cinema industry jumped at the opportunity to make films featuring the erotic belly dance. Egyptian film industry had a long tradition of entertaining the public with Oriental dance and American cinema quickly followed suit (Belly Dance Museum 2004). Although some portrayals of belly dance on television and movies have been fairly authentic—Hill Street Blues, From Russia With Love, That’s Incredible—many have completely lost the true meaning of belly dance. Of course, the less than favorable portrayals are the most memorable (Shira 2001).
Many dancers have also added to these misconceptions, performing in unseemly ways to appeal to the audience. Some wear overly revealing costumes, accept tips with their teeth or in their bras, or act in a sexual and suggestive manner. With these representations, it has been difficult for dancers to overcome the misconceptions and prejudices of the public, and they are often denied performances at community festivals or arts events (Shira 2001).
Since the great feminism movement in the 1960s and 1970s, belly dance has risen again in popularity but more as a way to reconnect with the Goddess within us. The benefits of belly dance are many, ranging from emotional and spiritual to physical. Belly dance is not strictly based on patterns of steps, but on continuous movement that coincides with the continuous flow and complex patterns of the music. Both the music and dance are left wide open for improvisation and individual expression or interpretation. As many sources and personal experiences prove, this is a woman’s form of dance, made by women for women to focus on the natural movements of women’s bodies (Crosby 2000: 167-169).
Women, especially in the 1970s, used the dance as an expression of life, birth, and to celebrate all that is woman and reclaim what is theirs from “male profanation” (Crosby 2000: 169). Much of the dance is connected with breathing and, in that sense, Moroccan dancers see a connection with belly dance and Lamaze, the oldest form of childbirth instruction. Many Arab women teach their daughters, from an early age, to help prepare and strengthen the female reproductive organs during the development cycles in puberty, conception, pregnancy, labor and menopause (Lewis 2003). The dance puts the woman in touch with her individual power and beauty as a woman and creator of life.
The best thing about belly dance is that women of all ages and sizes are capable of this dance. One does not need to be Jennifer Lopez, Shakira or Brittany Spears, or even have prior dance experience to perform this dance proudly and to connect with the Goddess. Unlike ballet, where the performance depends on the specific body type of the dancer, belly dance has no height, weight or age restrictions, and it will help women regain firm, curvaceous bodies. In a poll taken in 1997 in the U.S., it was found that most belly dancers were in their thirties and forties, mostly white, and highly educated with primary careers outside their dancing interests (Crosby 2000: 171). Many felt it increased their sense of power as well as their feelings towards themselves. Belly dance increases self-confidence and self-esteem and helps to alleviate states of depression. Women feel sexy, beautiful, strong, powerful, creative and more feminine. Most dancers feel confident in drawing the line between being sexually expressive and sexually explicit. Sherry Reardon speaks of performing as, “It’s saying ‘I am a human being, and sexuality is part of my being human’” (Crosby 2000: 175). The dance and sexuality incorporated in the dance are as natural and timeless as childbirth.
Despite all the negative misconceptions, especially among the American public, belly dance has revitalized and flourished among women of all ethnic backgrounds in all ages and sizes. After watching a contrived performance it may be tempting to think less of the art. But knowing its rich and diverse history with the gypsies, and understanding the mysterious origins of the Mother Goddess symbolism inherent in the dance, one cannot help but honor this expression of ritual, worship and joy. Even though a backlash may result from cinema portrayals or club scenes, women all over the world join together to celebrate what it truly means to be a ‘woman.’
Syrian-born actress turns Calgary into a stage
Cast, crew of humble Go Fish all from the city
Spotlight Go Fish airs on Shaw Cable 10 on Monday at 9:30 p.m.
Ghazal Alnahas may not seem the likeliest of champions for Calgary actors.
For one, the Syrian actress, writer and director has not actually been here all that long. But it has been long enough to detect a certain frustration among fellow thespians in her adopted homeland.
"There are so many people like me in this city," says Alnahas. "They are disappointed. It's like they don't want to try anymore."
So in the summer, Alnahas decided to take matters into her own hands. Go Fish is a fiercely do-it-yourself TV series that will air on Shaw Cable, an ambitious comedy that loosely follows the lives of six women as they look for love and jobs in Calgary.
The actors and crew are all local. So is the story.
"I thought it was a good idea to bring this to the city about our life," Alnahas says. "Why do we need to bring in outside stories, or an old story, and not focus on the reality of our life now? It's comedy and drama. The comedy comes from the story, not someone saying a bad word and everybody laughing."
Go Fish was shot completely in Calgary in the summer, using 100 performers and crew members from the city.
Christmas at Bow Valley Christian Church
FRIDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2013 13:57 ALEXEY BUSOV E-mail Print PDF
We are exited to announce that our studio's dancers will be performing at the event!
The Advanced group on Dec 15 (3.00-5.30 pm)
The Junior group on Dec 14 (3.00-5.30 pm)
This event is promising to be just fabulous! The enthusiastic staff and volunteers of the church are going to create an atmosphere of the ancient Bethlehem with houses, food, real animals, and residents.
It is Bow Valley Church's third annual event. Every year this free-admission and family-friendly event attracts more than 500 people a day. This year the event is going to be even more interesting as they are bringing life entertainment (and our studio is a big part of it)
Come and join us at this fantastic village and experience the sound, sight, and taste of the ancient Bethlehem!
Address:
5300 53 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T3A 2G8
Bow Valley Christian Church
Google Map
***16th Annual Dinner and Dance Extravaganza *** DESPINA BELLY DANCE GROUP
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Enjoy the Multicultural Dance Experience on Friday,25th October at
BARRIO FIESTA 6800 Memorial Dr SE Calgary 5 Pm to 9 Pm
For further Info & Tickets Ikram Pasha 403 903 7883
Call MS Bahira 403 389 2117