Bellydance


Brief history of oriental dance

Believed to be one of the oldest forms of dancing in the world, belly dance brings together elements from the Middle-East and North-Africa. Various styles and dialects are found throughout these continents; still Egypt is the centre of belly dance tradition.

There are several theories about the origins of belly dance. Some say it has been developed in Egypt, and that it has existed as a form of art in the Roman Empire. Others claim it orientated in India has been brought on as a “dance of birth” by nomad women with medical knowledge. Although there may still be disputes over its deepest roots, this form of dancing has existed for thousands of years and has been and integrated part of religious rituals before it became secular entertainment.

In the western world we associate belly dance with exotic dessert princesses and harem women in sparkling two piece sensual dresses, and typically with a huge diamond in the belly button. The term belly dance was first coined by western people visiting the Middle-East at the end of the 18’Th century. The term belly dance can be a bit misleading since one does not only engage the belly, but also the hips, back, pelvis, the legs and the arms. The Arabs themselves call the dance "raks sharki", the dance from the East.

The form most visible today emerged from the cabarets of Cairo in the 1920ies, and is referred to as cabaret or oriental. The two-piece dress with a naked belly and sophisticated decoration typically originates from the cabaret dancing, and is called cabaret dress or bedlam. The design is inspired by the Indian way of dressing, the cabarets and imaginative exotic Hollywood movies. The cabaret style can still be seen in the clubs of Cairo, Beirut and other big cities.

However, oriental dancing is more than belly dancing, and many more stills exist. As is the case with other forms of folk dance, every region in the area has its own way of dancing. As opposed to "raks sharki", which is always performed in two piece clothing, the folkdances are always performed in a full dress. Some times one isolates classic Arabic as a separate style. The style expresses elegance and dignity and is more commercial than cabaret. The style is always danced to classical Arabic music, and always in a tight dress with a wide skirt, although sometimes a two piece dress. Balady is another style which is the “blues variant” of oriental dance. The style is vital and open to new impressions. Balady is danced in a folklore shirt, “galaby”, or in a more sophisticated evening dress called “tob”

The Tunisian way of dancing is called “gawazee” (Egyptian gipsy dance). Olude nail dances are from Algeria, tahtib/saidi is a type of stock dance from Egypt, and khaleegi is hair dance from Saudi-Arabia. The common denominator of the folk dances is that they typically possess a simpler end more powerful expression than the cabaret dances. Often they express party or reflect situations from daily life. Both men and women can take part in the folk dances and they are often performed in groups. Various skills, like balancing a sword or tea tray on the head, has been incorporated into both the cabaret style and the folk dances.

Like other early forms of dance oriental dance is connected to religious rituals. Examples of religious dances are “guedra”, which is a dance of blessing from Morocco, “suffi dance” where spinning dervishes go into trance, and “zaar” which is a type of “de-demonizing” ritual.

Oriental dance is not only an art of performance. In most of the Arabic and Islamic world the dance is still an important part of the social life. In Arabic nations the dance is deeply rooted in the culture, and no wedding or major party is complete without a belly dance performance. Both young and older people of both genders dance side by side at wedding parties, parties of circumference, or out on discothèques, and the social part of the dance are usually the main focus. The dance is thought from mother to daughter, and the dances are performed by the women for the sake of their own amusement.

A good dancer moves beautifully, while she at same time understands and knows the nuances of the music. While dancers in the Middle-East, Turkey and North-Africa improvise to the music, western dancers often make choreographies and interpret the dance in their own ways. The dance reflects the music, which normally expresses joy, sorrow, pride, humour, romantic, sensuality and is a tribute to life and all its facets. In recent years this form of dancing has spread to all parts of the world, were it is still evolving. Belly dance today is different from its origin, but still contains elements which reveal its origin.