Conclusion: The Art of Bellydance

I hope that through this project you have learned as much as I was able to in doing the research. My main goal has been to better educate readers about the origins and goals of belly dance as well as dispel some of the myths and misconceptions that surround the art. Dancers are often surrounded by the stigma that bellydancers are just like prostitutes because of their costumes or dance-style but that isn't the case. While Americans did take advantage of the exoticism surrounding bellydancers when they first come to America and use the interest in the dancers to populate night clubs with dancers dressed as bellydancers, the art of belly dance is meant to be empowering and inspirational. It's origins as a fertility and wedding dance among women make it perfect for women of all types who wish to express their femininity and power. The westernization of the dance somewhat degraded the power and opinion of dancers, but the west has also made some valuable contributions to the dance by introducing new styles and moves. The art of belly dance is always a fun time and a great work-out! It's a rewarding experience, both bodily, mentally, and spiritually for all who choose to try it. Happy Dancing!

Body & Gender Expectations of a Belly Dancers

Like many other aspects of life, the art of belly dance unfortunately has a stigma attached to it that belly dancers must be slim, exotic, young females. If that was the case the number of belly dancers would be significantly smaller. Belly dance is for any person, of any gender, of any body type, of any age who has a desire to learn. Unfortunately  many night clubs and restaurants that hire belly dancers are looking for dancers who fit the "stereotypical" dancer. However, many dance troupes across America are working to change this. One such dance troupe is ATTAR, an Australian group who has a male member who preforms with them. While it is unconventional, it is a great way to showcase that bellydance is an art form that welcomes anyone who is willing to put in the work. By allowing women of all types, and even men, into professional preforming troupes, the idea of what a belly dancer must look like is slowly changing. 

    ATTAR Dance Troupe

Men in Belly Dance

Contrary to what most Americans think about Belly Dance, it is not just a dance for women. Recently in America, the dance has transitioned from an all-female dance to a dance for anyone wishing to express a sense of freedom or confidence. However, male belly dancers have been common in the east as early as the 16th century when the Ottoman empire had male dancers called "cengi". These dancers used many of the moves we recognize as belly dance moves today and their costumes were similar to those of early belly dancers. Like most oriental dancers, Cengi generally wore caftans that allowed the dancer to appear more gender neutral and therefore be appreciated for the talent and not the gender.Modern male belly dancers face social hardships due to the face that bellydance in thought of as a female exclusive art. Male dancers seek equality in the world of belly dance and are often turned down for jobs and festival performances base on their gender. Just like women have had to fight for rights and equality in several other fronts, belly dance is a field in which men are trying to find equal footing and trying to find a place to fit in and be accepted. 

Ex: Cengi dancers of Ottoman Empire

Ex: Documentary on difficulties of being a modern male bellydancer in a female dominated art

Opinion of Dancers

In the article "Defining the Dance" by Jen Al-Amira she writes, "As a feminist, no, as a whole person I claim the right to display my sexuality in a context that empowers me but does not dis-empower,  overpower or alienate my audience, just as I would display any other experience. To deny sexuality is to deny a part of ourselves, to castrate ourselves, a mutilation as savage as foot-binding or clitoridectomy. Would we deny our other emotions to protect society's sensibilities?" Her belief that belly dance is a way of displaying femininity and should not be judged as demeaning
or demoralizing. Unfortunately when the dance first began to grow in popularity it was not uncommon for night clubs to hire girls to perform as belly dancers and provide other services as well. This led to a lowered opinion of the art in several communities. As a result, legitimate dancers had to begin defending themselves against people who believed them to be prostitutes because of the way they danced. Al-Amira points out an important fact in her article, that while belly dance can be a sensual performance, that is not its main goal and those who dance should not have to be ashamed of displaying their talent to avoid offending people who are uneducated about its true origins and meaning.

Westernization

Once belly dance was brought to American, the westernization of the dance began almost immediately. From film to the vaudeville theater, to the stage - belly dance began to crop up everywhere in American culture. And like everything we encounter, Americans were intent finding a way to make the oriental dance their own.  Over the years Americans are credited with forming several styles of bellydance that are distinctly western. The biggest example of how belly dance became Westernized is the newly formed style of dance called Tribal Fusion. It combines the Tribal style of belly dance (which also began in America in 1967) with different types of music such as electronica and classical. The vaudeville theatre, famous in the late 1800's and early 1900's was also an American convention that brought the art of belly dance to the public. Vaudeville dancing could be characterized by its costuming, music, and sensual moves. Below is a clip from the movie "Whisper Hungarian in my Ear" which is a remake of the 1930's "White Zombie". The dancing featured in the clip is a great example of Vaudeville dance and it is a more westernized version of belly dance as you can see from the costuming (oriental dancers would have been more covered) and types of movement.

Pretense of Exoticism

I think what most excited audiences about the oriental belly dancers of the Chicago World Fair, and what inspired film makers to use dancers in so many films, was the pretense of exoticism that surrounds the art of belly dancing. Dancers seemed mysterious and unattainable. Belly dance was something that had not been seen before in America so the performances were captivating to those who witnessed them. Once Hollywood began to feature dancers in film, interest in the art only began to grow. Dancers were portrayed in many different lights, sometimes flirty and promiscuous, sometimes respectful and demure, but almost always as existing solely for the entertainment of men. They are shown always as exotic, ethnic women. Even when American women were picked to portray dancers they often wore wigs or certain kinds of make-up to make them appear more "oriental". The idea that women had to appear exotic and foreign to portray a belly dancer is one problem that affects the way they are thought of today. Also, the portrayal of them as 'loose women' in skimpy hollywood costumes affected the way viewers thought of the art form. It is safe to say that early Hollywood movies did not do a lot for the reputation of belly dancers or for the pretense of exoticism that surrounded them.

Belly Dance in Film

After the appearance of Little Egypt dancers at the Chicago World fair, bellydancers began popping up in American films as exotic and mysterious women of the East. One of the more popular films involving bellydancers was the 1942 movie "Road to Morocco" which starred Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. The problem with this movie was that it strayed pretty far from the truth of what belly dance actually is. Dancers in the film were scantily clad and were not truly belly dancing but more tying together a few writing movements with a veil. Movies like this led to many of the misconceptions the American culture has about the dance because dancers were portrayed as sex objects instead of respectful dancers.
At the other end of the spectrum, a good example of an accurate portrayal of belly dance in film is the 1954 movie "The Egyptian". The dancer in the film was an American dancer, Carmen de Lavallade, but she was trained in the art of ballet and oriental dance so she was able to properly portray the movement and grace of belly dance. Above are pictures from "Road to Morocco" (top) and "The Egyptian" (bottom). The dancer from the American film "Road to Morocco" is portrayed as flirty and provacative. The dancer from the later film, "The Egyptian" is portrayed as regal and majestic. The two different interpretations of oriental dancers definitely had an impact on American viewers and their opinions of belly dancers as people.

Belly Dance in Modern Culture

The art of Belly Dance in America's modern culture is a part of several facets of society and may appear in more places than you think. You can find bellydancers of course as entertainment in Indian restaurants and at street fairs. However, bellydance is also now being widely taught as a form of exercise and as a workout for pregnant women because the fluid movements and muslce toning moves are both healthy and since the dance was originally a fertility and birthing dance, there are many routines meant to help ease pregnant women into childbirth. However, the dance is not just slow and fluid movements. It has also evolved to include several props such as swords, fire, and flowing veils. There is not just one kind of belly dance, but several different varieties to choose from.

The opinion of belldancers ranges from respect to scorn. Many people appreciate belly dance for it's beauty, form, and skill. The other end of the spectrum includes people that believe the dance is too sexual and is parallel with exotic dancing. Belly dancers are often scorned for the costumes and moves, but when preformed correctly the dance can be a respectful homage to the female form and also to the culture from which it came.

The link below will lead you to a studio that has locations in Atlanta, Perimeter, and Windy Hill if you are interested in finding places to study the dance and have a great time!
Belly Dance Courses Near You

Misconceptions

Costuming
There are several misconceptions about belly dance. Firstly, knowing that the dance was originally a dance performed by women for other women, I became very frustrated when searching for images for this blog because 99% of what I found was pictures of modern dancers in the westernized costumes performing for an audience or, when the pictures did reflect older forms of dance, the women were still scantily clad and dancing for a group of men. In reality, dancing for entertainment did not come until later in the history of the dance and for the most part, the women wore their everyday clothes. The costumes that dancers wear now are nothing like the actual garments worn by original performers of the dance but and it is in fact illegal for dancers in Egypt to preform with a bare stomach. The costumes wore today more than likely 
Harems
Another misconception is the presence of bellydancers in harems. This idea is perpetrated by Western Hollywood and its portrayal of dancers under the ownership of Middle Eastern Sultans. Harems were not collections of beautiful women lying around all day for the Sultan's pleasure, but included women of all ages who were slaves to the sultan and is not at all like the exotic places shown in movies today. 
Just for Women
While it is true that in Western culture belly dance is a primarily female dance, in the Middle Eastern countries where the dance originated it is preformed by men, women, and children. The dance is a family and social activity so everyone participates, not just the women anymore. 

Here is a link an article featuring great explanations of how several misconceptions arose and how they can be proved wrong. 
http://www.shira.net/advice/lifestyle/servingmen.htm

Types of Belly Dance

Because belly dance came from so many different origins, there are many different styles and forms of the dance. The most commonly seen are Egyptian and Turkish styles. The Egyptian style dance is characterized by precise movements and more cabaret style costumes. Most Egyptian dances also do not include floorwork, however it is very popular in Turkish belly dance. Other characteristics of Turkish bellydancing includes more fluid movements and the more commonly seen half-top and skirt costume. Another more recent style of belly dance is known as Tribal Fusion which is a darker variation of the dance including both sharp and fluid movements. It does not look like any one style but instead fuses together several different styles to make something new. Below are some examples of the different styles of belly dance. 

1)

2)

3)

1) Example of Turkish style belly dance. You can see the characteristic floorwork, costuming, and fluid movements.  

2) Example of Egyptian style belly dance. You can see the characteristic costuming and precise movements, most above the hips and rib cage. 
3) Example of the Americanize Tribal Fusion style of belly dance. This particular clip works very well because we see the dancer combine both the fluid and precise movements along with fusing together two styles of music to match her different styles of dance. 

Development in the West

The first appearances of belly dance in America can be traced back to the 1893 World Fair in New York. The dance probably was in America before the fair, but the pavilions at the fair featured dancers from several Middle Eastern countries and helped to usher the dance into American culture. It took off in popularity in the vaudeville theatre where dancers were loved by some and looked down upon by others. The World Fair performance is credited to a dancer named "Little Egypt" but one Little Egypt never truly existed but instead was the name given to all the dancers at the fair. Pictured above are two dancers from the World Fair that inspired the birth of bellydance in America. The Victorian Era American society was very proper so the free-spirited dancers provided an entertainment not found elsewhere in the culture. In the 1960's the dance hit a second wave of popularity as the 'free love' culture became more and more popular. Since the dance is very fluid and free-spirited it fit in perfectly with the times. Bellydance has stayed a part of American culture since then.

This video is of dancer Fatima Djemille. She is one of the dancers credited with being the original Little Egypt. I found it interesting that it is noted that when this film was to be shown in Chicago after the World Fair that the image was censored. Even though the American culture was fascinated with belly dance, society still saw the dance as being shameful. The same aspects society loved it for, they also condemned it for.

Origins

      The history of belly dance is key to understanding the culture that surrounds the art today. Knowing the history of the dance also helps to distinguish the actual historical elements of the dance from the westernized elements of the dance. The true origins of the dance is a controversial topic but most experts agree that it's oldest origins lie in Egypt, India, and Persia. In these cultures, the dance was most often a dance of fertility and a wedding dance. For many years the dance was only known to exist by women and was passed down from mother to daughter. The term belly dance is an American term but in Arabic the dance is known as "Raqs Sharqi" or "The Dance of the East". The dance is also celebrated in Roma cultures. They originally traveled through India, the Middle East, and Europe bringing their dances with them. A lot of what we know about the history of the dance comes from ancient artwork that reveals how dancers might have dressed and preformed. Art from the 1st century AD to the 5th century AD, like Egyptian paintings and mosaics, support the idea of the dance as being "for women only". However by the 7th century AD it appears that dancers had begun to perform publicly at festivals and celebrations. Historians have found a contract for a dancer preserved on a sheet of papyrus that is between a woman a dancer she is hiring to preform at an event. These historical depictions and references to the dance help make it easier to track it's progression through history. The picture above shows an ancient Egyptian painting of what is believed to be an early form of the dance. This most likely portrays the dance being preformed in a fertility ceremony. I have included links to some other pieces of art that portray early bellydancers.

Drawing of a Group of Women Dancers

Veiled Dancer - Alexandria, Egypt 3rd-2nd century BC, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Greek Dancers