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.