A Short History of Belly Dancing

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Ancient Origins

Belly dancing is one of the oldest forms of dance. It originated in the area of the Middle East known as the "cradle of civilization", in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As early as 5000BC, dancers appeared in tomb paintings. It is thought by historians that belly dancing was a religious rite, relating to the cycles of nature and pro-creation, celebrating the mystery of fertility and life. It started out as a religious rite, then evolved into folk art and then finally, with the colonization of the Middle East by Europeans, it became a form of lascivious entertainment for that time period. Of course, what was thought of as erotic in their time period is simply sensual and feminine in this day and age.

 In ancient times, women's dances often had to do with the planting cycles and seasons. Men worshipped male deities of hunting and war, while women worshipped their goddesses of fertility and renewal. Societies were largely either matriarchal or egalitarian in those times, recognizing the value and contribution of women in society. It is thought that early peoples worshipped female fertility figures, because, according to some scholars, these primitive civilizations may not have connected the sex act to the issuing of life nine months later. To them, women were goddesses who created the mystery of life from their bodies. It is not hard to imagine belly dancing as a fertility dance or birthing ritual. The rolling of the stomach imitates birthing contractions and the kneeling on the floor is similar to how women of more earthy, primitive cultures would squat to give birth, rather than lying on their backs in a hospital bed.

Times of Change

 Invasions from the northern barbarian male dominated cultures around 2000BC brought changes to the goddess worshipping cultures. Conquered by patriarchal invaders, the goddess worshipping cultures were forced to close their temples and conform to the worship of male gods and become subject to the laws of male kings and pharaohs. By the time the Roman Empire fell, the last goddess temple was gone. The fertility dances were evolving into cultural folk art, performed at special occasions such as weddings and village celebrations.

 Since the Renaissance, Middle Eastern cultural arts have continuously made their way into Western society.  Belly dancing came to America in 1893 at the Chicago World's Faire. People were both entranced and scandalized by the sinuous movements of the tribal dancers (who were fully clothed).  Here is a time in our culture where women were trussed up in corsets so tightly with torso  movement so thoroughly restricted, that women would often have fainting spells, and if a woman showed an ankle in public, it was a scandal. Now introduce undulating women with bare arms and you have an idea of the flurry of enticement and disdain this exotic dance must have caused.

 Strippers and burlesque dancers were quick to add this exotic flair to their repertoire. Because of this, belly dancing would be, for decades, associated and confused with stripping. It some areas of the U.S., belly dancing is still confused with stripping. "Exotic dance", a term which should have been reserved for this foreign, sensual art, is now exclusively used by strippers, and belly dancers shun it because of the connotations the word has now.

Contemporary Belly Dance in America

 Throughout recent history, in America, belly dancing has come and gone as a fad. Now, with computer technology making communication and exposure to other cultures an instant happening, the cultures of the world are slowly becoming homogenized. (Note how everyone wants to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, even if they are not of Mexican descent.) Cultures are adapting and blending with each other and belly dancing has become an American cultural art. American women have adopted belly dancing ,and the current trend to fuse other dance forms into it has made it uniquely American, without losing the basic flavor of the art form. Belly dancing has come to mainstream America. We see it in jazz routines. We see it on MTV, in the movies and at beauty contests.  Belly dancing is no longer a Middle Eastern cultural dance, but a dance for all women, and women live all over the world.

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