Belly dance

Belly dance, also referred to as Arabic

dance[1][2] (Arabic: ‫رﻗﺺ ﺷﺮﻗﻲ‬,
romanized: Raqs sharqi, literally: "oriental
dancing") is an expressionist type of
dance[3][4][5][6] that originated in Egypt[7]
and that emphasizes complex movements
of the torso.[8] It has evolved to take many
different forms depending on the country
and region, both in costume and dance
style; with Egyptian style and its famous
traditional rhymes being the most
common worldwide having many schools
around the globe practicing it.

Names and terminology

"Belly dance" is a translation of the French
term danse du ventre, which was coined in
1864 as a snide nickname for the
Orientalist painting The Dance of the
Almeh by French artist Jean-Léon
Gérôme.[9][10]

 
La danse de l'almée (The Dance of the Almeh) by
Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1863

The painting depicts a woman dancing

before an audience of seated soldiers in a
fantasy Middle Eastern setting. The
dancer's costume, with its small vest and
gauzy blouse, seems to have been inspired
by contemporary Awalem (Egyptian slang
for Dancers) women's clothing. Where the
Awalem woman of the period would have
worn an elbow-length blouse tucked in to
her skirt at the waist, however, this
dancer's sheer blouse is open over her
bare breasts and her nude abdomen is
thrust toward the viewer of the painting.
Over time, danse du ventre came to be
used in French for all solo, torso-
articulated dances of Middle Eastern
origin. The English translation "belly
dance" seems to have made its first
appearance in 1889 in reference to the
Egyptian dancers who performed at the
Exposition Universelle that was held in
Paris that year.[9][10]

The informal, social form of the dance is

known as Raqs Baladi ('Dance of the
Country' or 'Folk Dance') in Egyptian Arabic
and is considered an indigenous dance.
Raqs Sharqi ('Eastern Dance') is a broad
category of professional forms of the
dance, including forms of belly dance as
we know it today, such as Raqs Baladi,
Sa'idi, Ghawazee and Awalim.

Randa Kamel, Egyptian belly dancer

Belly dance is primarily a torso-driven

dance, with an emphasis on articulations
of the hips.[11] Unlike many Western dance
forms, the focus of the dance is on
isolations of the torso muscles, rather than
on movements of the limbs through
space. Although some of these isolations
appear similar to the isolations used in
jazz ballet, they are sometimes driven
differently and have a different feeling or
emphasis.

In common with most folk dances, there is

no universal naming scheme for belly
dance movements. Some dancers and
dance schools have developed their own
naming schemes, but none of these is
universally recognized. One of the most
common naming schemes is that of the
Salimpour Format, introduced by Suhaila
and Jamila Salimpour. Jamila Salimpour
was the first to coin many now-popular
names of belly dance moves,[12][13]
including steps such as the Basic
Egyptian, Choo Choo, Maya, and Turkish
Drop. But these commonly-held terms are
the exception, rather than the rule, in the
belly dance world.

Movements found in belly dance …

Many of the movements characteristic of

belly dance can be grouped into the
following categories:[14]

Percussive movements: Staccato

movements, most commonly of the
hips, used to punctuate the music or
accent a beat. Typical movements in
this group include hip drops, vertical hip
rocks, outwards hip hits, hip lifts and hip
twists. Percussive movements using
other parts of the body can include lifts
or drops of the ribcage and shoulder
accents.
Fluid movements: Flowing, sinuous
movements in which the body is in
continuous motion, used to interpret
melodic lines and lyrical sections in the
music, or modulated to express complex
instrumental improvisations. These
movements require a great deal of
abdominal muscle control. Typical
movements include horizontal and
vertical figures of 8 or infinity loops with
the hips, horizontal or tilting hip circles,
and undulations of the hips and
abdomen. These basic shapes may be
varied, combined and embellished to
create an infinite variety of complex,
textured movements.
Shimmies, shivers and vibrations:
Small, fast, continuous movements of
the hips or ribcage, which create an
impression of texture and depth of
movement. Shimmies are commonly
layered over other movements, and are
often used to interpret rolls on the
tablah or riq or fast strumming of the
 oud or qanun (instrument). There are
many types of shimmy, varying in size
and method of generation. Some
common shimmies include relaxed, up
and down hip shimmies, straight-legged
knee-driven shimmies, fast, tiny hip
vibrations, twisting hip shimmies,
bouncing 'earthquake' shimmies, and
relaxed shoulder or ribcage shimmies.

In addition to these torso movements,

dancers in many styles will use level
changes, travelling steps, turns and spins.
The arms are used to frame and
accentuate movements of the hips, for
dramatic gestures, and to create beautiful
lines and shapes with the body,
particularly in the more balletic,
Westernised styles. Other movements may
be used as occasional accents, such as
low kicks and arabesques, backbends, and
head tosses.

In the Middle East

Origins and history …

Mural painting of a meeting between Shah Tahmasp

and the Mughal emperor Humayun found in Iran
Belly dancing is believed to have had a
long history in the Middle East, but reliable
evidence about its origins is scarce, and
accounts of its history are often highly
speculative.[8] Several Greek and Roman
sources including Juvenal and Martial
describe dancers from Asia Minor and
Spain using undulating movements,
playing castanets, and sinking to the floor
with "quivering thighs", descriptions that
are certainly suggestive of the movements
that are today associated with belly
dance.[15] Later, particularly in the 18th and
19th centuries, European travellers in the
Middle East such as Edward Lane and
Flaubert wrote extensively of the dancers
they saw there, including the Awalim and
Ghawazee of Egypt.[16]

In the Ottoman Empire belly dance was

performed by both boys and women in the
Sultan's palace.[17]

Social context …

Mexican Carmen Fragoso is among the new

generation of dancers known for their online
presence.
Belly dance in the Middle East has two
distinct social contexts: as a folk or social
dance, and as a performance art.

As a social dance, belly dance (also called

Raqs Baladi or Raqs Shaabi in this
context) is performed at celebrations and
social gatherings by ordinary people (male
and female, young and old), in their
ordinary clothes.[18] In more conservative
or traditional societies, these events may
be gender segregated, with separate
parties where men and women dance
separately.[19]
Historically, professional dance
performers were the Awalim (primarily
musicians and poets), Ghawazi, and
Köçekler. The Maazin sisters may have
been the last authentic performers of
Ghawazi dance in Egypt, with Khayreyya
Maazin still teaching and performing as of
2009.[20]

In the modern era, professional performers

(including dancers, singers, and actors)
are not considered to be respectable in
more conservative Middle Eastern
countries, and there is a strong social
stigma attached to female performers in
particular, since they display their bodies
in public, which is considered haram in
Islam. However, in Lebanon, Turkey,
Morocco, Iraq and unofficially in Iran and
Egypt the art is still celebrated and
performed.[21]

In Egypt …

Layla Taj, Egyptian belly dancer (American born),

performing in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Many bellydancers work in Cairo. The

modern Egyptian belly dance style (and
the modern costume) are said to have
originated in Cairo's nightclubs. Many of
the local dancers went on to appear in
Egyptian films and had a great influence
on the development of the Egyptian style
and became famous, like Samia Gamal
and Taheyya Kariokka, both of whom
helped attract eyes to the Egyptian style
worldwide.[22]

Traditional belly dancer on a Cairo Nile River cruise

Professional belly dance in Cairo has not
been exclusive to native Egyptians,
although the country prohibited foreign-
born dancers from obtaining licenses for
solo work for much of 2004 out of concern
that potentially inauthentic performances
would dilute its culture. (Other genres of
performing arts were not affected.) The
ban was lifted in September 2004, but a
culture of exclusivity and selectivity
remained. The few non-native Egyptians
permitted to perform in an authentic way
invigorated the dance circuit and helped
spread global awareness of the art
form.[23] American-born Layla Taj is one
example of a non-native Egyptian belly
dancer who has performed extensively in
Cairo and the Sinai resorts.[24]

Egyptian belly dance is noted for its

controlled, precise movements.[25]

In Iran (Persia) …

Iranian (Persian) Belly Dance looks like

Arab (Iraqi) belly dance, and Persians refer
to it as "Arabic dance".

In Turkey …

Turkish belly dance is referred to in Turkey

as Oryantal Dans, or simply 'Oryantal'. The
Turkish style of belly dance is lively and
playful, with a greater outward projection
of energy than the more contained and
artistic Egyptian style. Turkish dancers are
known for their energetic, athletic (even
gymnastic) style, and their adept use of
finger cymbals, also known as zils, which
are commonly used in Egyptian style and
movies. Connoisseurs of Turkish style
often say a dancer who cannot play the
zils is not an accomplished dancer.
Floorwork, which has been banned in
Egypt since the mid-20th century, is still an
important part of Turkish belly dance.
Another distinguishing element of Turkish
style is the use of a 98 rhythm, divided as
2+2+2+3, often referred to as the
Karsilama rhythm. Karşilama, in Turkish
dance, is not a rhythm but a folk dance
performed in a line, whereas a 98 (dokuz
sekiz) rhythm defines the count of the
rhythm and is used in both karşilama and
Roman havasi.

Many professional dancers and musicians

in Turkey continue to be of Romani
heritage, and the Roma people of Turkey
have had a strong influence on the Turkish
style.[26]
In Lebanon …

Lebanese style belly dance is somewhere

between the Egyptian and Turkish styles.
Lebanese dance takes from the classic
oriental dance, but still incorporates a
feisty, modern edge. There are large steps,
backward leans to the torso, twisting hip
rotations, large and busy arms and lots of
shimmies. The types of techniques that
are used in Lebanese style dance are
quick layered shimmies and subtle internal
movements. Lebanese dancers
sometimes include kicks, splits, deep back
bends, and Turkish drops.[27]
Outside the Middle East

Play media
(video) A belly dancer on stage in Japan, 2016

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Belly dance was popularized in the West

during the Romantic movement of the
18th and 19th centuries, when Orientalist
artists depicted romanticized images of
harem life in the Ottoman Empire.
In North America …

Although there were dancers of this type

at the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia, it
was not until the 1893 Chicago World's
Fair that it gained national attention. The
term "belly dancing" is often credited to
Sol Bloom, the Fair's entertainment
director, but he referred to the dance as
danse du ventre, the name used by the
French in Algeria. In his memoirs, Bloom
states, "when the public learned that the
literal translation was "belly dance", they
delightedly concluded that it must be
salacious and immoral ... I had a gold
mine." Authentic dancers from several
Middle Eastern and North African
countries performed at the Fair, including
Syria, Turkey and Algeria—but it was the
dancers in the Egyptian Theater of The
Street in the Cairo exhibit who gained the
most notoriety. The fact that the dancers
were uncorseted and gyrated their hips
was shocking to Victorian sensibilities.
There were no soloists, but it is claimed
that a dancer nicknamed Little Egypt stole
the show. Some claim the dancer was
Farida Mazar Spyropoulos, but this fact is
disputed.[28]

The popularity of these dancers

subsequently spawned dozens of
imitators, many of whom claimed to be
from the original troupe. Victorian society
continued to be affronted by the dance,
and dancers were sometimes arrested and
fined.[29] The dance was nicknamed the
"hoochie coochie", or the shimmy and
shake. A short film, "Fatima's Dance", was
widely distributed in the Nickelodeon
theaters. It drew criticism for its
"immodest" dancing, and was eventually
censored. Belly dance drew men in droves
to burlesque theaters, and to carnival and
circus lots.

Thomas Edison made several films of

dancers in the 1890s. These included a
Turkish dance, and Crissie Sheridan in
1897,[30] and Princess Rajah from 1904,[31]
which features a dancer playing zills, doing
"floor work", and balancing a chair in her
teeth.

American tribal fusion dancer Rachel Brice

Ruth St. Denis also used Middle Eastern-

inspired dance in D. W. Griffith's silent film
Intolerance, her goal being to lift dance to a
respectable art form at a time when
dancers were considered to be women of
loose morals. Hollywood began producing
films such as The Sheik, Cleopatra, and
Salomé, to capitalize on Western fantasies
of the orient.

When immigrants from Arab states began

to arrive in New York in the 1930s, dancers
started to perform in nightclubs and
restaurants. In the late 1960s and early
'70s many dancers began teaching. Middle
Eastern or Eastern bands took dancers
with them on tour, which helped spark
interest in the dance.
Although using Turkish and Egyptian
movements and music, American Cabaret
("AmCab") belly dancing has developed its
own distinctive style, using props and
encouraging audience interaction.

In 1987, a distinctively American style of

group improvisational dance, American
Tribal Style Belly Dance, (ATS), was
created. Although a unique and wholly
modern style, its steps are based on
existing dance techniques, including those
from North India, the Middle East, and
Africa.[32] Many forms of "Tribal Fusion"
belly dance have also developed,
incorporating elements from many other
dance and music styles including
flamenco, ballet, burlesque, hula hoop and
even hip hop. "Gothic Belly Dance" is a
style which incorporates elements from
Goth subculture.

In Spain …

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Learn more

Spaniard Dalilah, 1957

Belly dancers are thought to have come to
Spain from Lebanon in the time of the
Phoenicians (11th Century BC to 5th
Century BC). When Arab family of the
Umayyad came to Spain, they sent Basque
singers and dancers to Damascus and
Egypt for training in the Middle Eastern
style. These dancers came to be known as
Al-Andalus dancers. It is theorised that the
fusion of the Al-Andalus style with the
dances of the Gypsies led to the creation
of flamenco.

In Australia …
The first wave of interest in belly dancing
in Australia was during the late 1970s to
1980s with the influx of migrants and
refugees escaping troubles in the Middle
East, including drummer Jamal Zraika.
These immigrants created a social scene
including numerous Lebanese and Turkish
restaurants, providing employment for
belly dancers. Rozeta Ahalyea is widely
regarded as the "mother" of Australian
belly dance,[33] training early dance
pioneers such as Amera Eid and Terezka
Drnzik. Belly dance has now spread across
the country, with belly dance communities
in every capital city and many regional
centres.
In the United Kingdom …

Belly dance has been in evidence in the UK

since the early 1960s. During the 1970s
and 1980s, there was a thriving Arabic
club scene in London, with live Arabic
music and belly dancing a regular
feature,[34] but the last of these closed in
the early 1990s.[35] Several prominent
members of the British belly dance
community began their dance careers
working in these clubs.

Today, there are fewer traditional venues

for Arabic dance in the UK; however, there
is a large amateur belly dance community.
Several international belly dance festivals
are now held in Britain such as The
International Bellydance Congress, The
London Belly Dance Festival and Majma
Dance Festival.[36][37][38] In addition, there
are a growing number of competitions,
which have increased in popularity in
recent years.

The UK belly dance scene leans strongly

towards the Egyptian/Arabic style, with
little Turkish influence. American Tribal
Style and Tribal Fusion belly dance are
also popular.

Costume
 This section needs additional citations for
verification. Learn more

The costume most commonly associated

with belly dance is the 'bedlah' (Arabic: ‫;ﺑﺪﻟﺔ‬
literally "suit") style, which typically
includes a fitted top or bra, a fitted hip belt,
and a full-length skirt or harem pants. The
bra and belt may be richly decorated with
beads, sequins, crystals, coins, beaded
fringe and embroidery. The belt may be a
separate piece, or sewn into a skirt.

Badia Masabni, a Cairo cabaret owner

during the early 20th century, is credited
with creating the modern bedlah style. It
has been suggested that the bedlah was
inspired by glamorous Hollywood
costuming, or created to appeal to
Western visitors.[39] Earlier costumes were
made up of a full skirt, light chemise and
tight cropped vest with heavy
embellishments and jewelry.

As well as the two-piece bedlah costume,

full length dresses are sometimes worn,
especially when dancing more earthy
baladi styles. Dresses range from closely
fitting, highly decorated gowns, which
often feature heavy embellishments and
mesh-covered cutouts, to simpler designs
which are often based on traditional
clothing.
Costume in Egypt …

In Egypt dancers wear a bedlah.

Alternatively, they may wear a dress with
mesh-filled cutouts. Egypt has laws in
place[40] regarding what dancers can and
cannot wear, and according to Act No. 430
of the law on the censorship of literary
works, dancers must cover their lower
bodies, including the breast and stomach
area.[41] Typically a sheer, skin-colored
mesh fabric covering the stomach is
enough. Many dancers in Cairo ignore
these rules, as they are rarely enforced and
the consequences for performing with a
bare belly may simply be a fine. However,
there have been multiple incidents of
foreign belly dancers being arrested over
their costumes.

Costume in Lebanon …

As there is no prohibition on showing the

abdomen in Lebanon, the bedlah style is
more common. The skirts tend to be more
sheer than Egyptian outfits, showing more
of the dancer's body. The veil is more
widely used than in Egypt. High heels are
commonly worn. Lebanese dancers have
more freedom than Egyptian style dancers
in the type of costume they choose to
wear.
Costume in Turkey …

Turkish costumes are usually in the bedlah

style.[42] Distinctive features of many
Turkish costumes include a V-shaped or
triangular belt which may be shaped or
contoured around the top edge, and a
great deal of embellishment and beaded
fringing on both the bra and the belt. Skirts
are often fuller than their Egyptian
counterparts, and are likely to be made of
chiffon or velvet rather than lycra.

In the 1980s and '90s a very revealing

costume style developed with skirts
designed to display both legs up to the hip,
and plunging bras or even pasties.[43] Such
styles still exist in some venues but there
are also many Turkish belly dancers who
wear more moderate costumes. Even so,
many Turkish belly dance costumes reflect
the playful, flirty style of Turkish belly
dance.

Tribal style costumes …

Decorations on a tribal-style bellydance costume bra

Tribal belly dance costumes draw
inspiration from traditional folkloric
costumes across the globe and include
circle skirts, pantaloons, and turbans or
headdresses decked with feathers or
flowers.[32]

Health
Belly dance is a non-impact, weight-
bearing exercise and is thus suitable for all
ages.[44][45] Many of the moves involve
isolations, which improves flexibility of the
torso. Belly dance moves are beneficial to
the spine, as the full-body undulation
moves lengthen (decompress) and
strengthen the entire column of spinal and
abdominal muscles in a gentle way.

Dancing with a veil can help build strength

in the upper body, arm and shoulders.
Playing the zills trains fingers to work
independently and builds strength. The
legs and long muscles of the back are
strengthened by hip movements.[46]

Notable practitioners
Professional belly dancers include:

Amar Gamal
Amera Eid
Badia Masabni
Dalilah (bellydancer)
Didem Kınalı
Dina Talaat
Fifi Abdou
Layla Taj
Mayte Garcia
Nadia Gamal
Nagwa Fouad
Naima Akef
Nejla Ates
Nelly Mazloum
Rachel Brice
Samia Gamal
Serena Wilson
 Shakira
Sibel Can
Sofinar Gourian
Taheyya Kariokka
Terezka Drnzik
Zeinat Olwi
Zoe Jakes

In popular culture
The titular character of the Shantae series
of video games developed by Wayforward
Technologies is a belly dancing "half-
genie", who uses magical belly dances to
transform into various animals.
The Brazilian telenovela O Clone (also
known as El Clon in Spanish-speaking
countries and the United States) is set in
Brazil and Morocco and featured belly
dancing in many episodes. The lead
character, Jade (Giovanna Antonelli), used
it to entice her lover Lucas (Murilo Benício)
and to soothe and seduce her husband
Said (Dalton Vigh).

Several James Bond films (including From

Russia with Love) and music videos have
featured belly dancers. In The Man with the
Golden Gun, the belly dancer Saida wears a
spent bullet in her navel, which Bond
accidentally swallows while trying to
retrieve it. In addition, Sinbad and the
Minotaur featured characters who belly
danced such as Luna and Al-Jibbar's
Harem slave girls.

Documentaries about belly dance include

American Bellydancer, Journey of Desire: A
Foreign Dancer in Cairo, Belly, Sensual...
Scarred... Sacred, and Bellydancers of
Cairo.

See also
Raqs sharqi
Baladi
Ghawazi
 Almeh
Köçek
Persian dance
American Tribal Style Belly Dance
Improv Tribal Style Belly Dance
Tribal Fusion
M'alayah
Glossary of belly dance terms

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43. "Belly Dance Costumes" .
Orientaldancer.net.
44. Dallal, Tamalyn (2004). Belly Dancing
For Fitness . Berkley: Ulysses Press.
ISBN 9781569754108.
45. Lo Iacono, Valeria.
"WorldBellydance.com" .
 46. Coluccia, Pina, Anette Paffrath, and
Jean Putz. Belly Dancing: The Sensual
Art of Energy and Spirit. Rochester, Vt:
Park Street Press, 2005

External links
  Media related to Raqs Sharqi at
Wikimedia Commons
Top Dance Styles around the World

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