Middle Eastern Dance
Belly Dancing articles - by Veda Sereem
The Steps of Belly Dance:
The ancient art of belly dance is as complex in its origin as it is in it's movement. The oldest and most well known dance in the world has left little evidence of it's history. Belly Dance evolved through a multitude of cultures and has felt the effects of various historical time periods. Whether positive or negative impact, this blend of influence has shaped the art into the modern form of belly dance.
Myths attach the dance to several cultures including that of Egyptians, Greeks, Turks and even Indian Gypsies, and place it as far back as at least 4,000 BC. Experts agree that the myths are only speculation of stories passed down by ancestors, and that there is not enough valid evidence to provide a definitive answer to the question of specific origin. However, most agree that it started and flourished in the middle eastern dance region.
This is the art form that is an improvisational dance and leaves much room for individual expression. So to study Belly Dance, one must study a board range of cultures and influences, there is no sole source.
Anthropologists and historians have attempted to form some theory by common pieces of information, but no one has the complete picture. The most popular places the origin of belly dance in Ancient Egypt. Pharonic wall paintings of scriptures indicate the presence of the dance. Specifically, they hint at the movements in belly dance. At a time when temple dance and goddess worship was said to have been derived as a fertility and child bearing ritual. It symbolizes spiritual celebration and aids in the labor process.
During the 18th century, there stemmed a group of gypsies known as "ghawazee". These dancers were from Cairo and along the lower Nile. It is debatable whether or not this group originated in India and later settled in Egypt bringing belly dance with them, or were in fact, purely Egyptian. Although little is known about them, they played a part in spreading belly dance as they took the dance with them on their culture migrations.
At a time when only the wealthy were literate, little was recorded about the behavior of the lower class, such as the ghawazee. They were street performers that were normally hired to entertain men. Women dancing in public places in the presence of men was considered to be disrespectful behavior at that time in Egypt.
Over time, belly dance spread throughout the mid-east and with each stopover, new costumes, instruments, movements and props were incorporated into the dance. Each culture added to and transformed elements to their suit and their cultural styles and beliefs. Various myths explaining the use of candles, canes, swords, snakes and other props but without basis or evidence.
The dance is carried through centuries in the cultural continuity of the peoples of the mid-east. The dance continued as a dance of practice to everyday culture and is still an important expression of life.
Ancient Egyptians were strong believers in goddesses and their worship. The dancer always performed barefoot as a symbol of connection to the mother earth. Alternatives myths conclude that mostly low status women dance in public, and were unable to afford shoes.
The use of sticks or canes in belly dance derived as a form of jest. Originally, the stick or cane was used as protection by Egyptian peasants, especially when traveling - then took on the form of martial art, perhaps the first in history. Women began to use canes to mimic these peasants and eventually incorporated it into the dance.
Ancient cults used snakes in dance as a form of protection, and in some cultures they were used in fertility rituals by women wanting to become pregnant. The idea brought the snake arm movements exhibited in belly dance.
The use of swords and floor dance movements have been explained by times of dancers were assigned to entertain the soldiers in the field. Within the confines of a tent, dancers were unable to perform standing so the dancers began to use the floor in their art. The balancing of a sword was used by dancers as a symbol of "an uncontrollable" time when dancers were sold and used as slaves.
Although most of the facets of belly dance have been attached to cultures there are many characteristics that were only recently incorporated when belly dance came to America. The first dance came to America in 1893 and performed at the Chicago's World Fair. The event is what brought the name "belly dance" as those words are an incorrect Arabic translation. Formally, the dance is knows as "raks sharki" or "oriental dance".