Origins of Belly Dance

Belly dance, otherwise known as raqs sharqi in Arabic (meaning oriental dance), is a folk dance native to the Middle East. Due to its popularity worldwide, belly dance differs from region to region in both dance style and costume, suggesting that other forms of dance have been incorporated into more traditional styles of Middle-Eastern dance. However, it is still extremely difficult to trace the origins of this art form but there are two dominant possibilities of how this dance originated.

The first being that it is 'a reworking of movements traditionally utilized to demonstrate or ease childbirth, and was used by women for that purpose.' During a performance, dancers will predominantly work the muscles of the abdomen and back, as well as the rest of the body.

The second possibility is that poor women in the Middle-East learned the dance as a way to make money by entertaining rich men. Thus, resulting in the stigma attached to belly dance. On the contrary, many believe it was Western culture that created the negativity towards belly dancing through 'commercialisation' of the art form through films and on the stage.

But the Egyptian movie industry soon followed and its performers were placed in costumes similar to those produced halfway across the world. Egyptian dance was soon being viewed as a performing art, rather than a social dance. So the early 'stars' of Egyptian dance are considered to be a big part of Arabic cultural heritage.

I prefer to believe that the role of oriental dance in Middle-Eastern society has been that of a folk dance that people would do at joyous occasions such as weddings, the birth of a child, community festivals, and other events that bring people together to party. It was a dance that men, women and children did for fun, not a "performance" done to entertain an audience. It just so happens that its entertaining value and enjoyment for both the performer and those watching has helped to shape the future of the dance to this day.

A very thorough and informative article can be found at: http://www.venusbellydance.com/2008/articles_history.html

Sources/Research: Wikipedia /Shira / YouTube