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Christian Bellydancer

Guest Author Maureen Pemberton

Part 1
An Introduction

There are many Christian belly dancers across the world, including the U.K and the U.S.A, alone (and in the Arab world), and there are many references to dance in the Bible. "Psalm 150 describes the various instruments with which we are called upon to praise God"(Pamela Sarolle, www.pinkgypsy.com/question4.htm) Sarolle makes a suggestion that perhaps "high sounding cymbals" may be in fact finger cymbals, otherwise known as zills (Turkish) orsagats/zagats (Egyptian Arabic).

Dance References
As the Bible was written in the Middle east, undoubtedly many of the instruments would have resembled the many that are still played today. One of the most famously referred to dances in the bible, of course is that of Herod’s' stepdaughter. Salome Lyn Embling (Mosaic issue 33, Spring 2004) talks of this dance. It has been immortalised in Oscar Wilde's "Vision of Salome". The daughter is seen as merely Salome John the Baptist condemned the marriage between Herod and his dead brother's wife Herodias. Herodias merely sought revenge. She knew Herod would not kill John, as this would have cause a riot. She needed to get her husband in a good mood. The resulting dance was a manipulation of her "innocent"(Embling, 2004) daughter trying to please her step father. Herodias knew he would be in a good mood and he would not refuse any of her wishes.

The subtlety worked and the daughter, prompted by her mother requested John' s head on a platter. Herod did not refuse. Embling says that this story has mutated in modern western imaginations from a dance of a young girl, to that of a voluptuous seductress.

That image is so powerful, but not necessarily the true one, given again the context of the story, and the power games between husband an wife and using a third party to manipulate a situation to one’s own guilty conscience. NB. Salome is thought to be a symbol of past goddess worship and a manifestation of Ishtar. She is portrayed in a bad light to add weight to the biblical opposition to Goddess worship.


Miriam

Miriam, Moses's sister joyfully celebrated the Jews' escape from Egypt's Red sea, as the Egyptian army was swallowed up as the parted waves closed up. She danced with other women with "timbrels"(finger cymbals?) singing,"Sing ye, unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15:20-21).

Jephthah's daughter

She danced upon her warrior father's return from the victory over the Ammonites. What she didn't know was her father had vowed to sacrifice, in thanks to God, the first thing he sees on his return. Heartbroken, he knows he has to keep his promise; his daughter insists he must. She goes to the mountains, to mourn with her female friends, her death and the fact that she will "never marry" (Embling, 2004:22). On her return, the sacrifice poignantly takes place.

David

There are references to king David dancing as a form of thanks. When Goliath was killed, the women across Israel danced in celebration, singing about his victory (Embling referring to 1 Samuel 18:6) Moses, Dance and the Golden Calf When Moses went to receive the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, the Israelites down below, when they hadn't seen him return, lost heart and proceeded to dance in wild abandon, after melting down earrings to dance around a golden calf created from them (Embling, p.23). More dancing is mentioned in Matthew 11:17 and Psalm 30:11. There are many references indeed, showing how much dance was part of the culture and social ritual.


Part 2
Dancing from the Honest/Deepest Self

On the website www.pinkgypsy.com are a series of letters about Middle-eastern dance and there is a beautiful and interesting letter/dialogue between two dancers, one of whom is Christian. The Christian wrote that she had been feeling very alone and isolated as she has not met other Christian belly dancers; she felt perhaps the dance was more inclusive of other faiths, but not Christianity (see diverse origins and forms of bellydance article). The dance, in its native surroundings, encompasses many ethnic and spiritual/religious groups across three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe). Belly dance has been linked to other practises, which are "stereotyped Bellydance" (goddess workshop/ritual etc).

The response, she gets is very reassuring and sensitive Sharon, the second dancer, explains that dance, when danced beautifully and honestly, comes from a spiritual place, from within; it is an expression of the 'deepest self' (www.pinkgypsy.com/question4htm ), "the true and honest self, where you are yourself and you are not pretending. You can be as free as many of the other women of different faiths who dance".

Sharon perceptively reminds readers that Christians have been subject like many other groups, to stereotyping, even though "Christians are everyday people with the same passions, joys, pains, struggles, questions and open hearts as the next guy or girl" (ibid). Sharon also adds, that many Christian belly dancers dance as part of worship, interpreting it in a liturgical context. I do know of Christian belly dancers in the UK, who perform the dance very spiritually, true to its original roots (as opposed to just performance) either in forms of worship or on a personal spiritual level. It is crucial that people feel safe enough to be themselves and not to feel embarrassed or fearful or who they are or what others might be thinking about their spirituality.

Sharon adds, rather than feel worried about being different, the Christian Belly dancer’s faith should be "something. (She is). Proud of and celebrate(s).", "Just knowing one can be herself will go a long way towards opening her Christian heart and soul, within the dance, in ways you may not have known possible"(ibid).


References:

Cohan Robert 1986,
The dance workshop

Gaia Books

Edwards G/Haas K 2000
! Flamenco!

Thames and Hudson

Embling Lyn
Mosaic Issue 33, spring 2004, pp.21-24

(Blood Gore and Passion the Biblical Stories of dance)

www.pinkgypsy.com/question4htm

www.shira.net - If you want more detail and depth about the cultures roots, techniques, music, literature and soul of Middle Eastern dance, do please visit www.shira.net , one of the best and most comprehensive sites around, highly recommended by many dance authorities, nationally and internationally, as an excellent educational resource.

Maureen Pemberton, 2005