The diverse origins and forms of bellydance
Guest Author Maureen Pemberton
Bellydance "does not presume, preclude or exclude particular religions or spiritual paths". Maureen Pemberton examines the inclusively and the origins of bellydance. She describes how the dance is much more universal than most people assume.
Middle eastern dance otherwise known in the West as "belly dance", or "la Danse du Ventre"(French) but correctly known as Raqs el sharqi Arabic: Dance of the East) is a very misunderstood dance, but is a dance or collections of dances which incorporates folk/social/former court dances of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauretania, the Sahara, Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Yemen, the Sudan, parts of East Africa, Iran, Turkey, the Balkans (former Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Bulgaria etc) Greece, Armenia, with dance historians and anthropologists speculating that these dances had roots either in African or in the Indian subcontinent. Certainly Flamenco dance itself is a mixture of Indian, North African/Arabic and native Spanish dance stylings with the influence of sephardic (Spanish-Jewish) formats with a Classical Arabic musical base (8th century onwards. "Cabaret" belly dance is merely a Westernised/theatrical/often balleticised form of all these different folk/social dances. Middle eastern dance has even deeper roots than people in the West imagine. Many westerners perceive the form as just a cabaret dance, -glitzy, glamorous and sexy and just a woman’s dance. Yet throughout the countries listed, men have also danced a sensual dance that is a strong, athletic, yet a graceful and masculine dance forms.
Cabaret belly dance has its roots in the 1920s onwards, when the dance was taken to more theatrical/casino atmosphere in Egypt (still under British rule). Elements of Western (especially Russian ballet and other dance
forms (Latin American etc) informed this essentially rural folk dance form. The two piece costume we are all familiar with (“bedlah" in Arabic) had its roots in Hollywood cinematic costume, which took its inspiration from the
Art Nouveau period, and the Orientalist art period (19th Century). The Arab dancers modified the costume and made it their own, wanting to show a strong femininity and sensuality rather than overt female sexuality. This period showcased exceptionally talented dancers such as Samia Gamal, Tania Carioca, (1930s-1940s) who were actually courageous pioneers/transformers of this variation of the dance, (Badia Masbasny, a Syrian or Lebanese dancer/Egyptian citizen, who had the original vision of using many Russian theatrical/dance techniques, taught both of them).
Spirituality
Middle East dance forms do not presume or exclude any form of religion or spirituality. Because many cultures in the secularised, the West tend to divorce sexuality from spirituality and often sees women as parts, rather than whole beings, many don't realise that all dance has spiritual roots; roots with connections with nature, with God, with the mind and body and spirit as a whole.
Middle Eastern dance was the first dance form in the world; it was widespread in known existing civilisations, but disappeared, remaining around the Middle East/parts of southern Europe and Asia. As it was once widespread, it eventually evolved into other dance forms, as we know them today. Which is why we can see similarities between dance forms.
In fact African dance and dances from the Indian subcontinent are almost direct descendants of the original Middle Eastern dance: aspects regarding certain similarities in moves, postures, energies, even philosophies are too close to be merely co-incidental.
Childbirth/women's health
Middle Eastern dance also has its roots in helping pregnant women ease their way through the different stages of labour, in that the moves powerfully strengthen the pelvic floor, stomach muscles, calms the mind, with the slow breathing, before and after childbirth. Many girls in Arabic cultures use the dance as a preparation for the years ahead, (for strengthening their bodies) for eventual childbirth. In fact, in parts of Egypt women dance six weeks after giving birth, which helps to tone their stomach muscles back into shape as well as tightening pelvic floor muscles, toning the womb and reducing the incidence of gynaecological problems later on in life.
All in all, the dance has considerable physical benefits for a woman's menstrual and gynaecological health; this fact is also attested in many western Middle Eastern dancers. It is not a dance to be flippant about, and that applies to many other dances too. Yet, sadly parts of the Western civilisation have lost the true a deep understanding of the power of dance, in all its wide senses. Many many cultures see dance as a vital part of the human social and spiritual experience. Even animals dance, with "displays showing territorial possession, aggressive dances, showing strength, excited solo performances to attract attention. Some like others even have dances that are just high spirited fun"(Robert Cohan, The Dance Workshop, p.16)
Dance as communication
Dance has been with us, since time began and is the most instinctive of human communication, truer than human words. It is akin to body language or non-verbal communication. Dance shows us our true selves or psyches, the celebration, courtships, community and unity, anguish, pain, love, dignity, relief and release and so on. Parts of the west have lost touch with dance, in that they feel to embarassed to dance. Many people are stiff when dancing, in that they can’t move their hips or torso, so that movement is only in the legs or knees. Yet as we see across cultures, children and adults naturally dance their hips, torsos, hands and arms, their eyes, as forms of vital expression. Dance is ultimately self or community expression, communication with self, with solitude, with God/spirituality, intuition, for fun and relaxation. As it is physical too, your endorphins from your brain are pumped around the body to create a feeling of well being and health and euphoria, which helps you feel good about yourself, and that is one of the many benefits of dance.
Diversity and Inclusion
As stated earlier "bellydance" does not presume, preclude or exclude particular religions or spiritual paths. Middle eastern dance as we know, existed/exists in a place that encompasses many different ethic, spiritual and religious groups, from partly Christian Lebanon, to Jewish communities in Yemen and Tunisia, Muslim and Christian Balkans, Greece, (whose popular music originates from the Turks)Somalia and Egypt in Africa, to the Spanish Andalusian Roma("Gypsy") dancers of the Zambra Mora.(Zambra Mora is an old dance that is a fluid blend of Arabic dance with softer flamenco nuances and moves).Are bellydancers Arab or Jewish is a purely rhetorical question: they are both!
Dance in the Bible
The bible has many references to dance . Jesus is said to have danced at a wedding. Some think it was his, to Mary Magdeleine. Perhaps Mary Madeleine was a dancer. She was described as whore and the two (at the time) were synonymous. Maureen Pemberton examines how what ever spirituality one has it can come through your dancing as long as you come from your truth. Bellydance is for all religions.
(Many thanks to Lyn Embling's Article in Mosaic on this)