The Sexual Politics and Healing of Belly Dance
By Ishtar www.ishtar.tv
“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.” Rumi
The concept of sexuality in belly dance is an oft discussed subject within the community. Some people like to ‘campaign‘ for belly dance to be perceived in a non-sexual and purely artistic way. Others flaunt their sexuality unabashed. Sexuality is a key theme in most dance, be it overt or covert. Dancing for human beings is often a prelude to courtship. In Western night clubs and in traditional societies, young men and women dance and according to psychologists, can ascertain by the way of dancing how the person will be as 
a mate. Sexuality is an important part of some spiritual systems and these often involve dance. In modern society, the word ‘sexuality’ is often fraught with ambivalent feelings.- A woman’s sexuality can be perceived as both a good and a bad thing. ’Artistic’ dance is often divided from dance whose only purpose is sexual stimulation. However, an erotic response to dance is often a complex event that can be mixed with admiration for skill and artistry. Sexuality is not just a reaction of the genitals, it can be a response to the joy of living and the desire to connect with elements that are outside of us. Bellydance, Indian temple dance, Hula and ballet all contain sexual themes that are sometimes also wrapped up in mythological narratives and/or expressions of god/goddess.
Dance is healing in many ways. Sexual feelings are connected to confidence and self-esteem. I discuss later that there is a schism that exists regarding sexual expression and what or who is perceived as a ‘respectable’ or ‘decent’ person/ dancer. Women have many elements that they are exposed to, that mitigate against self-love and this is a trend that is sadly increasing. The issue of whether sexuality is good or bad can be resolved by belly dance, when it is performed from a perspective of connectedness. In dance we can become our own muse, we can fall in love with the inner lover and experience the Jungian alchemical marriage. Everything is compelled by desire. A tree dances towards the sun, its roots plunge deep into the earth in the desire for water. The flower looks beautiful for the bee to pollinate it. The dancer desires the dance and dance longs for her body. Eroticism is what powers existence in the three-dimensional world, even the asexual ameba divides because of love for itself.
Bellydance is arguably the ultimate dance of feminine power. It attempts to explain and express female emotions and archetypal events with the body. Unlike most traditional western dance, Bellydance focuses on movements of the pelvis and abdomen. Stimulating the serpent power that resides in the sacrum and strengthening the area generally. For the most part however, western culture socially demotes dance forms that would appear to be “suggestive”. This is connected to how we relate to sexuality, the body and how women and their processes are viewed.
Belly dance is a vocabulary of movements where it is possible to express divine erotic spirituality. This element is undoubtedly linked to the spirit of the ancient Tantric traditions expressing the wisdom that our bodies and sexuality are all sacred. In these traditions the body is not seen as an encumbrance, but may be used to enhance our spiritual understanding and evolution.
Primal belly dance encapsulated the spiritual and metaphysical processes associated with creation and procreation. Fertility dances of old involved the belly, the place of creation of the unborn child. Through dance, people have tuned into the rhythms and pulses of the universe. Belly dance with its circles, spirals and figure-eight configurations describes life at its universal, cataclysmic inception. Dance in its truest form is an expression of the life force. When we dance we are always in the present moment, the now. Dancing like this expresses the human longing to reach out beyond the confines of the ego and the personal body, to connect with the universal body of the Great Mother. Belly dance is an exploration of women's power, light and dark. It has been described as the dance of life and death. Because of this phenomenon many people have strong reactions to it.
It is sad that so many have a negative relationship with their body. The body is a delightful gift and it does not have to be a certain shape or age to be loveable. A poor relationship with the body effects people in situations of personal intimacy because they feel uncertain about their physical self. Dance can transform this. I have met women who are beautiful who feel ashamed of their bodies, and those who are not conventionally attractive who feel fine about their physiques. Because of this observation, I realised that the relationship we have with our bodies is even more important than what the body looks like. Bellydance can bring so much relief and pleasure that one can only feel grateful and in love with the beauty that one can express through dance.Belly dance affects our energetic vibration. Sometimes the vibrational change will begin to show on the physical body. Many women who have attended classes have reported an increase in size of their breasts and an improvement or even eradication of gynecological problems.Many dance anthropologists argue that all forms of dance are sexual. Indeed many ‘respectable’ dance forms like ballet descend from courtesan dance. Dance that is overtly sexual like pole dancing or burlesque has obvious connections to sexual arousal. However even complex and enchanting dances often can trace their roots to an artistic form of sexual stimulation. Many experts believe belly dance was the dance performed by ancient temple goddess dancers and sacred prostitutes as well as fertility dances. Even in contemporary times Middle Eastern dance can be associated with prostitution in its countries of origin.
In the Bellydance community there is often a heated debate about whether Bellydance should or is sexy. More lascivious dance styles are often frowned upon. When I began belly dance twenty years ago revealing costumes were a big no no. (In particular for young slim women as I was then!) However the internet has revealed the skimpy and erotic costumes worn by top Egyptian dancers, (for example the magnificent Dina) so this position is a bit of a moot point now-a-days.The west has many strange and complex ideas concerning sexuality. These are often reflected in how some westerners perceive Bellydance. Again things have changed. Now most educated people can see belly dance as a cultural art form.
The dance forms that are now popular of burlesque and those performed by RnB dancers, make Bellydance look quite innocent in comparison. The real question for me is why people get upset by the expression of sexuality, it suggest that the erotic is a bad thing. However sex is the reason we are all here. We are a result of our parents’ desire for each other. Strange then that sex and by association the body are often perceived as shameful or embarrassing.
On the other hand ,pornography distorts and removes the aspects of sex that are not physical, such as emotion and spirituality. How then must this basic premise, that sex - the act that
was the vortex to our manifestation in the physical realms - is shameful, impact our self-esteem? The practice of belly dance can help to heal the negative programs concerning sexuality. It does this by making sensuality a mind-body and soul experience.
Pelvic movements have been eliminated from most indigenous western dance forms. Although attitudes are rapidly changing, this way of moving is sometimes regarded with disdain and/or amusement. Western dance forms such as ballet are perceived as being somehow more culturally accepted, as a ‘high art form’ than dances that originate from the Middle East and Africa. Hawaiian dancers who dance the Hula, a dance sacred to them, were forbidden to practice this sensual and beautiful form by Christian missionaries. These individuals could only interpret these types of movements in a lascivious manner. In the West we tend to divorce sexuality from spirituality and often fragment the sexuality of women. Many don't realize the roots of the dance forms they observe, for example, ballet, in its early years was a dance for courtesans and was not generally approved of by the mainstream.
Many people falsely assume that erotic and primal forms of dance originate exclusively from Africa and the East. Many do not associate Europe with having dances of the pelvis. However ,the remains of the 3000 year old Danish Egtved Girl have experts agreeing that she is wearing a dance costume to perform a sensual fertility dance. Anni Brøgger asks- “Did we in the Danish Bronze Age have ceremonies to worship the sun along with fertility rites?”the Egtved Girl was actually a religious dancer, a living expression of the fertility goddess, and according to experts practiced bellydance!
Instead of dance being a healthy and natural expression of pro-creation, we have been told for centuries that certain movements are acceptable, and certain movements are not ‘respectable’. Movements in belly dance, Hula and some Indian and African dance, move sexual energy through the body and have the potential to stimulate rapturous states. Modern people are generally afraid of ecstatic states. These exotic types of consciousness are not generally encouraged in western society.
Sexuality often upsets people, yet without that force they would not exist. Many refuse to see art and sexuality as being connected (Picasso said he could not separate the two). Sacred dance of all descriptions attempts to discover in an abstract fashion the deep mysteries and process of life. Belly dance uses movements which are poetic expressions of flirtation, orgasm, birth and even the mystery of death. Some of the abdominal movements in belly dancing are designed to emulate the abdominal contractions of labour and sexual climax. Belly dance as a birth dance relates it to religions of the ancient matriarchal societies. These cultures celebrated the fertility of women, animals and the earth. The body, particularly a woman’s reproductive processes were,
in these times, regarded with awe. A woman's conception was believed to be caused by celestial forces. The body was perceived as divine. The first temples to honour the Great Spirit were dedicated to the Goddesses and served by priestesses. The priestesses danced for the goddess and united with her through the dance. The women were channels for the flow of goddess energy, which was transmitted to the temples congregation. The dancing priestesses marked the transition of cult dance to religious dance.
To this day India has temple dancers who use dance like a moving prayer. Many of the Hindu myths refer to dancing. Bharata Natyamwas a dance practiced by the Devadasi in India. The women in these communities were in many ways equivalent to courtesans, and usually did not have conventional marriages. Instead, they were ‘sponsored’ by men of high social status, and were often the life-long mistresses or even second wives of these men. Originally an improvised dance that uses mudras or hand movements often symbolising sexual relations, today's Bharata Natyam, is more choreographed and features danced narratives of God evoked in a secular world.In order for the dance to become “respectable enough for non-devadasi women to perform it,
it had to be purged of much of its content, and its relation to devadasi communities.
In the original form of Bharata Natyam eroticism is sublimated to spirituality. Through the dance, sexuality can become spirituality, thus reducing the propensity of the objectification of the female dancer by the male viewer. Projesh Banerji writes in Erotica in Indian Dance: "No iota of sensual vulgarity or indecency is attached to the doings of the heavenly creatures. Sex is regarded as divine, with complete negation of human lust.”
Another popular Indian classical dance called ‘Kathak’ was in the past performed by tawaifs, who were female entertainers similar to the geishas of Japan. The tawaifs were highly trained artistes and teachers to the upper classes. When the British Empire ruled India they thought the tawaifs were nothing better than common prostitutes and consequently outlawed them. As a result, Kathak as an art form went into a decline and would have been lost to contemporary society, if it weren't for a revival of interest in traditional Indian dance forms that occurred post-Independence.
Dance is a great way for men and women to explore opposite genders. My work with male to female transsexuals has shown me how the template of sensual belly dance can be used on anyone regardless of biological gender. In other cultu
res male transsexuals often dance and are accepted as professional performers and not a cause for concern. In the west more rigid rules are attached to gender appropriateness. Some people find the sexuality of transgenderism confusing and upsetting. The Persian dance known as ‘Baba Karan’ sees women dress up as men and dance a masculine dance. In India the Hijras are females born into a male body, they are often dancers and entertainers.
Indians like the Native Americans and the Polynesians recognize a third sex - that is transgendered. This Third Sex, also known as Aravanis (in India), are often thought to possess special powers, allowing them to determine the fate of others. I have had close relationships with male-female transgendered people as well as female to male. It has made me realize that gender identity is a spectrum. Male to female transgender individuals whom I have taught, have told me how happy they feel when they Bellydance, because they feel the download of feminine energy and relax into feminine movement.
I have also taught straight men to dance. These men just want the relaxing feeling of femininity and to be able to get closer and associate with women. Many of these men have given me feedback on how dance has made them more nurturing and relaxed. These men are brave and interesting because they are breaking taboos. Feminine dance for these men is healing. Many masculine male Middle Eastern dancers, use traditional forms to express masculine strength, sensuality and dexterity, martial ability and sexual power. The Egyptian ‘Taktib’ dance features dancing with a stick which is symbolic of the phallus. Women often copy this male style of dance. I have myself and dressed in the male costume. I have taught this dance at workshops and women have said how invigorated and energized it has made them feel.
Sexuality in dance and spirituality has been documented in many ancient texts from a variety of religions. Dance is one of the arts mentioned in the Karma Sutra, the classical Indian book on the art of love. It recommends that men and women alike should be well versed in the practice of dance as well as the art of lovemaking. The Karma Sutra is influenced by Tantrism. Tantric ritual (which evolved in India) involves a weaving together of the arts of dance, sex and ritual into an expansive, ecstatic experience.
Erotic forms of Tantric Buddhism appeared all over Asia although patriarchal sects opposed them and denied their historical significance. The same denial was executed through Islam to the Sufi sects who regarded the fairy (peri) consort as a way to spiritual ‘Fana’ (rapture). Modern Sufis use a spinning dance to achieve their connection to the cosmos. It is often regarded with suspicion at best from mainstream Islam and its practice is forbidden in some places.
Dance and sex can both stimulate what is known as the Kundalini. Dance can work as an energetic form of healing. It is primarily pelvic movements that stimulate the Kundalini. It is said that Kundalini energy exists in all living things even the Earth. The cultivation of the Kundalini or serpent power which resides at the base of the spine needs to be done carefully and with respect. Like Kundalini Yoga, belly dance and other dances that involve the pelvic area work on the body’s ‘metaphysical’ energy systems. The practise of belly dance and similar dance forms can cause a ‘Kundalini awakening’. The stimulation of this force can ideally unlock inner creative energy and improve all the dimensions of the individual. Although the stimulation of Kundalini has many benefits, it can for some have side effects, due to the shock of changing the body’s energy field.
In dances such as belly dance, hula and Indian Temple dance, we see an enacting of the primal Shakti dance. When we dance with intention and recognition of this force, we are instantly consumed by her power. It is through the lens of our choices and identity which dictates the direction this power will take. Whether people understand it or not, dance can release the serpent power or Kundalini energy. The pelvic movements and altered state of consciousness are stimulants for this energy. Many cultures consider the centre of power to live in the belly, and Indian-inspired Tantric Dance is no exception.
The practise of sensual dance and Shakti styles of dance can stimulate the sex chakra which will create an awareness of sensual pleasure. If the intention in the dancer is a spiritual and healing one, she can direct the energy produced by the moves to the heart chakra. With this framework and direction one may become more compassionate and caring of others.The dancer may realise the great power of healing the self and then all others who come within her sphere.In the past, images of women pregnant, naked or even exposing genitalia would have been common place and associated with worship and divine beings. (still are in India). Now in the west, they are primarily found in pornography and medical text books. In ancient times in Europe, statues of males with erect phalli were worshiped with pregnant, voluptuous, dancing, female figures. It was not till the rise of agriculture and technology that women became perceived as the inferior sex
. Religions like Islam and Christianity seem to portray woman as being represented by the body and man as being symbolized by the mind. Bodily processes (especially a woman's), are sometimes regarded with disgust. These ideas are damaging and together with a sex and perfect body obsessed media, it is no surprise that many women in the west are morbidly obese, anorexic or want cosmetic surgery.
Belly dance can change us in so many positive ways. Belly dance has the potential to create supportive communities that can counter mainstream negative messages about the body and sexuality. Sadly often women’s sexual competitiveness can prompt hate clubs, which reinforce the current disempowering concepts regarding assessing women. These negative and catty attitudes don’t serve the victims or the haters. As a feminist I believe in the rights of women to express themselves as they please. We should not feel compelled by others’ need to control us, to wear revealing clothes, or to cover our bodies. For me belly dance is about freedom of personal expression. Dance can change us, but I believe on some level it can affect those around us too; with dance we can touch each other and our environment in gentle and loving ways. The Earth can even feel and enjoy and be healed by our dance.. Dance is an artistic and stylised form of sexuality that is experienced in all the dimensions
of the person. Through dance we can understand and accept with love our own and other people’s individual souls including their sexuality.Our sexuality and sexual orientation is part of what defines who we are. The sexual impulse is what created us all, yet despite this, generally our culture has a a strange attitude to it . The power of sexual allure fuels many branches of merchandise and cultural entertainment. Yet we are also taught (that particularly in women) that it is also sleazy and disreputable to be too sexy. Women are in a double bind over this matter generally. In bellydance it seems one has to walk a thin line to achieve respectability and still be performing bellydance . One of my x-boyfriends gave me some interesting advice pertaining to this matter,- He said-'if a man is keen to go with you to the the ballet, don't believe that he is looking at the dancers artistically,
he will have a hard on and that is his only reason for him to be sitting there watching. ' I do hope this is extreme projection and that men can look at attractive women moving without being aroused. However A recent study revealed that many hetrosexual men are aroused by the merest symbolic suggestion of a woman. The experiment( which involved measuring the unconscious process of arousal.) showed measurable sexual interest when men where shown a simple diagram of two circles and a triangle (strategically placed! ) From these results I have realised that a mans sexual attention is nothing to be flattered or insulted by.
When those gorgeous guys come on stage in revealing tights at the ballet ,do you think I am looking at the bulge and the ass?
You bet I am! Do you think I am transfixed by the skill, dexterity ,beauty and sensitivity of that man? Why yes, that's all part of it for me. As some one who is in the process of becoming a 'faded rose' I will with much sadness have to recognize that my dancing may not be as in demand as the years fly by. Perhaps there are those who see though the corporeal to the inner light, those who only notice the soul, dedication and artistry.Sadly they are few and far between.
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