The performance dance form known in the West as bellydance, is based on one of the social dances native to the Middle East and North Africa. In Arabic this social dance is called Raks Baladi, meaning “folk dance” or “dance of the country”. The exact origin of bellydance is an actively debated subject among dance enthusiasts. Academic research on the topic is limited. Some of the most popular theories include the following:

1.   It descended from a religious dance that temple priestesses performed as part of fertility rituals. Temple engravings depicting dancers have been found in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece dating back to 1000 B.C.

2.   It arose out of the dance that was associated with childbirth. It prepared girls for labor and was part of the delivery ritual.

3.   It descended from ancient Egyptian social dances.

4.   It originated in India over 5000 years ago, and had spread through out the Middle East with the migrations of the Gypsy tribes also called Roma, Ghawazee, and Nawar. The Roma eventually reached Europe, where one of the most famous Gypsy dance styles Flamenco was born. Many moves in modern Flamenco are still very similar to bellydance.

Perhaps the richness of Middle Eastern dance tradition and its universal appeal can be attributed to the blending of many various sources, cultures, and dance styles.

Cultural Context

For many centuries now, Middle Eastern people of all ages and both sexes have enjoyed dancing Raks Baladi at various festive occasions. Children learn to dance informally through observation and imitation during family and community celebrations. Traditionally, in Islamic societies men and women lead largely segregated lives. Women live and socialize with female friends and family in a separate section of a house, called harem (which means “forbidden”). Men who are not members of the immediate family are not allowed to enter the harem quarters. Separation of sexes and the veiling of women predate Islam, and can be traced back to Byzantine Empire.

After the Napoleonic wars Europeans gained greater exposure to the culture of the Middle East. The mystique of the Orient fueled the imaginations of a group of 19th century European painters and writers who came to be called Orientalists. Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres were some of the most prominent figures of the Orientalist movement. Orientalist paintings often depicted highly eroticized fantasy scenes from the harem life: semi-naked concubines, reclining on pillows, swaying peacock fans, dancing for the pleasure of a sultan or a group of men. These works were completely untrue to the reality of Middle Eastern culture and to the role that dance played in it. The Orientalist movement had undoubtedly contributed to a popular misconception of bellydance being a dance of seduction, performed for the pleasure of men. In fact, because of the traditional gender segregation, Middle Eastern women usually only danced in female company. Sometimes a professional dancer and several musicians were invited to a women's gathering. Today, gender segregation is not as strictly practiced in many urban areas, and occasionally both men and women dance socially at the family or community events.

Middle Eastern dance was introduced to the American public in 1893 at the Chicago World Fair, which featured an exhibit called “The Streets of Cairo.” The exhibit featured authentic dancers from several Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Syria, Turkey and Algeria, but it was the dancers of the Egyptian Theater who gained the most notoriety. The rapid hip movements and the fact that the dancers were uncorseted, was shocking to the Victorian sensibilities of the day. In fact, many public figures, most notably Anthony Comstock, head of Society for the Suppression of Vice, attempted to close the Egyptian Theater. In an effort to publicize the Fair by creating a sensation, the promoter, Sol Bloom, allegedly invented the name “bellydance” to use in his advertising campaign. He might have actually “borrowed” the French term danse du ventre (dance of the stomach) previously coined by the Orientalists. In the late 19th century, exposing or referring to any part of human anatomy was socially unacceptable. The term “bellydance” was scandalous and, as planned, drew attention to the exhibit and to the dance.

During the next several decades, bellydancing could only be seen at vaudeville, burlesque, and carnival sideshows. It was often misrepresented by untrained imitators to be a risqué, erotic dance which gave bellydancing a questionable reputation in polite society.

Trying to capitalize on the bellydance craze, Thomas Edison made several films featuring bellydancers in the 1890s, including Turkish dance, Ella Lola (1898), Crissie Sheridan (1897), and Princess Rajah Dance (1904). Many other Hollywood productions followed which further popularized bellydance, while at the same time reinforcing either false or negative stereotypes about it. There were only three roles for a bellydancer: a slave to be saved, a background dancer while the main characters talk, or a deceitful woman who uses her charms to trick the main character.

However, Hollywood did make a significant contribution to the bellydance costume. Inspired by the European vaudeville and burlesque outfits, Hollywood designers created a fringed, beaded, sparkling bra and belt set, which was adopted first by the Egyptian dancers in 1930s, and later by the rest of the Middle Eastern dance community. Traditionally there was no special bellydance costume. In fact, native garb covered and concealed the contours of the body, with only a scarf or belt tied around the hips to highlight the movements.

A Lebanese singer, dancer, and actress, Badia Masanbi, is credited with the adoption of a new costume, which in Arabic is called bedlah (meaning "uniform"). In 1930s Badia opened a night club in Cairo, Egypt called Casino Opera. In collaboration with several western choreographers and a group of dancers, Badia began to transform a Middle Eastern folk dance, Raks Baladi, into a performance art. The new, more theatrical version of Middle Eastern dance came to be called Raks Sharki (dance of the East). It is an Arabic name for the modern Middle Eastern dance that the Westerners refer to as bellydance.

The folk dance was usually done in small spaces, and mostly involved stationary, earthy moves focused around the hips. Badia and her company expanded the traditional dance vocabulary. Raks Sharki utilized more area filling the stage space. More travel steps, as well as arm and chest movements were introduced, which made the dance more expressive and engaging for the audience.

In the 1930s and 1940s the booming Egyptian film industry produced many musicals that featured bellydance artists. During that time such legendary dancers as Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka, and Naima Akef, who started their carriers at the Casino Opera club, rose to fame and eventually gained international recognition.

There were some public and religious figures in Egypt and in other North African and Middle Eastern countries who considered Raks Sharki indecent and morally objectionable. After the last Ottoman ruler of Egypt, King Farouk, was overthrown in 1952, the new government representative Dr. Rageb banned Raks Sharki on religious grounds. It soon became clear that bellydance was one of the biggest forces attracting international tourism to Egypt. More importantly, bellydance was an integral part of Egyptian culture. Due to economic and social pressure the ban was lifted in 1954 but there were several restrictions which are still in effect: the stomach has to be covered; floor work is prohibited; a specific “quivering” shimmy is banned.

Raks Sharki was quickly adopted by many Middle and Near Eastern countries and developed into several distinct styles. When immigrants from Turkey, Iran, and the Arab states began to immigrate to New York in the 1930s and 1940s, dancers started to perform a mixture of these styles in the nightclubs and restaurants. This fusion came to be identified as Classic Cabaret or American Cabaret bellydance. Bellydance continues to evolve and offers an inspiring variety of dance styles which often incorporate elements of ballet, modern, jazz, Latin, Flamenco, and Indian dance. Some of the other most prominent bellydance styles include Egyptian, Turkish, Lebanese, Gypsy, and American Tribal.

Bellydance has now become a part of international pop culture. Its rich and controversial history contributes to its allure. Today bellydance is as multi-faceted as the world community that helped shape it. It can provide a way to express oneself, serve as a workout regimen, be a part of spiritual or meditative practice, offer opportunities to make friends and connect with others, and of course, bring great joy. It is truly a dance for every woman.