Misconceptions of Belly Dance

The media influences our perception and understanding of everything we do. What do we all blame for our population’s huge body image problems? We blame the media with its size 0 super models and air brushed billboards. So, it makes sense, to me at least, that this article, “Body, Image, Identity: American Tribal Belly Dance,” from Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, and Harem Fantasy claims the media was influential in the development of belly dance culture here in the United States. Of course reading this article made me think more about how belly dance is perceived in the U.S. So, here is my attempt to correct the most common view.

The article discusses the role the Hollywood image of the Middle East and the Belly Dancer in movies had in forming our opinion of the form as exotic and sensual. It certainly influenced the costuming here and in the Middle East. Nightclubs in both locations took up the famed glitzy cabaret costumes (which I do love.) Dancers internalized this sensual and exotic view of themselves further supporting the Hollywood view of the dance form. And women in the 1960s, experiencing the sexual revolution and re-discovering their bodies, latched on to learning a form of dance that so fully allowed them to express their sensuality.

If you have ever seen the film Salome, you probably know what I’m talking about. I’ve never seen the whole thing, I confess. But youtube is a wonderful invention and I just found a clip here. Rita Hayworth goes from a rather pretty costume full of color and actually relatively modest. She uses veil work extensively. But she slowly and seductively removes layer after layer until she’s only wearing a nude and somewhat see through dress. The King she is dancing for is practically slobbering. Now, belly dancing is not stripping. Many cabaret dancers will begin with a veil as a prop and then cast it aside. But they do not remove layers the way Rita does here.

So, let’s face it, belly dance is sensual. But women took hold of it because they wanted to express their natural sensuality without taking on the role of seductress (288). And because Hollywood depicted it as seductive and feminine originally, we have spent the rest of our time trying to show that it is not seductive. Instead of being an exotic dance/ burlesque dance, it is an ethnic and traditional dance. Belly dance originates from the Middle East where it was performed at weddings and parties for friends and family members. It was performed by both men and women. Belly dance also wasn't something that was formally taught until recently. Most learned it by watching others, the way we learn to speak or to dance ourselves. Maybe not how to do ballet, but when you go to celebrate a wedding and you dance how do you dance and where did you learn that?

One of the ways the Hollywood view was combated was through the development of American Tribal or ATS. This form of belly dance revolves around the idea of a group of women leading and following. The energy and focus of the dance is on the group and interplay within the group not on the interplay of dancer and audience. The idea of community is strong in this style of dance as well as the idea of self-ownership of one’s body. Now I think other styles of belly dance have also moved from the Hollywood depiction or never really were the way Hollywood depicted them.

I personally have found that belly dance builds a supportive community of women. It has also raised my self-esteem through the mastering of difficult moves and my ability to teach. When I perform, I do so because I love to dance. Here’s a clip of my college troupe’s performance in the spring of 2007. I’m sure you can see the difference from the Salome clip.

Social and Community Interaction's Role in Our Happiness

A few of my belly dance friends and I started our very own belly dance book club. We may be a bit nerdy. Anyway, the idea is to read an article/chapter from a book that covers a belly dance related topic and then meet and discuss it. We had our first discussion this afternoon. We met for lunch at More Than Coffee, a delicious Lebanese restaurant. We all sat down in a booth and dutifully pulled out our books. There was only one of us who had participated in book clubs before, so the start was a little hesitant. But the conversation flowed easily after that working from the chapter, “Belly Dance: An Urban Fold Genre” from Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, and Harem Fantasy and then out into the wide world.

The conversation ended up focusing on the sense and idea of community. At least it hovered there, moved away, and returned. Belly dance began as a form of playful self-expression that women used in the private realm. This does not mean the Western view of the harem. Rather the private realm is the home realm and is defined differently by different families. It may be just the family women. It may be family women and men. It may also be close friends or neighbors from the community. But the essential idea is to gather and express and enjoy the company of others.

In America dance is much less about a sense of community and more about either mating (there is an awful lot of dances that are meant for men and women to do as pairs) or performance art. So, for Americans perhaps it is strange to see women dancing alone without either of those intents and just dancing for the pure enjoyment of it and the sense of group it encourages.

In fact, one of the ladies, who practices physical therapy and studies anatomy and neurotransmitters (and other such items), mentioned something very interesting she learned about women’s brains. She said that studies have shown that social interaction for women actually causes the neurotransmitters in the brain to react and can actually produce a high. It makes us happy to interact with each other, scientifically. When I say that dance makes my week and I look forward to it, scientifically it actually does have an impact on my mood and wellbeing.

There, it’s scientifically proven that we need relationships!

So, I say get out there ladies and interact! Have a social gathering start attending a yoga or dance class. Don’t just go to the gym; find a way to make your work out interactive with other people. Go to breakfast with great friends every couple of weeks. Whatever it is you enjoy, find a way to make that a community focused event; therefore, improving your mood, other’s moods, and the collective health of your community (however you decide to define that word).

A Little About This Section

I've written quite a few articles on Belly Dance and it's effect on my life. So, I figured I'd better go ahead and just give it a section. Here you will find articles about how Belly Dance has changed my life in my physical and mental health. It has affected my relationship to myself and to other people in an endlessly positive way. And I just wanted to share my experiences with you and hope that you can glean some kind of benefit from learning how I have become a stronger and healthier person through Belly Dance.