About belly dance
Why is it that Western stereotypes about belly dance linger on when similar styles such as flamenco, samba and various forms of Indian dance have become globally recognised and respected?
This has much to do with the popularity of the harem girl myth – to both men and women – in the West, but also has to do with how dance and music are seen in the Middle East.
Attitudes to dancers in the Middle East
Traditionally in Egypt, women’s place was seen as in the home, and men went to work to support the family. Only in poorer families did the women need to work in order to help support the family, and so working women were generally low class. Professional entertainers such as musicians, singers and dancers were already regarded as low class professions, and female entertainers in particular were considered disreputable as they were seen as breaking social taboos for women's behaviour.
Dancers like Mahmoud Reda have worked hard to make dance more reputable, developing and promoting folkloric dance, where troupes of ballet trained dancers - both male and female - present theatricalised versions of Egyptian folk dance.
However Oriental dance has traditionally been performed solo and primarily by women, and was most popular during the colonial period of the Egyptian monarchy. As such it has struggled to find the same level of social - or political - acceptance. The Egyptian government does not support Oriental dance or provide any official platform for this artform, as it does for folkloric dance.
As Egypt becomes more religiously conservative, the midriff-revealing, Hollywood-inspired costumes that became associated with Oriental dance during the colonial period have sadly only helped to bring the dance further into conflict with prevailing social mores, as according to Muslim tradition both men and women are supposed to dress conservatively and modestly.
To add to this, many travel companies in Egypt, Turkey and even in places like Morocco and Tunisia where Oriental dance is not particularly traditional, put on dreadful low quality “belly dance” tourist shows, generally leaving holiday makers to go away with all their worst suspicions of the dance confirmed!
In many ways this is a vicious circle. The lack of respect and support for the dance in its homeland makes it hard for high quality dance performance to flourish, which in turn simply serves to compound Western assumptions and misconceptions. And the sexualised way in which the dance is portrayed abroad only further damages its reputation in its homeland.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Despite all these obstacles, Oriental dance has nevertheless captured hearts and minds the world over. Here in the West we have begun to understand that the low respect accorded to dance and dancing in Egypt is not a commentary on the worth or value of Oriental dance as an art or as a cultural expression, and slowly but surely Oriental dance is gaining recognition on the global stage.
Under the American nickname of "belly dance", Oriental dance has in fact become hugely popular all over the world, both as a performance art and as a fun social dance style. It is also a great low impact exercise, with millions all over the world using it to keep fit while avoiding the gym.
Even men are getting in on the act. The basic steps of Oriental dance have always been danced socially by men as well as women - and now men are discarding the old gender stereotypes surrounding professional performance and getting up on stage too, bringing a masculine sensibility with them.
While the dance may still be struggling for respectability in its homeland, in the West the old stereotypes are falling away and slowly Oriental dance is being recognised as a rich and vibrant artform – a contemporary dance with ancient roots, powerful yet restrained, elegant yet earthy and utterly, utterly captivating.