“Belly dance” is an umbrella term referring to a family of dances originating from the MENAHT region (Middle East, North Africa, Greece/Hellenic, Turkey). These dances are typically characterised by intricate hip and torso articulation.
The dance you see today, while rooted in traditional dances of the MENAHT region, has been hybridised due to various social, political, regional and economic factors (Which is a subject of many academic papers!). The development of the dance that has captured the world's imagination owes its legacy to indigenous dances of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and even to the Romani sub-groups that have settled in various regions of the Middle East, namely Egypt and Turkey.
What is Taught Under Belly Dance?
In Nrityakosh (and most belly dance schools), you learn the fundamental movements, techniques and postures that would be used across all styles of belly dances in your Beginner modules. Once you build the basic foundations, you start deep diving into subjects as part Intermediate and Advance course work. Here is what is commonly offered as subjects of study:
Raqs Sharqi
Raqs Sharqi is a dance style that developed in cafes and casinos in the early 20th century. The dance form is a hybrid of Egypt’s traditional and folk dances infused with stage aesthetics of Western dance and music. For the longest time, casino owner and dancer Badia Masabni was credited with this transformation - she was touted as the mother of modern belly dancing. However, it would be more accurate to say that her casino was among the most famous places where this transformation - which was happening along all establishments in Cairo - was recorded as happening.
That said, her place in belly dance history is indisputable. Her dancers danced to live orchestra, giving rise to complex choreographies that made a largely improvised social dance form into a stage art.
Golden Era
Golden Era refers to a period of Egyptian cinema from the 1930s to the 1960s. This period saw the rise of legendary dancers - Samia Gamal and Taheyya Karioka - from the casinos of Badia Masabni to the TV screen. The dance was performed for the camera - and had some stylistic nuances that were designed to be for the screen. The dancers of Golden Era are often favourite topics of study for belly dancers of today as they were an intrinsic part of Egypt’s soft power.
Raqs Baladi
“Baladi” simply means “of the country.” In Egypt, the word can also refer to anything native or homegrown (such as “Baladi bread” or clothing - “lebs baladi”). The word also carries class connotations - often used to imply “rural” or “lower class”.
In dance context, Raqs Baladi refers to the style of belly dance which is danced socially. The dance is characterised by heavy, grounded feeling, with emphasis on hipwork. Performers often wear a galebiya when dancing this style.
Theatrical Saiidi
Theatrical Saiidi or Raqs Assaya is an Egyptian folk dance style which originates from Upper Egypt (‘Said’). The dance draws from the traditional martial art Tahtib where men use a cane or a stick to showcase their skill. Theatrical Saiidi is often danced with a stick (assaya) and has largely two stylistic interpretations - the feminine style is more playful and flirtatious. The masculine style focuses more on strength and athletic feats.
*we recognise ascribing certain qualities to the word “feminine” and “masculine” can be essentialist, but at the moment, this is the common terminology used.
Modern Oriental
Modern Oriental is the dance of the now. While the foundation of the dance is still traditional Egyptian dance, Modern also draws from the spinal nuances of contemporary dance. It is also danced to modern music —renditions of old classics with modern instruments are often the staple.
Muwashahat
“Muwashshah” is a genre of classical Arabic poetry and music from the 9th or 10th century Al-Andalus (what is now Spain). This poem usually features complex rhyme schemes, themes of love and yearning. The dance to this music is called a Muwashaht. This style is attributed as a creation of choreographer and dancer Mahmoud Reda and his troupe - The Reda Troupe.
Drum Solo
The drum solo style of belly dance came about in the mid-20th century, when dancers began moving out of Egypt to perform in Middle Eastern themed night clubs in the West. These night clubs often ran on the patronage of wealthy Arabs. To cater to a more universal crowd, the dancers started moving to more percussive, rhythmic pieces - often collaborating with drummers themselves. It’s a style that is considered a showcase of dancers’ technical skill.
American Cabaret
The American Cabaret belly dance refers to a style born in the Middle Eastern themed night clubs and restaurants in the US. In the 1960s, as immigrants from the Middle East made America their home, these restaurants hosted musicians and dancers from various parts of the Middle East: Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Syria, Lebanon. This meeting of cultures created dance and music sets that had sound, movements, nuances from every one of these regions. This dance is noted for its flamboyance and theatricality that is suited for American sensibilities.
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance/Fusion Belly Dance
“Tribal Fusion” is the lineage of ever-evolving dance birthed in the 70s America: the time of second-wave feminism. The root of this dance emerged from the work of Jamila Salimpour and Carolina Nericcio in the San Francisco Bay Area.
At this time, belly dance started to be reinterpreted through the lens of female power and sisterhood, turning away from the suggestiveness of American Cabaret. Jamila Salimpour, with her reinterpretation of Middle Eastern folkloric dances, created the Bal Anat troupe. Carolina Nericcio consolidated those dances that were being performed into a form called American Tribal Style belly dance (now called Fat Chance Belly Dance. ) The emphasis of these dances was on the sisterhood of dancers who worked together improvisationally. Their costumes also reinforced this feeling of community by creating a singular look of a “tribe.”
Dancers, who wanted to experiment more, branched out as soloists, using these movements on music prevalent at the time - hip hop and electronic music. With this, they created a style that is completely alienated from Middle Eastern belly dance. This genre was more muscular, athletic with defined serpentine physicality. This was known as Tribal Fusion belly dance which became immensely popular in the 2000’s.
The word “tribal” has been dropped from the official names due to suggestions of cultural appropriation. Most of the world now refers to this as “Fusion belly dance” and these dances are evolving as we speak.
Nrityakosh’s format of Fusion is offered as an advance module. Our format builds on the foundation of Oriental dances with nuances and aesthetics from Kathak and contemporary dance.
‘Belly Dance’: A Colonial Misnomer
The term “belly dance” is the transliteration of the French word “dans du ventre” (‘dance of the stomach). The word was bandied about by French colonial writers, painters, and artists when describing the dancing girls they encountered while travelling in the Middle East and North Africa, specifically the countries of Egypt, Algeria and Turkey.
The earliest known usage of the term was in a review of the Orientalist painting “Dance of the Almeh” by Jean-Leon Gerome. “Dansu du ventre” also became an alternate way to refer to the painting (derogatorily) in the French press.
One of the most popular usages of the term—which caught the Western imagination—was by American entrepreneur Sol Bloom. Sol Bloom brought native dancers from the Middle East to the Chicago World Fair of 1893 as part of the Midway Plaisance exhibit, “Cairo Street.” The exhibit, as they say today, went “viral,” and the term belly dance stuck.
Great read! Thanks for sharing