Photo by Greg Raymond

What is bellydance?

By professional bellydancer and instructor, Haifa

I’ve been studying Middle Eastern Dance, or what is commonly known as Bellydance, since 2001, and teaching it since 2004. Recently it hascome to light that not many people actually understand Bellydance. This article will attempt to explain what BellydanceIS and what it IS NOT. Here are some commonly asked questions about bellydancing and truthful answers to put to rest some common myths and misconceptions about this ancient dance form.

"Where does bellydancing come from?"

It comes from many placesincluding Lebanon, Persia, Turkey, India, Egypt, and Morocco. Bellydanceeven some influences from Spain, Greece and Central Asia. Influenced by these, American Bellydancers have developed their ownversion of this ancient dance in American Restaurant Cabaret, American Nightclub Cabaret and American Tribal Style (ATS).

Bellydance made its debut on American soil in the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair. In order to get more people to attend the Streets Of Cairo Exhibit, World Fair promoter, Sol Bloom, stirred up some controversy by coining the term ‘belly-dancer’ to describe ethnic dancer Little Egypt. In a time when women were synched up tightly in their corsets, this caused quite a stir. In that same time period, French colonialists coined the name Le Danse du Ventre (which means, the dance of the stomach) for the muscularly controlled abdominal dance, Ouled Nail. There is even a myth that people mistakenly took the Egyptian word, ‘Baladi’ (which means, dance of the people) and misinterpreted it to mean ‘belly’. Thus ‘belly-dance’.

"What styles of bellydance are there?"

There are so many different styles of this dance that I'm not quite sure that I can name them all. To name a few, there are: Egyptian, Lebanese and Turkish Cabaret; American Restaurant and American Nightclub Cabaret. Within those,there areEgyptian Oriental, Raqs Sharqi, Baladi, Saaidi.

Then there is ATS (American Tribal Style), Tribal Fusion, andWorld Fusion Dancestyles. These styles use a modified version of the classical Arabic 'bellydance' movements and traditional ethnic or folkloric moves and dances of other cultures around the world.

There are also the traditional Folkloric and ethnic dances of different countries that try to stay as pure as possible.

Finally, there are Goth/Fantasy/experimental bellydancestyles. This is a totally Westernized idea. Taking Arabic movements and changing them or putting them to modern non-Middle Eastern music.

"Do you do the dance of the seven veils"?

No. There is no thing as the dance of the seven veils except in Oscar Wilde’s play, Richard Strauss’ opera and several Hollywood movies. In the Bible it says that Salome danced for her father Herod and that the dancing pleased him, though it did not say what kind of dancing it was nor does it mention the removal of any kind of clothing. (see reference: Matthew 14: 6-11 and Mark 6: 21-28)

In many Middle Eastern and Asian cultures, the veil is used as a modesty garment that shields respectable women from the prying eyes of strangers. Many bellydancers use a veil as a ‘cover-up’ to hide their costume until they are ready to perform. Dancers also do this out of respect for other dancers who might be performing. This keeps the audience’s attention turned to the one dancing and not checking out a near-by dancers costume. Today, the veil is also used as a dance prop, spinning it and tossing it lightly into the air.

"Are you an exotic dancer?"

Bellydancing is only exotic in the way that people find foreign things exotic, from the beautiful costumes and jewelry, to the hypnotic movements. However, if you mean, do we take off our clothes? Absolutely NOT!

Bellydancing is not meant to be a dance of enticement. It takes many years of classes and training to become a professional bellydancer. It is an ancient dance that has several beginnings. One, is that it was used to strengthen and prepare a woman for child birth. Another is that in a Muslim household the women are separated from the men, this includes celebrations. So, the women would dance and sing.... For other women... In celebration of birth, marriage or any number of religious holidays. It was never intended to be used for male seduction.

"I thought bellydance was how a harem girl enticed the sultan or king?"

As stated above, the origins of this dance werenot meant to be used for enticement or seduction of men. Scholars believe that there was dancing being performed in harems but that it was performed and watched by women in order to take up time in their otherwise dull days. The sultan would rarely see the harem. Either the sultans mother or first wife would make decisions concerning the other women of the harem and who would be introduced to the sultan. The rest is merely a fairy tale.

"You don’t wear very much clothing. How can you feel comfortable dancing in that?"

On the contrary. Being a Tribal Bellydancer, we wear a surprising number of layers. Lets start at the feet. Depending on where we are performing, we might go bare foot or wear ballet slippers, Mary Jane’s or even sandals to cover and protect our feet. Now on to our legs. Usually Tribal dancers wear full harem pants or a kind of flare pants. Over the pants we may wear a number of things including full spinning skirts, panel/temple skirts, numerous hip scarves and belts. Most Tribal dancers go bare bellied but there are a few who like to wear sheer body stockings over the tummy. On the upper half we also have many options. We can wear a beaded or coin covered dance halteror a short top called a Choli. There are also many, vests, shrugs, gloves and arm warmers that tribal dancers wear on their bodies and arms. Not to mention pounds and pounds of ethnic jewelry.

I also do some Egyptian Cabaret dancing and I can assure you that we are wearing more than you think. Beaded and sequined halter and belts, called Bedlah’s, are quite heavy and well put together. They are made to last and accentuate the dancers movements but do it without reveling an indecent amount of flesh. Along with the halter and belt, some dancers (especially Egyptian style) like to wear a body stocking over their tummies. Most dancers will wear either light harem pants or skirts. Some Cabaret dancers even like to wear a full Cabaret dress called a Galabeya. Although this may expose a bare leg, it is very tasteful and does not reveal anything indecent.

It takes a bellydancer on average of one hour to get ready for a performance. I know from experience as a Tribal Bellydancer, it can take upwards of two hours to get ready, from the hair and makeup to literally layers of clothing.

"I thought that all bellydance costumes were beaded and sequined like in the movies?"

And that's where the idea for the beaded and sequined Bedlah came from.... Hollywood films. Less than a hundred years ago, dancers would wear their traditional dress to dance in as, for the most part, the dances were performed in the home and an extravagant costume was not needed.. It wasn't until Hollywood came out with movies of dancers in sparkly costumes that the trend started. Ironically today some of the top end Bedlah’s are hand made in Egypt.

However in India and parts of Pakistan, people do use mirrors as decoration on their choli’s (cropped shirts) and dresses. Perhaps these ornamentations were preludes to our modern sequins?

"Why do bellydancers have jewels in their bellybutton?"

This was done in the 1950's and 1960's when it was a no-no to show a naval on TV and movies. So in shows like I Dream Of Jeanie they would either make the waist of Barbara Eden’s harem pants higher or paste a gem in her naval. It was merely a way to get around the censors.

Today, body piercing is popular and many bellydancers have their bellybuttons pierced and thus wear gems in them.

"I thought you had to be (enter age, size, weight here) to be a bellydancer?"

I have heard this question so many times that I have lost count, but in trying to put it in perspective, let me ask the reader some questions. How many size 2 women do you personally know? How many size 2 women do you know under age 25? How about a size 2 women OVER the age of 25? 30? This is a horrible myth that surrounds bellydancing and bellydancers in the U.S.

Bellydance is a dance form that uses muscle isolations in order to execute the movements. It will tone and tighten the body but it does not make a person an instant size 2. Women have curves. We are supposed to have curves and just like any other human being, the body changes with issues like age, pregnancy, medical conditions, etc. We can be healthy and dance at the same time or even dance to be healthy.

Some of the best dancers out there today are over 30 years old. Some of the pioneers of bellydance are even over 60 and still dancing. Just in Tunkhannock alone, I’ve had women-in-training as young as 7 and mature women of 60+.

There is no ‘right’ size to be a bellydancer. Dancers come in all shapes and sizes. What makes them beautiful is their willingness to try this dance and their love of the art.

"Can only women Bellydance?"

Although it originally started out as a dance performed by women in front of women, that is no longer the case. Men have started learning this dance, performing and teaching it. Granted, men's bodies are not put together the same as women’s are and therefore, the moves do look different. But that's not to say that just because a man is performing it, that it isn't bellydance. It is. Men inherently put their own masculine touches to this otherwise feminine dance.

References for this article (besides personal education and training):

Professional Bellydancer and Instructor, Helena: http://www.egyptiantwist.com/

The Bible: Matthew 14: 6-11 and Mark 6: 21-28

Professional Bellydancer, Shira: Http://www.shira.net/

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  Why I do what I do

Bellydance is so many things to me and through out my years of instructing, I’ve been asked about how I view this art form. I’ve tried to fit my feelings into a few small paragraphs.

Bellydance is my passion and my life. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I do not think about belly dance in some way, shape or form. As an instructor and director I work very hard to teach my students mechanics and to make choreographies that yes, make them whine, but also make them evolve as dancers. I also work hard getting venues for my students to showcase what they’ve learned.

Belly dance is also my job and I love it. It has been my job ever since I started teaching. I have three jobs within that title; instructor, director and performer. I grew up in a classical dance studio setting and that is how I try to run my classes. Class is structured and it is to learn the mechanics of the dance. Teach, correct, evolve…. Students come and students go but the dance remains. Not every student is meant to become a performer or an instructor and that’s fine because each person wants something different out of the classes. I have found this all to be with belly dance just like with other styles of dance. For the most part, I do not teach children (for reasons that the local public does not understand belly dance and I do not want even more drama where that is concerned) but I have had the opportunity to watch those adults who continue to strive in this dance, grow and blossom.

For me, dance is still very personal, and at times, lifts me up to a spiritual level… but not in class. Class is way too mental for my subconscious to rise up to another level. I must concentrate on my students movements to make them the best dancers they can be. Spirituality is left to mostly solo dances and on those rare situations when I connect with another dancer. Spirituality in general has always been extremely private to me. I guard it quite carefully and I’ve only shared it with a select few… dancing on a spiritual level included.

I do not, and will not, compete with my fellow dancers on any level. A person’s dancing ability will speak for itself. My classical dance teachers did not compete and my Tribal thought process comes through with the dislike of competitions as well. I’m not ‘New Age’ in my thought process about this, I just do not like, and refuse to subject myself to the stress and cattiness of competitions. That’s also why I do not push people into performing or doing solos. All that will come in time… or not. Depends on the person.

Dance in general is good for everyone both physically, mentally and emotionally…. belly dance included. I’m proud to have helped many women learn self confidence and positive body image. The transformations I’ve seen over the years, and continually to see on a weekly basis, never cease to amaze me.



Benefits of Bellydance:

• Improved posture, poise and grace

• muscle toning

• Burns calories & weight control

• Stress reduction

• Low impact workout

• Builds the back muscles evenly

• Exercises the arms

• Aids digestion

• Boosts self-esteem

• Improves balance

• increases coordination

• increases flexibility

• Builds endurance, stamina & energy



Articles written by Haifa

What makes a good Bellydance instructor?

This question was asked many months ago and since then I’ve been thinking, and thinking, and researching and asking other instructors. Hopefully I can put all I found, down into words.

* A belly dance instructor must be able to dance well, know the movements and execute them correctly as to their style:

Doing movements correctly as well as knowing their name, is a must as an instructor. If the instructor as continued to further their education, they will probably show the same movements done in a different technique for a different style of dance. If a dancer does not know a move or cannot execute a move properly, then that instructor should not be teaching it.

* An instructor should have a good self image and body awareness

A positive self image is a must for an instructor if they are to teach such things to others. Lets face it, most people have area’s of themselves that they are not happy with or wish to improve. Its human nature. However this should be minimal and the self should be likeable. This will show up in how an instructor presents themselves not only during performances, but at class as well.

* Good body mechanics:

An instructor should know how to move. No one wants a sloppy or clumsy dancer. Just look at something simple like posture. Good posture, while dancing, is necessary. An instructor should know how to move their own body in order to show their students the correct way to move and also be able to break the movement down into small simple steps, explain what the body is doing and how.

* Training:

This is a must for any instructor. Research your instructor before shelling out money for class! There are usually a few classes in any one given area. Check their website or contact them directly. Ask about their dance background and even ask to sit in an watch a class. Unfortunately, there is a phenomenon called an ‘8 week wonder’ where a student will take classes for a few weeks or maybe only a year or two, then proclaim themselves as a professional and start teaching even without their instructors knowledge or support. Worse than that are those who only watch instructional DVD’s and/or tapes and then think themselves qualified to teach. This is DANGEROUS!!! If someone has had little or no personal interaction with a teacher, they are more than likely doing movements wrong which could potentially cause injury to themselves and other students. A classically trained background in such things as Ballet, Tap and Jazz dance is greatly preferred when searching for a qualified instructor. Proper technique is important and carries through many styles of dance. See where an instructor has studied and whom have they trained with. Is there such thing as natural talent? Just like any other style of art, yes, natural talent does exist. This makes the dance easier for one to learn. Is it necessary to have for one to learn how to belly dance? No. Most people can learn how to dance quite well

* Continuing education:

No one dancers knows everything!!!! If you hear that, walk away. When it comes to bellydance, there are so many different styles that it would be impossible for one person to know it all. Even in one set style, it would be difficult for one dancer to know everything. That being said, each dancer out there should try to better themselves by continuing their education by taking classes from different instructors (only after the first 3-5 years. In that length of time, it is beneficial for students to stick with one style/instructor until the basic movements and muscle memory are learned.) or attending workshops. Instructional DVD’s are both a blessing and a curse. They are entertaining to watch and can give some good idea’s. However DVD’s should NEVER take the place of a live instructor!!!!

* Education and History of dance:

Knowing where a dance came from… where the people came from… the culture of the people, etc. is the cream on top of everything else. It adds flavor to the dance.

*** It is this instructors belief that some more modern moves are more gymnastic in nature and can cause serious injury to students and thus does not teach them in class***

Tribal Fusion Isolations & Serpentine review

A few months ago I wrote an article Perfect Practice makes Perfect. It was about how, when practicing your dance, the movements should be done correctly if the dancer is to improve their dance. Today, I’ve been watching Rachel Brice’s newest instructional DVD entitled, Serpentine, and it only lends to secure my belief in practicing correctly. I’m not trying to preach, instead I’m speaking from my own personal experience.

It seems like the world today is all about instant gratification. Few understand the years of work and dedication that goes into learning a dance form. Whether for the recreational dancer who just wants to have fun & get some exercise, or for the dancer who wants to become a professional, practicing correctly is the key. After seven years of instructing basic beginner classes over and over again, I know my dancing has improved just from drilling the very basic of movements.

Tribal girls will know how very meticulous tribal movements are. No swaying, feet flat, knees bent (probably deeper than any other style of belly dance), movements exaggerated, arms strong yet graceful, etc., etc. But because the movements ARE so precise, that’s where we also run into the opportunity for sloppiness.

Mirrors are important to practice. Look at your body, watch it. How is your posture? Are your feet flat? Hips tucked? Are your arms sagging or limp? How is your body moving? Is it correct? Start out SLOW & PRECISE, then speed up. Add arms. Add walking. Change to a different isolation. Have someone take photos or film yourself dancing and from different angles. The camera never lies.

There are two truths out there; no dancer knows everything, and no one is perfect! That being said, there is always room for improvement. I am not saying that a DVD should replace a live instructor who can offer criticism and correction, but the drill and yoga portion of Serpentine is good to help with practicing at home.

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 Why do Tribal bellydancers wear so many bracelets?

As we know, Tribal Bellydancers try to follow some of the ethnic customs of native people’s through out the world. One of these is the armfuls of heavy silver, bone and mixed metal bracelets of India.

The earliest record of this traditional adornment is from 2000 B.C. with Hindu’s, however even Muslims and Christians wear bangles and bracelets. This tradition seems to originate on a brides wedding day. She adorns herself with all her jewelry usually either silver or gold and decorated with precious and semi-precious stones. Depending on the religious background, such ornaments can be seen as either a woman’s dowry, which is closely inspected by her female in-laws after the wedding ceremony, or they are seen as a sort of financial freedom apart from her husband.

1. But, the arrival of precious gold and silver added another significant dimension to a woman’s life, turning her jewellery into a valuable asset for trying times. In the patriarchal society women had nearly no right on the immovable property. Thus, jewellery acquired a special place in a woman’s trousseau as ‘stridhan’ (wealth of a woman). Sporting the jewellery gave her at long last, a sense of possession.

When natural disasters hit like a flood or drout or some other kind of hardship hit the family, a woman was able to cash in her jewelry for food, medical care or anything else the family needed. Although after constantly wearing her jewelry 24/7 for years and years, it makes it nearly impossible for the poorest of the poor to part with any piece.

Brides usually wear all of their ornamentation (including pounds of bracelets) for the first year of marriage. Young girls before marriage, usually are still adorned with jewelry, but not as highly.

The amount and content (either silver or gold) will usually also show a person’s caste in society.

Here in the United States, we don’t necessarily follow such traditions unless a family background lies within the Indian culture. However as Tribal dancers, the love of wearing many bracelets up and down the arm holds true. Many of the bracelets we wear come from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Other countries that Tribal dancers often wear bracelets from are China, Tibet, Yemen, and Turkmenistan. Though dancers in the US often wear a mish-mash of jewelry from different countries, the tradition of filling the arms up with such beautiful items started in ancient India.

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Real Ethnographic jewelry or fake

Tis the season when everyone is shopping for their favorite bellydancers while looking for the best bargain they can find. One of my favorite haunts is, of course, Ebay. Don’t get me wrong, I have found MANY good deals on Ebay, usually when people don’t know what they are selling. However, there are many over priced pieces of junk out there as well as modern ‘re-castings’ of older ethnic pieces. This article is to help you not get suckered into paying an arm and a leg for something that’s not worth it.

One of the usual problems that I’ve run across, are pieces of jewelry that are tagged as silver but really aren’t. Here are a few hints because most old tribal and ethnic silver will not have a silver stamp on it:

1. Sterling silver doesn’t tarnish because it is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper.

2: Silver will tarnish but doesn’t rust. Tarnish is oxidation of the silver metal. At first it will have yellow spots and take on a purple-black hue. This doesn’t mean to say that each ethnic piece of jewelry you find that is brassy in color, is actually tarnished silver. Likewise, some Tuareg jewelry is not silver but aluminum. Alumiinum does not rust either but corrodes or becomes less bright when it oxidizes.

3: Most low grade ethnic jewelry is made out of mixed metal and coin silver, called gillet. When worn while sweating, this mixed metal will turn your skin green. Another sign that it is not silver or sterling. Though I’m not saying this is bad. If you are buying a Kuchi necklace then you probably already know that you are getting mixed metal and it is a well priced alternative to real silver ethnic jewelry.

4: Look at the quality of the piece. Most real silver pieces, that are in good shape, will have amazing craftsmanship. Though, often genuine ethnic pieces will be in disrepair due to age and heavy wear. More often, especially in items from India, you’ll find old traditional pieces which are still in good shape, used with modern materials to made updates pieces of jewelry.

5: Just because a seller uses names like, Indian, Tibetan, Turkoman, Bedouin, etc. doesn’t mean that the item is actually an original antique from that area. Do some research into the jewelry styling’s of that region. You’ll find a lot of ‘Turkoman’ and ‘Uzbek’ jewelry that is being reproduced in Turkey. Not to say that it isn’t nice quality because it is. Genuine gemstones are used as well as glass and nice metal. But is it old or antique and from Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan? No. But it is a nice reproduction and much more obtainable than the genuine antiques.

6: Old silver usually meets most of these criteria's. A: There are no sharp edges. Most older pieces are worn smooth by years of wear. B: There are dents and dings, also known as character marks, C: Hammered or raised designs will be worn smooth. D: Designs are usually traditional, religious or styalized plants. E: Links and clasps show signs of wear, stress and thinning, F: Will be a purplish-black patina (remember that real patina can be cleaned off.)

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The Evil Eye

We humans are a superstitious lot and yes, this is something that has always been so. Belief in the Evil Eye dates back mostly to ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece and is also seen today in our modern society from our three major world religions.

Since the art of Bellydance comes from the area’s were this belief is the strongest, it only makes sense that symbols of protection from the Evil Eye is seen on the dancers.

Wikipedia explains the Evil Eye as:

“The evil eye is a look that is superstitiously believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. The term also refers to the power attributed to certain persons of inflicting injury or bad luck by such an envious or ill-wishing look. Symptoms may include diarrhea, constant crying, and, in some cases, even death. It usually affects infants and children, however, adult females can also be affected.”

That doesn’t sound like fun and so ancient peoples created symbols to help protect themselves and those they love from the effects of the Evil Eye. This tradition continues on today.

Probably the most common symbol to ward off any evil is a religious symbol or a scribed verse from a holy book which is carried with a person. Not many people thing of these things today as a protection amulet, instead they see it as a symbol of their faith.

Another very common symbol that is seen is in the shape of an eye. Whether its an Egyptian Eye of Horus or a wide staring eyeball made of hand-blown blue glass which is common in the Mediterranean countries. Even Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan have dotted glass beads which are one of their Evil Eye talismans.

Next would be the Hand of Fatima or a Hamsa/Khamsa (depending on which religion is being represented.) This symbol is usually a 5 fingered hand, sometimes with an eye in the palm. “5 fingers in your eye” is a mantra uttered to also help keep away undesirable looks.

Other Evil Eye amulets, or ways to ward off the eye, include: dots on foreheads, behind ears, on cheeks made by kohl or kumkum. Blue or green turquoise bead, pinching buttocks, spitting on the ground, making a holy symbol over the body, hanging up lemons or chili’s, burning incense, wearing a red ribbon, wearing a cornetti/horn or any animal bit such as an antler, tooth, tusk or bone.

So the next time you see a dancer or are getting ready for a performance, see what symbols other dancers are wearing and also what is in your own jewelry box. You might be surprised and well protected.

Fall Frolic, Milford Pa.  Photo by Koryn Hayes