Belly Dancing In the Western World
The Middle Eastern Dance That Has Won Over North American Women
Ever since Little Egypt performed on the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, North Americans have been enthralled with belly dancing.
Whether or not there was an actual dancer named Little Egypt, since the turn of the twentieth century variations of middle eastern dance have been performed in North America. Viewed by the conservative North American audiences as exotic and sensual, the performances of the danse du ventre or belly dance was part of every midway’s risqué side show entertainment. The puritanical views of the Victorian era saw the dancers’ graceful movements and undulating hip rolls as lascivious. The side-show concessionaires and vaudeville showmen were quick to realize what drew the largest and best paying crowds. Soon the midway belly dance devolved into the hoochie coochie.
American Modern Dance Movement
As a living art form belly dance also merged with other dance streams. In the early 1900s it became fashionable in dance circles to rebel against tradition, out of which the American modern dance movement evolved. Dancers such as classical ballerina Ruth St. Denis combined her interest in Eastern cultures with her love for dramatic stage and theatre performances. St. Denis successfully blended the freedom of eastern dance into her theatre performances and dance classes, raising the level of belly dancing’s respectability in America and the rest of the western world.
Belly Dance and Counter Culture
The fascination for counter culture that defined the 1960s was a boon for the art of belly dancing in North America and the rest of the western world. Not wanting cheap imitations or charlatans, the women of the western world asked professional Egyptian belly dance teachers to come to teach them. Many western women also went to Egypt and Turkey to study with authentic belly dancers. The Middle Eastern dance teachers shared with the west the styles and advancements of the art of their traditional dances in their purest form.
Belly Dance in the 21st Century
In the 21st century, belly dance has once again been rejuvenated. Western women view belly dancing as both a creative outlet and an excellent low-impact exercise. Thus, ironically, belly dancing seems to have come full-circle. Like the original belly dancers of ancient civilizations, women today participate in belly dance classes to improve their abdominal muscles and to have fun. Their audiences consist of other dancers and maybe a few family members. They may or may not perform privately for their partners. A few of the belly dance students will go on to perform and share the art form of belly dancing. What appeals the most to women today, is that belly dancing celebrates the female form, and women of every size and shape can participate. The rhythmic and flowing movements of belly dancing are natural and real for every woman’s body.
Resources:
- Carlton, Donna. Looking For Little Egypt. Bloomington, IN: IDD Books, 1995
- Cooper, Laura A. Belly Dancing Basics. NY: Sterling Publishing Co., 2004
