History of the belly dance: is it to entice men or a female’s rite of passage?

Abstract

One of the most beautiful-classical forms of dance which has persisted since 220 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) came from the Egyptian culture with its traditional ‘bedlah’ (suit‎) or suit. But it grew from the off-spring of the Arab Empire (Islamic expansions, 632-1492) and then spread towards India.1 It has been said or noted that from this dance style evolved the traditional patterns used by the Indian women with their saris, to the Romani (Gypsy) women while dancing flamenco in the medieval period, and the later burlesque techniques which flourished in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Belly dance didn’t only influence these latter cultures, but it further influenced in the ways of dress and fashion for females. A dance taken from humble origins and converted into something for the international spectrum to glorify the body of women who wished to be in contact with Mother Earth/Nature. This dance wasn’t only for a female’s rite of passage. It was modified through different times in history to be danced in the courts of the Imperial Palaces across the Middle East. Through time, even used by the infamous Mata Hari to spy on men and used to get information during World War I. Belly dance grew, and with time became part of the line-up of classical dances. Because it is one of the oldest and most enjoyed worldwide. With this paper, I intend to demonstrate that belly dancing isn’t only to entice. It is more than that, it can be adapted to a woman’s anatomy and give her way into womanhood.