Hello everyone! Normally I like to discuss all things belly dance but today I'll give that a rest. I feel it is more important to say a big and sincere thank you to our military past and present, those living and living with God for their bravery and sacrifice in defending our country. Your example of courage is an inspiration to us all even though we may not say it everyday. It is because of your voluntary actions that there is no draft. You do what others can't or won't do. You do the job and even after you leave and are an ocean away from the conflict it still stays with you; you still feel the need to help your brother and sister in combat because you do not want them left behind.

Women (because its ALWAYS ladies first!) - I become speechless when I think of you and what you do for our country. You show the world and even us here women really can do anything! Real-life Annie Oakleys! You represent that warrior side of women most people don't think about and you embody it. Thank you so much for being role models to our young girls and showing them females can be strong. Men- thank you staying strong here and there and also being a role model to our young boys who really need to that example of a man who does right by his brothers and sisters. 

Happy Memorial Day and God bless you and your families! Happy shimmies US military!

Love always, 

Nahla

Happy Saturday Everyone! Finally we have some nice Spring weather, and the spring allergies that come along with it...oh well, its not so bad. Nothing I can't shimmy off my shoulders.

I hope the Spring is treating you well so far. As promised I have Part 2 of my History of Belly Dance Series so without further ado here we go:

The Devolution of Women's Dance

From the ancient world we shimmy on over to the Mediterranean; as ancient societies stared moving ahead, there was a shift in spiritual beliefs from matrileny to partrieny.  Goddess worship now became God worship with the spread of Christianity and Islam.  This monumental shift took more than a few centuries to take hold; women saw their place in society dwindling and restricted to very concrete roles.

First evidence of this shift was found in Crete.  The ruling class performed dances at official events that were more political. Acquistion of land meant acquisition of wealth; war was one way and marriage was on a smaller scale, another way.  These events were based on reason, and from this point came the separation and restriction of women's roles.

This development continued into ancient Greece where the focal shift became militaristic and in ancient Rome where public dance became a showcase of the dancer's speed and flexibility to show off a man's warrior-like abilities.

Public or ritualistic dance was no longer important in this society. Dancing was seen as purely entertainment and performed by foreign dancers from Spain and Syria. Later Roman women began to see an opportunity during the fall of the Roman Empire to gain some of their independence back by going into public life. One way was becoming a professional dancer and very often this included prostitution.

After the fall of the Roman Empire there was a clear understanding of women's roles in the Middle Ages.  At this point women, whether upper or lower class, were seen as property. Dancing was done by professionals and public forms of Goddess worship were (no pun intended) stomped out. Beginning from ancient Greece and well past this point in time professional dance was the ruling class's entertainment. Any ritualistic dance was done by the lower class and regarded as trivial.

Class separation played an integral role in dance during the Middle Ages.  In the time of knights, nobles, and chivalry, women were very much confined.  Public dance was done in a very couth and controlled manner by the upper class right down to the very clothing they wore.

The lower class had a little more freedom with one another and less formal in their behavior.  Their clothing allowed more movement for dancing (due to all the hard labor, loose clothing was very helpful).  Gypsies, who lived marginally, continued with their dancing traditions and acclimated to their surroundings, however they did not live by the rules and restrictions of the lands they settled in.

To summarize, the societal focus from Goddess to God worship was due to conquests, class separation and upsurge of male dominated religions of Christianity and Islam.  These religions altered the way people saw each other and defined roles and functions of the sexes. Even though roles were restricted, the desire to express oneself through dance could not be quelled. After a couple of centuries of regression eventually a period of women's progression was forthcoming.


Part 3 will come soon continuing from here and discussing more on the progression of women's dance. Hope you enjoyed and happy shimmies!

~Nahla <3

Hello everyone!

I hope this week has started out good for you. Mine started with an audition and Iron Man 3. Both were pretty good! :)

This week I thought it'd be a good idea to share the history of Belly Dance with you. Belly Dance has a  long and varied history as much as it's fascinating. Here I will include the first part of my History of Belly Dance series. Comment as you wish! Always good to get feedback. :)

Belly Dance as it's known by most here in the states is exotic and different. Back in their respective native countries Belly Dance (or more accurately Oriental Dance) is a part of the Middle Eastern and Arabic culture.  Whether here or there Belly Dance is a beautiful art form that celebrated happiness and joy of living.  It is a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by all ages for all occasions.

Middle Eastern Dance and Oriental Dance are some of the most common names practitioners of the dance form will use.  It is danced throughout Northern Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.  The history of Belly Dance is long and widespread and cannot be traced back to one absolute origin.  From what is known, the roots of the dance can be traced to the ancient Indian gypsy tribes that traveled west towards the present-day Middle East.  You can still note similarities in the dancer's head slides and arm poses.  It must be observed however that the dance form is not Indian as many assume.

Matriarchal societies ruled the ancient world; women were the leaders, holding positions of power in the temples and as tribal leaders.  There was an understanding that women had an intuitive connection to the earth due to their life-giving ability and the correlation between a female's menstrual cycle and the lunar cycle.  To celebrate this incredible ability, priestesses would gather on full moon nights and conduct fertility rituals.

Many of the dance moves we are familiar with today such as chest circles, undulations, figure 8 hips (also known as infinity hips) and shimmies come from these ritual dances.  The dance emphasized and celebrated the female body's ability to give and nourish life.  Birthing was a vital matter as the mortality rate for both mother and child were high.  This dance was a celebration of life.

The dance moves also accentuated sexual energy necessary to create life. Keep in mind this was during a time where the correlation between sexuality, fertility and menstruation was an everyday part of life and not shameful or shocking.  It was a spiritual dance that gave thanks and praise to the Goddess for the ability to give birth and nurture life.

Next week I will present Part 2, see you then and happy shimmies!