Hi everyone! I hope the summer is treating you right so far. NYC summers are known for intense heat and mugginess, this summer is no exception. This heat doesn't compare to Iraq or Nigeria (so I hear) but that NYC humidity is what does it. Ugh...

This post is part 4, the last of my History of Belly Dance Series. There is so much information about Belly Dance history and let me tell you, condensing this was difficult! My concern was to include well-rounded information while pinpointing the main events and individuals that contributed to Belly Dance as we know it now (accuracy was pretty important too!). There are plenty more people and information about Middle Eastern dance and the different kinds of Belly Dance (what's the difference you ask? I keep telling ya! There's A LOT to this dance!) that will be covered in my next posts. I hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to leave comments!

Middle Eastern Dance from the 19th and early 20th century...

Finally from shimmying our way through the ancient world with a magic carpet ride to the 18th and early 19th century, we debkeh into the modern-day world of Belly Dance.

The early dancers of the Orient from Northern Africa and the Middle East were traditionally covered from head to toe and they wore many layers.  This means their mid-section was covered. So how did the two piece costume come into play? Simply put- supply and demand.  The Western world expected to see a certain kind of costume based on their perception, not the actual reality so Middle Eastern dancers adapted their costumes to a certain degree.  Arab modesty required the costumes cover the belly with either beading or sheer material.

For hundreds of years Cairo was the last stop on what was known as the Silk Road where many economic, cultural, and educational exchanges from other countries along the Silk Road took place.  This may attribute to how Cairo became the entertainment center of the Arab world where the majority of TV shows, movies, music and other forms of media come from; for this reason Egypt is also considered the center of Belly Dance even though other countries within the region each have their own style.

After the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 Belly Dance became the feature in Vaudeville shows as the Hoochie Koochie dance.  American interest was still heavily into the Orient with King Tut's exhibition and Oscar Wilde's play, Salome. Even Thomas Edison got into it when he filmed Dance of Fatima on 1897.

To the Present 

During the Roaring Twenties an actress/dancer named Ruth St. Denis became famous for her Egyptian-inspired shows. She herself was inspired by the spiritual aspects of the Oriental and Hindu dances she witnessed.  Her most famous work was Egypta in 1910. Other names associated with the Orient image was Little Egypt, Gertrude Hoffman and Mata Hari (who was not an authentic dancer, she was more of a performer who was known to rely on her charms; eventually her charm ran out and she was executed by the French government in World War 1 for espionage).

On both sides of the Atlantic Middle Eastern Dance was very popular.  Egypt's strategic location as center of the Arab world made it easy for Belly Dance to spread throughout and for other Arabs to add to the dance.  Once such innovator was Badia Masabni of Syrian descent who herself was a famous entertainer and shrewd business woman.  She opened up a cabaret called the Casino Opera and trained dancers for her popular and elaborate shows. The most notable dancers from the Casino Opera were Samia Gamal and Tahia Carioca who are some of the most famous belly dancers of all time.  They, long with many other Egyptian dancers, reached great fame during the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema.

During this monumental time in Belly Dance history many movies from Cairo featured Belly Dance performances.  It was here in these movies that the Western modernization of the two-piece costume was used (with modifications according to Arab customs). The DVD, The Legends of Belly Dance, is highly recommended to witness the beautiful artistry of the Golden Age of Cinema.  Also a part of Belly Dance history is the famous composer Farid Al-Atrache, from Lebanon, who was not only linked to Samia Gamal through performances, but romantically linked as well.

Other wonderful trendsetters of more recent years are Nagwa Fouad, who produced and performed shows of spectacular proportions, Shohair Zaki, who was the first to dance to legendary Umm Kolthum's (very long) songs and Fifi Abdou, who was also know as Bent al Balad, Egypt's beloved "country girl."  Most presently Dina, the Queen of Cairo and Soraya of Brazil are the most famous dancers out of Cairo.  Raqia Hassan is the most sought after instructor in Egypt.

Belly Dance comes from a long line of history that encompasses multiple cultures and all of it has lead up to what we know now.  Many of theses 20th century innovations still continue today and we are sure to see more to come!

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Well everyone, this is it for the History of Belly Dance Series by your favorite neighborhood belly dancer, Nahla! If you're interested in more posts about all things Belly Dance, keep a lookout for my posts. I urge you as well to research Middle Eastern dance and look up the names mentioned in this post.

I wish you well and happy shimmies!

~Nahla

On this rainy June day I write to you and as promised Part 3 of my History of Belly Dance Series: Resurgence of Women's Dance. 

From the seminal ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Middle Ages we take a magic carpet ride over to the Age of Colonization in the 18th century all the was to the early 20th century.  First and foremost- Belly dance as we know it now came from an ideal that Western foreigners had of the Orient (also known as the Middle East and Northern Africa).

Colonization played a large role in exposing Europeans to the Oriental culture.  It was during the 18th century specifically that Napoleon sent French troops over to Egypt.  Hearing from others who came before them, they wanted to see the "dancing girls;" they really meant the Ghawazee, the Egyptian gypsies.  The Ghawazee danced in public for fellow countrymen and foreigners alike, however the Awalem, who were educated and trained Egyptian dancers, did not perform for men or foreigners.  These women performed for other women in private quarters.

Traditionally the Ghawazee & Awalem alike were covered from head to toe.  Their clothing incorporated many layers and most notably their stomachs were covered.  The two piece costume that is familiar today came around later in the early-mid 20th century.

The intense interest in the Orient developed into Orientalism which was a period where many writers, artists, and the wealthy visited Northern Africa and the Middle East; they brought back their perceptions of the Orient based on their Western sensibilities. Orientalism was in full swing by this time as it started earlier with French colonialism.  Many beautiful writings and paintings come from this art period and of course the women and the dancers were the main focus, however their depiction of the Orient was inaccurate.  It was based on fantasy.

The Chicago World's Fair in 1893 was of particular importance. It was here were Middle Eastern dance made its American debut.  It was met with both fascination and repulsion; Victorian morality wouldn't allow people to admit they were fascinated yet Freudian philosophy could explain the fascination.  It was here in this fair we find out how the craze started and America and we meet the legend of Little Egypt.

For the first time in the American public saw Middle Eastern dancers that included the Ouled Nail and Mr. Sol Bloom, the World's Fair organizer, played an essential role.  There was a section known as Cairo Street and this was the most popular section.  At the fair's press release Mr. Bloom improvised a tune on a piano so reporters could preview the performers.  This tune is known as The Streets of Cairo or Poor Little Country Maid and by now it is known by everyone, even if they don't realize it. Trust me when I tell you, you HAVE HEARD this tune! LOL!

The legend of Little Egypt is truly an interesting one because stories abound about who exactly she was or if she even existed.  Even Mr. Bloom himself denied knowing Little Egypt.  What is believed is that she was Farida Mahzar of Syrian descent and received dance training in Cairo.  There are many other women whose names are tied to the legend but only her name can be validated thanks to witnesses her skillful performance and elegant costumes.

The spread of Oriental dance can be tied to world events spanning from the 18th century to early 20th century which heavily influenced how we view Middle Eastern dance.  Social phenomenon such as Industrial Age.  Victorian Era and even Freud's psychology influenced the world and made it just a little smaller. The effect of colonization and the World's Fair are prime examples of how different cultures mixed together and introduced the dance to the Western world. From these events Belly dance as we know it continues to spread and just as traveling gypsies, the dance takes on a different style of wherever it ends up!


See you soon with the last part of my series History of Belly Dance: Middle Eastern Dance from the 19th century...to the Present.