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A Brief History of Belly Dance: a compellation from various dance books put together by Leilainia
Belly dancing is a dance of isolation, in which the various parts and centers of the body are moved individually, independently from each other, yet end up forming unity. The movements of belly dancing develop the body's intelligence and capacity to react, finally resulting in multidimensional body awareness.
Just as individual drops unite in the harmonious flow of a river that time and again draws strength from its source, so belly dancing, as suggested by its name, finds its source in the belly. Its rhythm originates from inside, from the elemental sound of the heartbeat that we first heard in the cavern of our mother's belly. If a woman wishes to bring new life into this world, she must have this life force, of which belly dancing is the age-old expression.
Nightclub audiences are exposed to the dance emphasizing sex and sensuality, however the traditional Middle Eastern dancer performs in family groups to celebrate weddings, circumcisions, harvest festivals, or holidays, and will instead stress abstract rhythmic intricacies and musical interpretation. The dance often includes a rhythmic dialogue between dancer and drummer, with the dancer displaying the skill of individualized muscular control.
Originally, all rituals were danced; body and mind were set into motion as a unity, through dancing primitive people expressed their natural excitement and deep emotions. It strengthened the bonds between community. It expressed joy and pleasure and praised life. But also through dance men and women tried to understand the mysteries of life, in nature and in birth and death. Dancing was the oldest and most elementary form of spiritual expression.
In primitive societies women had a magical bond to the living. It is because of their knowledge of life that women became guides and later priestess who served the feminine goddess, they became the mortal representation of the mother earth & the movement of their dancing reflected this. In a culture where fertility was a matter of survival, the connection between sexuality, menstruation and birth was part of everyday knowledge. Women would dance for women to express womanhood.
Dance was used to strengthen sexual energy, to awaken joy and praise the mysteries of life. It was the joy of dance and movement and freedom of expression that
each woman danced to expresses their stories and emotions. It was the scared woman's dance, where movements of the hips, pelvis and belly were dominating. It was present all over the world. It was a form of prayer and worship. But with the development of primitive cultures into many layers, the new beliefs repressed the rituals and this dance was lost to many parts of the world. The patriarch of religion looked down on dancing in the extremes because of the fact that dance releases freedoms.
Fortunately for dance, when the gypsy's split from the middle east and moved west they didn't embody the beliefs of religion or the societies around them. The woman where not owned because all men and women played a part in the gypsy culture. They were free and their dance remained free, joyful and lively. They began to meld different forms of dance and carry their creative movements through the Middle East.
The first culture to awaken Oriental dance, as we know it, to a new light was Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs and in Crete. Dancers begin to perform for the ruling class, for kings and for priests. Women were only allowed to dance for entertainment. And ritual dancers involved in the whole community were replaced by entertainment dances performed by professionals.
The entertainment version of the Oriental dance as we see it today was dubbed “belly dance" (from the French danse du ventre, “dance of the abdomen") by the entrepreneur Sol Bloom who brought the dancer he called Little Egypt to the Chicago's world fair in 1893.
America films began portraying dancers as seductive and exotic, which influence costuming and style throughout the belly dancing world. And so was the entry into cabaret.
Dance now is in the midst of a revival within itself. People are taking from the roots of dance and building their own style. What makes belly dancing so fun is that there never was a ‘pure' form of the dance. It was always about expression. With this type of dance that is fused with the earth, it's okay to be free with movements and transform the dance into what ever you want.
From birth, the body and psyche are one. It is the physical body that gives shape, existence, and boundaries to ourselves. Within a body is where human psychology and physical growth possible. The body is the womb and birthplace of the ego. It provides the first awareness of the “I"- I am this body, I am finite and separate from others.
On the other hand, the body is a terribly awkward thing. For many of us, the body comes, sooner or later, to be a problem. It is prone to so many earthly and human conditions that may allow the ego to lose direct connection to the body and a source of natural wisdom and energy.
Women cannot forget their body – not only because society won't let her, but also because she is ever reminded of its presence by itself. A woman's psyche resides in her body, and her wisdom grows out of an instinctual and acquiring knowledge of what to do with her body in circumstances of birth, friendship, love and compassion. Her dance comes out of the womb of her experience. Because of a need for the creative process that wants to be given form through her, a woman gives herself over to the dance.
Belly dancing is poetry of the body expressed in ancient meaningful gestures. It is a symphony of moving pictures and framed poses, a revelation of the human soul, and a sensuous feminine art. It is a celebration of womanhood. A dance by women for women's purposes.
Through dance training comes a slow discovery of inner consciousness, the mind is always there, eventually listening to and learning to respect the natural instrument. Nature's energy is harnessed to the creative goal, redirected for spiritual ends, reconnecting with the material.
Belly dancing consists of several basic moves: Hip shimmies, hip rotations, serpent arms, snakelike head movements, and abdominal undulations. On top of those basic movements are multicultural layers of expression.
With that said: Let Us Dance!
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