belly dance
Brief History of Belly Dance
A Brief History of Belly Dance: Belly Dance Origins by Mellilah
Seen as an ancient dance form, belly dance evolved through various ancient dance traditions throughout North African and the Middle East.
Baladi means “country” or “folk” and refers to a particular style and costuming. Primarily in the US, baladi is also used to represent a specific rhythm, the masmoudi sagheer. Prior to the twentieth century, when performed, baladi was performed primarily for weddings, outdoor festivals, coffee houses and private residences. The baladi style was performed in small spaces and was improvisational, utilizing movements of the shoulders and hips. Traditional instruments accompanied Baladi dancers, including drums, wind or string instruments, and tambourines, and their costumes consisted of an optional headscarf, a floor length dress, and hip scarf.
Although today belly dance is practiced all over the globe, the Golden Era of belly dance rests in the mid-twentieth century in Egypt. In 1926, Badia Masabny, Lebanese dancer and actress, opened “Casino Badia,” a nightclub in Cairo that was modeled after the cabarets in Europe. Casino Badia featured Eastern as well as Western entertainment, which both European and Middle Eastern audiences found appealing. Similar nightclubs emerged in Beirut, Algiers and throughout Cairo. It is at this time, that the evolution of baladi to raqs sharki, the sophisticated art form that we know today, began.
Baladi was transformed into a refined art form, utilizing more sophisticated movements, veils, and encompassing a larger stage area, as well as embracing ballet inspired arms, posture, and foot placement, on the balls of the feet. Dancers wore bedlahs, two-pieced, sequined costumes, inspired by Hollywood, and for the first time, dancers reached celebrity status and gained prestige. Products of this period are famous dancers Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal.
The translation of Arabic term “raqs sharki” is “dance of the East” or “oriental dance.” It has been said that French travelers referred to raqs sharki as danse du ventre (dance of the belly), as what they witnessed was bizarre to them. The terms belly dance or raqs sharki are widely used today.
For more info about the author, visit www.mellilah.com
I wish I had learned zills a long time ago!
I really, really wish I had learned the zills when I began dancing!! Unfortunately, when I learned to dance, most of my teachers didn’t use zills (finger cymbals) in their classes. Because it wasn’t used in class and I never took the initiative to teach myself, I danced for years without them, and now my zills are not up to par with my dancing. It’s taking a lot of discipline to make myself use them, but I know it will pay off in the end.
I think it’s never too early to begin learning zills and really want my students to learn early on. However, I’ve decided that I will begin teaching zills in my Level 2 classes due to the nature of my Level 1 classes and the various objectives people have for signing up for the class.
Where do you buy zills? Saroya is the best place for purchasing zills. If you click on “Students & Advanced Dancers” you’ll see cymbals that are mellow toned and lightweight for students at around $15 a set. (You can read about the history of zills here, too.) 
For more info about the author, visit www.mellilah.com
Styles of Belly Dance
Styles of Belly Dance (Middle Eastern Dance)
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“Belly dance” is a common term used to represent past and present styles of folkloric, cabaret, and contemporary dance, originating in the Middle East. The term is used so broadly that a more specific title is warranted in order to properly represent the dance. Of course there is subjectivity in placing belly dance into categories, as there are often commonalities rather than hard rules, but I believe that in attempting to organize the information we can better understand it.
Folkloric Dance (Raqs Baladi): Folkloric dances are the various regional dances of the people, performed by the general public at celebrations or by professional entertainers. Folkloric dances differ from country to country, as well as within a country. On the stages of past and present times, folkloric dances of the Middle East were, and are, performed in their original authentic forms as well as in a theatrical form for the stage. The theatrical forms of “Egyptian” folkloric dances were influenced by and introduced to the Egyptian theatre by Mahmoud Reda, who studied the authentic regional dances of the people throughout Egypt in the 1950s and then modified the dances and costuming for the theatre. Some examples of folkloric dances you may see performed include Saidi, Khaliji, Malaya Luff, Raqs Baladi, Ghawazee, Nubian, Hagala, Tunisian, and Turkish Rom.
Cabaret (Raqs Sharki): What we think of as “cabaret” or “raqs sharki,” often performed on a stage with fancy bedlahs, sequins and beads, evolved over time and was originally developed through combining the many styles of “raqs baladi” (the home style dance of the people from various regions), as well as influences from many cultures and/or dance styles, like ballet, the influences of Mohmoud Reda’s theatrical productions, and even Hollywood. Badia Masabni is credited as the original pioneer of the cabaret style. In the mid-twentieth century, she was the first to perform on a European-like nightclub in Cairo, fusing existing dance styles for the stage. Since then, cabaret has spread like wild fire all over the world and with advances in technology (internet, travel, etc…), the stylization of cabaret has branched off and evolved even further, making it even more difficult to define.
Contemporary: As the dance has reached almost every corner of the world, belly dancers have experimented with the art form by incorporating western influences to a greater degree and adding their own unique artistic “twist,” while keeping some aspects of folkloric and cabaret styles. “Belly Dance Theatre” may be another good name for this type of creative expression. An example of a contemporary style is Tribal Belly Dance, which became popular in the US and can now be seen performed in other nations, too. Improvisational, Tribal Fusion, and American Tribal are well known sub-categories of the tribal belly dance style.
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Cabaret Styles in Greater Detail (Video Examples Included):
EGYPTIAN ORIENTAL
Egyptian Oriental, also known as Egyptian Cabaret or Egyptian Style Belly Dance is the dance style that is most true to the past and present dancers of Egypt, mainly Cairo. The style tends to be fluid without much isolation and is rich in emotion and music interpretation. The style can be further subdivided into three categories, Classical, Modern and Post Modern. As present Egyptian dancers begin teaching abroad and foreigners have begun performing in Cairo, you begin to see native Egyptian dancers using current Western stylizations. Therefore, the present day trends of Cairo are more difficult to pinpoint.
Samia Gamal Classical
Mona al Said Modern Eygptian
Sahra Saeeda Modern Egyptian
Randa Kamel Post Modern Egyptian
Leila Post Modern Egyptian
Sohaila Includes dialogue about the style.
AMERICAN RESTAURANT / AMERICAN CABARET
This is the most common form of belly dance seen in the US. Although the cabaret style began as fusion and dancers continue to fuse, in the US and other non-Arabic countries, dancers will more commonly and freely add jazz and dance elements from other dance styles. Additionally, drum solos seem to have more importance in the American style than in the Egyptian style, with the added theatrics of pops, locks, lots of layering and even kicks. Chest rotations, isolated chest lifts and drops, and more isolation of body parts is typical of American Cabaret. Dancers in America, as well as abroad, often label it as Egyptian Cabaret or Egyptian Style, but there is a significant, yet subtle, difference that is difficult to recognize and quite subjective. No one can better notice these subtleties than a native Middle Easterner who is familiar with the dance and music.
Video Example Bellydance Superstars
Video Example
RUSSIAN CABARET STYLE
In Russia, dancers tend to be classically trained in ballet, which leads to a uniquely Russian style.
Russian style
LEBANESE CABARET STYLE
I haven’t studied this style to be able to speak about it but here’s a clip of Amani, famous Lebanese dancer. I do know that Lebanese dancers are known for wearing heels.
Amani Jabril
There are other Cabaret Styles that are not noted here.
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Contemporary Styles in Greater Detail:
U.S. TRIBAL Belly Dance
This style can also be broken into three sub-categories, Improvisational, Tribal Fusion, and American Tribal
Unmata- Improvisational Tribal Style
Unmata- Improvisational Tribal Style
Fat Chance- American Tribal
Rachel Brice- Tribal Fusion
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Of course you will find many more styles belly dance, which I have not referenced here.
More Information:
For an historical video reference, visit Mellilah’s Favorite Dancers, which shows a progression of Egyptian dancers through time.
Hossam Ramzy Historical information on the stars of belly dance
How to Analyze Dance Styles by Meissoun A great article!
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For more info about the author, visit www.mellilah.com
