In Arabic, belly dancing is known as Raks Sharqi. It means oriental dance. Originally this dance was performed for women by other women. There were men's clubs where young men for other men would perform the dance. Through history belly dancing was never performed for the showing of skin. In fact, the original costumes were designed so that no part of the woman's body would be revealed.
The history of belly dancing is full of debate and controversy. In 1893 belly dancing got its name. The show at the Chicago World Fair was not getting very much attention with the name Egyptian dance so the wise producer changed the name to belly dancing and the rest is history. In Egypt this scandalous dance was brought to the attention of the politicians. Once the 1950's rolled around belly dancing had become outlawed. The public was not happy about the banning and eventually it was repealed with the condition that the dancers would cover their abdomens.
The History of Belly Dance In America
Finally belly dancing made its way to the United States. It was originally only seen in burlesque shows or in vaudeville acts. Many people believed that the dance was scandalous or inappropriate because of its limited venues. Hollywood only added to the reputation by using dancers in their movies. In these Hollywood films the dancers were often portrayed as women of ill repute or the damsel in distress. This stereotyping is still in existence today.
The history of belly dancing in the U.S. actually started before the Chicago World Fair. In 1876 at the Pennsylvania Centennial the very first belly dancers in America performed. It didn't gain its popularity until the Chicago Fair, however.
Currently, belly dancing has enjoyed a resurgence of its popularity in the United States. In the 50's a group of clubs in many large cities used belly dancers for entertainment. By the 60's the dancers were giving lessons. This increased the number of dancers by very large numbers. Many dancers began to change the style of the dance in order to make themselves stand apart. This has caused belly dancing to lose its standing because of the lack of a standard choreography associated with the dance.
There has recently been an effort to combine a number of styles and call it American Tribal Style Belly Dance. The history of belly dance is one that is as rich and diverse as the many styles that can lay claim to the title belly dance. It will no doubt continue to evolve and change.
