| There have been many theories about the
| |
| | party of men in a house of ill repute.
|
| origin of belly dancing, but most
| |
| | These performances were more lascivious
|
| evidence links it to the Middle East and
| |
| | and they usually wore nothing but the
|
| Africa. Some say it was originated by the
| |
| | smintiyan (trousers) or a very full skirt
|
| Phoenicians; others claim that it was
| |
| | called a Tob.
|
| introduced into Egypt by the Turks.
| |
| | Middle Eastern music has definite
|
| Egyptian tomb paintings dating from as
| |
| | rhythmic patterns: the rhythms are
|
| far back as the fourteenth century BC
| |
| | uncomplicated and the belly dance is
|
| depict partially clad dancers whose
| |
| | improvised - a visual expression and
|
| callisthenic positions appear to be very
| |
| | interpretation of the rhythms. The
|
| similar to those used in belly dancing.
| |
| | musicians improvise too, their moods and
|
| Anthropologists have recorded many types
| |
| | speed changing dramatically from lively
|
| of tribal dances performed specifically
| |
| | tempto to slow, dramatic and intense
|
| as a prelude to sexual stimulation and
| |
| | ones.
|
| initiation rites, courtship displays and
| |
| | The music is divided into two sections:
|
| fertility rituals. To many primitive
| |
| | The Ciftetelli and the Taksim. The
|
| societies living close to nature, the
| |
| | Ciftetelli is sometimes referred to as
|
| undulating movements of the pelvis and
| |
| | the belida. an Arabic word referring to
|
| abdomen, involving muscular control, were
| |
| | the lively part of the dance. The
|
| symbolic enactments of both conception
| |
| | musicians play happy, lively music with a
|
| and birth and constituted an essential
| |
| | combination of instruments, varying in
|
| part of their religion and way of life.
| |
| | tempo from slow to medium to fast. The
|
| When a woman was giving birth, she would
| |
| | predominant beat is basically four count
|
| adopt a squatting position, bearing down
| |
| | 1-2-3-4 which is played slower (slowed
|
| as she moved her abdomen in a rolling
| |
| | down) or much faster, doubling the beat
|
| motion, which assisted birth.
| |
| | of four counts to 1 and 2 and 3 and 4,
|
| In Africa and Polynesia dancers of both
| |
| | the accent being on the first and third
|
| sexes would gyrate their hips and breasts
| |
| | heat. 9/8 rythm is three beats of two
|
| in an endless variety of postures, to an
| |
| | counts and one beat of three counts, the
|
| ecstatic rhythmic beat which developed
| |
| | accent being on the 1-3-5-7 beats, as
|
| into a complete erotic dance. In India
| |
| | follows:
|
| the symbolic movement of the dancers was
| |
| | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
|
| not only an art but an act of worship. On
| |
| | Other rhythms, such as 7/8, 6/8 and 5/4
|
| Indian shrines and on a
| |
| | are more complicated.
|
| thirteenth-century temple wall at
| |
| | As the Ciftetelli speeds up, the dance
|
| Konarak, Hindu dancing girls carved in
| |
| | movements become more abandoned and
|
| stone are depicted in various erotic
| |
| | exhilarating. During these fast
|
| postures similar to those employed in
| |
| | combinations of dance steps vary with the
|
| belly dancing.
| |
| | use of the 'zil'. In complete contrast
|
| Good dancers had incredible muscle
| |
| | to the Ciftetelli rhythm is the taksim
|
| control - every gesture and posture
| |
| | section. Here the musicians play an
|
| included the whole body, each movement
| |
| | improvised solo, invariably making use of
|
| being a significant expression of love
| |
| | the ud or clarinet, both of which
|
| towards the gods. Not surprisingly the
| |
| | produce a soulful wailing sound. This
|
| dance became rather more erotic than
| |
| | section is played much more slowly and is
|
| spiritual. Many of the temple dancers
| |
| | more dramatic and intense. As the taksim
|
| became debauched, turning to
| |
| | begins, the dancer descends gracefully
|
| prostitution, and were banished from the
| |
| | to the floor, sensually performing as she
|
| temple.
| |
| | moves into the dance area, until the
|
| Two great centres of ancient dancing
| |
| | music changes to a livelier tempo.
|
| were the town of Cadiz in Spain and the
| |
| | The danse du ventre (literally belly
|
| river Nile in Egypt. The expression of
| |
| | dance) of Turkish origin was introduced
|
| the dance was in the individual dancers'
| |
| | to Paris by Turkish women. They exhibited
|
| body movements. The transparent garments
| |
| | it in Midway Plaisance of the Colombian
|
| worn by the dancers were frequently
| |
| | Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and then
|
| discarded. In Egypt the tradition and
| |
| | at the California Midwinter Exposition in
|
| skills of the dance have changed little
| |
| | San Francisco. As performed by Turkish
|
| through fifty centuries, and as in
| |
| | women the dance consists of control and
|
| ancient Egypt the garments worn have
| |
| | movement of the abdominal and chest
|
| always been a negligible element of the
| |
| | muscles; hence its other name 'muscle
|
| art.
| |
| | dance'. Varied with graceful steps and
|
| The dancing girls of Egypt from the
| |
| | gyrations, cymbals an scarves, it was
|
| Ghawazee tribe performed unveiled in the
| |
| | performed solo, accompanied by male
|
| public streets to amuse the rabble. Their
| |
| | Turkish musicians with Turkish
|
| dancing had little elegance. The dancers
| |
| | instruments.
|
| would begin decorously enough, but soon
| |
| | A dance closely associated with it, of
|
| their movements became more energetic and
| |
| | wholly independent religious origin, is
|
| more vibrant, in time with the rapid
| |
| | the hula hula dance of Hawaiian women. It
|
| rhythmic beat of the cymbals. They often
| |
| | is possibly less energetic and abandoned
|
| performed in the court of a house or in
| |
| | than the Turkish dance. The Americans
|
| the street in front of a house, on
| |
| | and other western women learned belly
|
| festive occasions in the harem, such as a
| |
| | dancing from the Turks and Egyptians, but
|
| marriage or the birth of a child. The
| |
| | their versions are often less graceful
|
| Ghawazee dancing girls were never
| |
| | and subtle than the original, possibly
|
| admitted into a respectable harem, but
| |
| | because of their more puritanical
|
| they were frequently hired to entertain a
| |
| | attitude towards the dance.
|
