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