A Very Brief History of Belly Dance
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The history of Middle Eastern Dance is very long and also a little vague. There are no written documents that can pinpoint the beginning of the dance. We do know that it is ancient and archaeologists have unearthed pottery with what is believed to be dancing on it. But is that the start of Middle Eastern dance or is it just dance, people moving their bodies to natural rhythms?
We do know that dancing is shown on the tombs and in art from the time of the Pharaohs, dated to 4000 BCE. There is mention of dance and dancers in hieroglyphics from that time but we do not know what the movements were or the music used. We do know the instruments that were played, but can not for certain say what the "songs" were.
We do know that from these ancient beginnings, the dance has evolved from its roots. It has been used on many occasions. It is a sacred dance, women's dance, folk dance, social dance, and stage dance.
To say that there is only one Middle Eastern dance style and one-way true dance is wrong. If you look at a map of the Middle East it is a vast region with a great variety of environmental diversity, from deserts to mountains and coastline areas. Each of these regions influences the people that live in them, which in turn influences the music and dance of the region.
So how did we end up with what we call Belly Dance today? Long story short, the silk road introduced more than goods from one community to another. As the traders went along the route and traded goods, music, dance, and culture were also exchanged. Just like us today, we take what we like and want to use from another culture and integrate it into our culture. This taking and trading is still continuing today in modern Middle Eastern dance. We learn a traditional Persian dance step and incorporate into our cabaret dance. Middle Eastern dance like other dance, is a living, breathing, evolving art form. I am thankful for the cultures where the dance originated from and strive to be a good ambassador of the dance.
