Most cultures have matriarchal dances involving movement based on the female body. Hawaiian, Polynesian, and Salsa all bear tribute to the beauty of a woman's hips.

Belly Dance (also known as Middle Eastern Dance or Danse Orientale) is indeed often attributed to tribes of Northern India, and it is said that the Romani spread the dance with its specific movements and interpretations, as well as many of the commonly used musical scales and rhythms, into the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Today, most Western women practice (as was said by the London dance student) Raqs Sharqi, which was developed primarily in the nightclubs of Cairo.

This dance however, still has its roots in the dancing practiced by girls and women in homes throughout Egypt, including many Gawahzee (Egyptian Romani) moves. The girls perform in family settings (such as weddings) for guests, and often in gatherings of women, until they reach puberty. Once a girl is proclaimed a woman, however, she will only dance for other women.

In terms of Hollywood ruining the reputation of Belly Dance, even before the siren dancer image prompted burlesque club owners to hire bellydancers as opening acts for strip-tease artists, bellydancers appeared only in circus and carnival sideshows - just another freak and oddity. Not exactly a respected image, I would say.

As for the the sexuality of the dance, that is still up for debate. It is important for most dancers to be grouped with ballet dancers rather than strippers, which means that many choose to downplay the sexual element. The fact remains though that the dance does indeed celebrate women's sexuality and sensuality - not for the titillation of men, but for the sheer joy of the individual.

Trust me, a Belly Dancer will happily dress just as skimpy and flashy - and will dance with just as many wiggles and undulations - for an all-female audience, as they will for an audience that includes men. In fact, most of the dancers I know would rather dance for the all-female audience any day.

Charity - January 2006