The Orientalization of Oriental Dance

Oriental Dance has, unfairly, garnered a reputation as a dance of total seduction, eroticism and fantasy. The "Orientalization" of this art form has become so entrenched in its universal appeal that most audience members and, dancers themselves, either lose track or are simply unaware of its actual roots and origins. Many mistake it as PG erotica, others in the new age wave see it as a dance of fertility and while no one can be certain of its ancient origins, it was and is the stage version of the many social dances found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, mainly Egypt. Even the name "belly dance" has its origins in 19th century America. At the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago, a man named Sal Bloom coined the term because no one was coming to see the ethnic dances. In order to attract more attention to the "Street of Cairo" attraction he called the form of dancing that "Little Egypt" was presenting as Belly. 1890's America was still very conservative and didn't even dare say arm or leg, they would say limb, so even saying belly was extremely scandalous, and so the bastardization and Orientalization of our art began. 

The "Orientalization" of this art have become so deep rooted that even Middle Easterners themselves have lost sight of its origins as a social dance. Prior to the huge influx of Orientalist materials, such as travel accounts, paintings and other forms of art in the West, the dance was simply known as Raqs Beledi in Egypt. Peasants that made their way from all over Egypt and settled in Cairo brought their dances with them and when mixed together created Raqs Beledi. Raqs Sharqi, is no more then the stage version of this dance that made its debut in the early twentieth century in nightclubs throughout Cairo, Beirut and Istanbul, flooded with European soldiers and bourgeoise Effendi administrators. The creation of Hollywood brought a new dimension to the Orientalization of Oriental Dance in the East itself. These films that were then seen in the East influenced the dancers that danced in Egyptian films. Ballet, Jazz and Latin dances were then fused with authentic Oriental movements that came to glamorize Oriental Dance on the silver screen.

While some hard core anti-colonialists would call this a form of western colonial appropriation, culture and fusion was much more fluid back then and used in a more progressive and creative way. While Western aesthetics were infused into the dance, they were also infused into music. Mohammed Abdel Wahab, one of the most pivotal composers of Arabic music in the twentieth century was a total non-conformist and even fused a western style hoedown into Um Kulthum's epic "Amal Hayati."  It would only make sense for Oriental Dance and its pioneers like Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioka and Naima Akef to do the same. However, they never lost the earth essence of Raqs Beledi when it was put onto the stage as Raqs Sharqi. Although various Western stage aesthetics like staging, traveling steps and more elaborate costuming were engaged in the transition of the dance from the street to the screen, the essentials never wavered. Same as Abdel-Wahab's compositions, they might have had a western inspirational flare, but the execution was completely Oriental. 

Fast forward to the 21st century and as soon as a westerner sees someone do anything remotely close to "belly dance," they automatically compare you to Shakira as if she is the authority to be compared to on the matter. This is totally wrong. Even if she is half Lebanese, she should not be the face of Oriental Dance in any capacity. While her renditions have brought more attention to the dance as a whole, and certainly fueled more class sign ups in the early days of her performances, but she is by no means authentic. Worst of all, besides that push for more participants, I think she has actually done a disservice and has Orientalized the dance even more. It has just continued to be enforced as an erotic, sweaty, hip shaking, ripped leggings form of twerking with no connection to its authentic self. I wouldn't have a problem if it was called something else and not associated with the Middle East and Middle Eastern dance. But sadly it is, and that is a problem to me. Its time that things are understood correctly and in the appropriate contexts.