The Evolution and Transformation of Oriental Dance

Most people assume that oriental dance came from the ancient East. But in reality, many countries contributed to this cultural art form: America, Africa, various islands, and even Slavic tribes.

That's why oriental dance can be considered a world cultural heritage. The earliest mentions of oriental dance are found in the pyramids of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Images of ritual dancers date back over 3,000 years.

Some movements in oriental dance were borrowed from African dances, as Eastern countries also prayed to gods for fertility. It's no coincidence that both oriental and African dances emphasize hip movements. The East also partially adopted ritual war paint from African tribes. However, Eastern women painted only their faces, keeping their bodies covered with various saris as a sign of modesty.

Originally, oriental dances were performed at the bedside of a woman giving birth, to ease her labor pains. Young women would gather around the bed and make characteristic hip movements to speed up the birth and ward off evil spirits.

Today, oriental dance inevitably includes belly dance, so dancers wear a bra and leave their midsection bare. It wasn't always this way. In the ancient East, encountering a scantily clad dancer was unthinkable. Instead, women wore many scarves to accentuate their movements while maintaining modesty.

The new dance attire was introduced by America, specifically Hollywood. When Eastern motifs reached Hollywood, the dance was immediately seen as seductive, sexual, and helping to embrace femininity. So the long skirt remained, now with ruffles, and the belly was bared. The East soon agreed with America and adopted this new style of clothing.

The name "belly dance" for oriental dance is said to have been coined by an American politician, based on a legend that the dance originated from a bee that flew under a girl's clothes, making her twist her hips and jerk her belly. The name itself contributed to the dance's popularity in Europe, so the politician hit the mark.

However, some believe that the ancestor of oriental dance is Tibetan martial arts, originally practiced only by men and dating back over 13,000 years. According to this theory, traveling Arab traders borrowed the idea, and women developed it further.

Napoleon may also have had a hand in its spread. It is believed he surrounded himself with 400 dancers, captivated by their art. Another version claims he beheaded as many girls to prevent them from seducing his soldiers.

Nevertheless, Egypt remained the center of oriental dance. With the rise of clubs, dance floors emerged where dancers could showcase their skills. Later, small scenes and performances were created, imitating European theater.

Scenes were based on Arabian tales or borrowed from American musicals. Egyptian directors often incorporated American musicals and oriental dances into their stories, which helped spread the Eastern dance school worldwide.

However, in the 1990s, due to the rise of extremism in Egypt and the decline of European tourism, the dance moved to other countries. Nightclubs closed because Muslims forbade women from dancing publicly. New centers emerged in Lebanon and Turkey.

Because of these diverse roots, different schools of oriental dance have different movements, and the costumes vary in color. In some countries, women dance in flowing trousers instead of full skirts; in other cultures, fully covered attire remains. In Egypt, not only women but also men perform oriental dance.

It's impossible to cover the entire history and all the hypotheses about the origins of oriental dance. One can only marvel at the variety of ancient legends and echoes of the past that this enchanting dance carries.