Arabic dance History

Other dances

The History of Dance Arabic Belly Dance is one of the oldest dances in the world that combines elements and techniques of different countries in the Middle East and North Africa, although their precise origins have primary origin as ancient Egypt. There are historical documents that prove that this sensual dance was used by the priestesses of the banks of the River Nile.

In Arabic countries this dance is called Raks Sharki that literally means Oriental Dance. The name of the belly dance is beginning to be used in the nineteenth century by Europeans who travelled to exotic lands in search of new cultures, customs and landscapes. These travellers coined this term caught up in the belly and hip movements that did not exist in European dances. We have to distinguish between Raks Sharki (Oriental dance) and Raks Baladi (Dance of the People). The Raks baladi dance is a more elemental, almost without movement, and predominant hip movements. Raks Sharki is the most refined and rich. It includes movements of Egyptian folklore, classical ballet and contemporary dance, with large movements, revolutions and movements for all parts of the body, although the hip ones are the most important.

In some towns in antiquity it was believed that human fertility was directly related to the land. Women, who were creating new lives, were attributed magical powers. For example: in the Central and ANATOLY and Mediterranean (Turkey), thousands of years ago, women use to express in ritual dances to honor these magical powers (ceremonies associated with fertility). Men were excluded from these rites in ancient Greece and Rome were different dances of fertility based on the rotation of the hips and belly. Some of them were made in honor of the goddesses. Many of these deities came from the East, particularly Syria and Turkey. In Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and fertility, women performed ritual dances and songs accompanied by erotic drum through which they put in a trance. This allowed them to come into contact with the goddess and so they received its power. Also, these and similar rituals took place in Mesopotamia, the Phoenicians, Egypt, Arabia and India. In these ceremonies involving large numbers of women. They danced, sung and even some women were offered to men in honor of the goddess. The purpose of these ceremonies was to bring the power of the goddess on earth and promoting fertility.

During the S. IV D. C. Christianity and Islam came to dominate the Middle East. While some took pagan holidays and rituals and are adjusted to their new religion, it also destroyed the rituals to worship the gods and tried to remove the dances associated with women's sexuality and fertility. For centuries, dancers, musicians and singers were slaves. Although this status has changed, the interpreters never fully escaped the stigma attached to his profession within the Arab countries.

During the S. XIX, in Egypt there are two types of dancers: the ghawazee (Gypsy) who danced in open spaces or in the countryside, usually for audiences of low social class. Acting with a small group of musicians that used to include mizmar, nay and tabla. The awalim were more respected and well danced, sang and recited poetry. Normally operating in rich houses. The musicians were: nay, oud, and kanoon table. In both cases, the dance was improvised. Until 1930, the dancers acted both in people’s homes and in cafes. This year, in Cairo, a Lebanese woman named Badia Mansabni opened a hall called Casino Badia. This ballroom became very popular. He had a different agenda that was based in the East and offered dancers, singers, musicians, comedians and numbers in Europe.

The belly dance was always performed in small spaces. In Casino Badia had to be adapted to large venues. Badia Mansabny a part from training her dancers, worked with choreographers and dancers in Europe to include elements of other dances (ballet). These dancers were operating normally in groups, although distinguished by their talents were sometimes alone.

During this period two-piece suit with stones and fringes became fashionable that was inspired by American films. In those years there were a lot of films in Egypt and was normal in the central and Mediterranean ANATOLY (Turkey), thousands of years ago, women were ritual dancers to honor these magical powers (ceremonies associated with fertility). Men were excluded from these rites.

Many of these dancers discovered in the Casino Badia became very popular movie stars and acquired a status that had never had before. Tahi as Carioca, Samia Gamal, Nadia Gamal and Naima Akef. Currently, the Oriental dance in most Arab countries is part of culture and a celebration without a belly dance show is not complete. In Arab countries where it has developed in more recent times was in Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey, although it also noted that it has developed in some European countries and America because of Arab emigration, like Germany, France, Brazil and USA. The dancers often work in famous dance clubs in five star hotels, leading an orchestra of at least thirty musicians with traditional instruments and modern. Clothing usually unique and the show is completely choreographed. The first number is usually a especially composed music for them followed by a variety of popular songs. Some famous dancers of today are: Fifi Abdu, Nagwa Fouad, Amani, Mona Said, Dina, Laila Soraya Haddad and Hilal. Virtually all Arab women dance Raks Baladi, learn from girls at parties and family gatherings, but few odalisques who dare to be professional, because being a dancer is not well seen in a traditional Muslim society, and therefore conservative.