Belly dance

Lore & Background

Belly dance is believed to have a long history in the Middle East, with Greek and Roman sources describing dancers using undulating movements and quivering thighs. European travelers in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Edward Lane and Flaubert, wrote extensively about dancers including the Awalim and Ghawazi of Egypt. The courtly pleasures of Umayyad, Abbasid, and Fatimid caliphs included belly dancing, often performed by slaves or prostitutes trained to entertain male guests.

Reader's Guide

Belly dance remains significant as both a folk and professional art form, particularly in Egypt, where it is performed at celebrations by ordinary people (Raqs Baladi) and by professional dancers. The modern Egyptian style was shaped by performers at Badia's Casinos and later Egyptian film stars like Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka, who helped attract global attention. Despite its popularity, the dance is considered disreputable in much of the modern Arab world and Islamic Middle East, and is even outlawed in some regions. The dance's influence extends into pop music, and male belly dancers have increased in number in recent years.

Did You Know?

• In the Ottoman Empire, belly dance was performed by women and later by boys in the sultan's palace.
• Egyptian belly dance is noted for its controlled, precise movements.