Margo - About the Dance

Middle Eastern dance, also known as oriental dance or "balady" is the ancient ethnic dance of the Middle East and expressive of the culture itself. In Arabic, "balady" generally means "native," "of the folk," or "of the country." The meaning of the word points to the primitive origins of the dance, which have a functional basis in the development of muscles for childbirth. The dance then became a fertility rite for mothers-to-be, performed in rituals to bind the body with the soul and with all creation. These primitive origins account for its erotic elements and its evolution as primarily a female art form. Eventually the dance came to be performed in ceremonies of all types, from religious events to informal gatherings. The growth of this social aspect led to the development of the male form of the dance; however, the male form remained in the folk style, while the female forms developed into the solo classical art, which sets the standards for the discipline of the dance, drawing consciously from the various traditional gestures and subordinating them to a single aesthetic goal. Thus, balady dance becomes an aesthetic expression of the whole tradition of Middle Eastern culture.

For many years balady has been associated with Egypt, whose music is the backbone of the dance's folk form. Yet the dance is not exclusively Egyptian, as influence from other countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Greece is also evident. With its hazy origin and easily adaptable style, balady was copied and changed, and as a result spread in many forms which reduced its authenticity and artistic merits. Its most gross misrepresentation is found in western and westernized societies, which misconstrued its erotic elements. In spite of governmental censorship and the subsequent prostitution of the dance, especially in international ports, the purest forms of the art have managed to survive in the folk communities of Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.

One attempting to describe the dance runs into the difficulty of an artist trying to describe the aesthetic meaning and mood that his painting portrays. This difficulty may explain why it has been very little documented by the written word. Moreover, in the Middle East, it is not taught formally in classes. Instead, dancers learn through early exposure to observation of those who have mastered the art. In family gatherings, for example, little girls are urged to perform and practice the dance they have observed in more formal social settings. Such cultural experience is the best teacher of the dance.

Middle Eastern dance has universal movements similar to those found in many other ethnic dances, such as those of Tahiti, Hawaii, Africa and some Spanish countries. These movements indicate the ritualistic and primitive origins of the dance. The similarity between all these ancient dances is motion involving the abdomen and hips, for therapeutic and ritualistic purposes, coinciding with movements of arms, head, shoulders, hands and feet. For example, the various circular movements of the hips tone the pelvic muscles, relieving menstrual cramps, lessening the possibility of miscarriage, making labor easier, and speeding recovery after childbirth. Because these functions are held in reverence, the dance becomes a sacred expression of the suffering and joy of birth, which is ultimately generalized to express all aspects of life.

But despite its similarities to other primitive dances, balady dance encompasses gestures unique to Middle Eastern expression, giving a stylized representation of gesture that accompany conversation among Middle Eastern people. For instance, changes in the angle of the chin when the head is framed by the hands indicate a lament. Or raising an eyebrow along with the chin signifies dignity. Or facial expressions may correspond to exclamations of the Arabic singer, like "ya salaam," "wallah," or "aman aman." Therefore, the dancer must develop a keen ear for subtle variations in not only tune and rhythm but also mood.

It is an alliterative coincidence that the Arabic word balady sounds like the English word belly. The name "belly dancing" is strictly American. Middle Eastern dance, oriental dance or Arabic dance are all more accurate.

Another term, "Raks al Sharki," or "Dance of the East," denotes the classical solo women's dance of the Middle East. In it, the dancer acts as musician (with sagat, or finger cymbals) and mime, (responding to the song text or melody) interpreting the music visually and emotionally. The traditional movement style is predominately rhythmic isolations and undulations of the torso and the hips. The music for the raks al sharki is rich and rhythmically varied. There is no melodic harmony in traditional Arab music. The melody is supported by the rhythmic variations, expressed in syncopations and timing differences in each individual musician's playing of the tune. The drum is the essential heartbeat of the music.

* Images on this page are from the book "Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World" by Wendy Buonaventura, published 1994 by Interlink Books, © Saqi Books 1989, 1994

Traced back to the year 622 CE, the official beginning of the Muslim calendar, a new musical art developed, associated with the court life of the caliphs. The theoretical treatises of the Greeks, the ancient musical traditions of Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Bysantium along with nomadic tribal traditions of sun poetry became the foundation for this new musical genre. While European art music was still in a rudimentary stage of development, Arabic art music was entering its Golden Age. By the 9th century, great centers of learning in the Islamic Empire such as Baghdad and Cordova became repositories for musicians and theorists. This new musical art was closely allied with poetry and it developed into a sophisticated and complex system known as maqam.