Thread by @ARABD0LL

the history of “belly dancing” and how a cultural/traditional dance became fetishized by the rest of the world 🧵

Belly dancing is a traditional dance from Egypt and dates back to Ancient Egyptians. The name itself is a western name since it’s actually called Raqs Baladi in Egypt and has different styles. The traditional clothing of the dance is more covered and not the westernized costume.

The western term “belly dancing” comes from the french term “danse du ventre.” It appeared in a review for the orientalist painting “The Dance of the Almeh” by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Many orientalist paintings fantasized about belly dancers especially the idea of them in harems.

The costumes that everyone associates with belly dancing was made up by white men. The style of a bra, skirt and belt was created in European opera stages. It allowed them to sexualize Egyptian women and view us as oriental fantasies.

Even the way the dance is performed has been bastardized. Many see it similar to stripping instead of a traditional dance. This is because many dancers in the west and east asia don’t perform it correctly. Most assume you can just shake your hips and be sexual when that’s not it.

Many non Egyptians play into the sexy oriental role. Prince’s ex wife Mayte allowed him to fetishize egyptian women through her multiple times. He breaks the rule of the dance by touching her, matches it with a sex scene and has harem visuals.

Shakira is the most known belly dancer in the west but she doesn’t perform properly. She uses it to give her sexual appeal and make her stand out against other latin artists (yes she’s half arab but she does play into orientalist ideas).

It makes her seem more exotic and many in the west can’t even tell that she doesn’t belly dance properly. She does basic slow movements with sensual facial expressions opposite of the dance.

Contrary to popular belief, men also belly dance. So it’s not just a women’s only activity even though many assume that to not be the face.

The bastardization of belly dancing is all throughout both western and non western media. For instance Hilary duff’s scorpion scene in War inc (2008) she is portraying it as an erotic dance that fulfills men’s desires by “acting” like a belly dancer.

Another is in the anime AMV and in the Filipino film Les 1001 nuits where the fetishization of the dance and other orientalist portrayals is front and center.

This has been going on for decades as you see Elvis had a belly dancer in 1968 in his performance comeback and star trek featuring harem belly dancers in the 80s. Also in 2000 charlie’s angels actresses bastardized the dance yet again.

Belly dancing is constantly being removed from its traditional roots in order to perpetuate racist and orientalist stereotypes. It’s bastardization reduces it to sexual hip movements thats for women to feel exotic and sexy when its not at all.

Mayte also choreographed the “belly dancing” parts of Britney’s Im a slave 4 u music video and performance. This just shows its constantly being sexualized and how non egyptians dont respect the dance as an art form.