Thread: Why is Bellydance history so important?

Students being told where a dance originates and being told its cultural context; when a prop first appeared or a move became popular; who taught what move to whom and how it changed over time. I don’t get this in Ballroom or Sequence, Line-dance, Tap-dance, Breton or Salsa. I do in Morris and Irish, but nowhere near to the extent as in Bellydance.

Why is this seen as an important part of learning Bellydance? Is it the folkdance aspect of it – preserving a heritage that needs careful tending or it’ll be sullied by ignoramuses? Is there a fantasy element – I need to know all about this dance because it then makes me more ‘native’ to it, more ‘attuned’ to its essence? Or is it habit – I’m telling you this because it was told to me? Has this always been done with Bellydance teaching?

I’m not trying to say it is not important or interesting. I’ve done my own limited reading into Ballroom and Tap-dance to appreciate where those dances come from and who influenced them, but I don’t actually feel I needed to know that in order to dance them. There are teachers in every genre of dance who know such things and students who will ask and find out. I do myself want to know more, but in Bellydance it seems taken for granted that you need to know, straight from the beginners level. Am I missing the point somewhere, or got the wrong end of the stick (again)? Do you think all dances should be given a similar presentation regarding their history and background, or is Bellydance somehow special?

For my money, I think I’d like it and appreciate it if every dance (and for that matter every thing) I learnt were to contain some history, context and development in it.

Belly dance is special.

Now why didn't I think of that!

All history is important. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The slavery and the colonialism. The pasties. All of it. It needs to be remembered lest it be repeated. I make no exception for BD history, and this I suspect is why I have opened many cans of worms with some belly dancers on the Internet; because I dredge up things they would as soon leave buried.

For instance, I think Fawzia Amir is significant because she brought Egyptian Style to the North American continent in the 1950's, but she was harrassed by the authorities, fined, and almost deported on morals charges. I suspect many dancers today would rather forget her because the average human mind supposes where there is smoke there must be fire, but I think of her as something of a pioneer.

The good... the bad... and the pasties.

I like it.

Just for the record, Fawzia was hassled by Canadian officials.

Partly to try and dispell all the bullshit out there about the dance. Such as it is "by women, for women", sexual entertainment, passed down through reincarnations of sacred prostitutes or priestesses of the Great Mother, or brought to a danceless land by cheerful, skirt swishing Gypsies.

If enough teachers can teach what the dance really is maybe, just maybe, some of it will leak through to the GP.

Also, without a context people can go off and decide belly dance can be anything they dream up. You cannot really blame some poor student who had an ignorant or deluded teacher from deciding that if she wears snakeskin pants with a bare belly and a sequined bra with a hip drop to dubstp she is recreating a great ritual that is the keystone of belly dance.

Students being told where a dance originates and being told its cultural context...

Some of it might be down to your teachers. I suspect it's perfectly possible to find BD teachers who don't know/care about history or cultural context.

Why is this seen as an important part of learning Bellydance? Is it the folkdance aspect of it – preserving a heritage that needs careful tending or it’ll be sullied by ignoramuses? Is there a fantasy element – I need to know all about this dance because it then makes me more ‘native’ to it, more ‘attuned’ to its essence? Or is it habit – I’m telling you this because it was told to me? Has this always been done with Bellydance teaching?

I think it's important because it allows you to see differences between styles, how the dance and music has changed over time, what makes something one style and not another etc - without that it's all one big flavourless mush IMO. It's not for me to preserve anything (because "they" can't? Patronising at all?), it's not about passing as native. I think it is about essences - it means I can see things in context and that gives me the potential to be a better dancer.

But teachers vary. Some will be doing what their teachers did, some will be preservophiles, some will be channelling Cleopatra, or Randa or whatever, some will be showing off their knowledge in front of students.

I’ve done my own limited reading into Ballroom and Tap-dance to appreciate where those dances come from and who influenced them, but I don’t actually feel I needed to know that in order to dance them... in Bellydance it seems taken for granted that you need to know, straight from the beginners level.

I think that depends on the teacher again. I don't see the point throwing a lot of history at students who are trying to do a hip circle. Some might, others might just drop in a few titbits of background, others might never do any of it. I don't think you need it to get the basics, but you need it if you want to start working on what makes a move look saiidi or baladi or orientale. Or tribal. Or retro vs modern. Without it I think a person risks becoming a clone of their teacher, or part of the mush.

...or is Bellydance somehow special?

'course it is! Seriously, as Kashmir said there is so much BD BS out there - the GP's perceptions, from dancers (either learnt from their teachers and/or self-serving wishtory), and all the issues around orientalism. Teachers are in a position where they can be part of a solution so good for them if they are trying.

Belly dance history is important because it is history, everything starts with a beginning and what comes to pass is a record of achievement, so those interested in Belly dance can draw reference on what it is they do and perhaps feel part of something that will be history to the future.

But history also is the remembrance of great people from the past to inspire a new generation.

But then, if we did not have history to draw from, what freedom would we have, what achievements could we make and with that what mistakes.

No, history is important for it allows us to understand the point of life is to become better than the past.