Dear Salome,
I feel that while Belly dance has its roots in folkloric dances, it is not a folkloric dance in itself, but has moved into the realm of entrtainment art, or performance art.
I think a good comparison would be Tap in America, which definately came from folkloric roots, but changed dramatically as the people moved from the country to the city, and eventually became a professional dance form.
This change from the agraraian environment to the urban environment changed the meaning, feeling and even the movement style of these dances and put them to a new and different use.
I think this is true in many dances that start out as folkloric dance, but make that change when displaced from their natural environments.
Regards,
A'isha
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