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Belly Dancing:
Art or Tart?
There is a lot of misconception about the art of belly dancing.
Westerners may see it as yet another form of oppression or exploitation
of the female body by Middle-Eastern men. And of course, it is easy
to adhere to that idea when you see a beautiful semi-clad woman
gyrating on top of a table filled by fat hairy men putting dollar
bills in her corset. But belly dancing is not strip tease and any
element of burlesque was added when the art of belly dancing was
exported to the West in the nineteenth century by Europeans and
Americans eager to add another lewd number to their Vaudeville act.
For example, the practice of putting a rhinestone in the belly button
or putting money in the dancer’s costume is thought by many to be
a sleaze factor that lies outside of the traditional art of belly
dancing. Also, the dancer is not supposed to become nude in the
act. In fact, she is often wearing layers of pantaloons, robes,
tunics, scarves etc, so much so that it would take hours even if
she were to shed her clothing for money. And originally, belly dance
was never performed for the entertainment of men but was only danced
amongst women.
| There is no doubt
that belly dancing is an art form. Originating from antiquity,
there are many styles, forms, steps, accessories, and costumes
indigenous to various regions stretching from the Mediterranean
to East Asia, requiring years of study and practice before mastering
it. The multitude of dance forms grouped in English as “belly
dance” have a variety of names in the cultures that produced
them. To Greeks, belly dance is the cifte telli; to Turks, rakkase;
to Egyptians, raks sharki. To Iranians, it is known as “Raghse-Arabi”
or Arabic Dance. Probably the most famous of Iranian belly dancers
is Jamileh (See photo below). |
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Jillina |
Jamileh can dance not only Arabic-flavored
belly dances but also the native Persian classical dances
as well as more street-savvy forms of Persian dancing known
as the “Jaheli” dance, homegrown in the downtown slums of
Tehran just as break-dancing originated in the projects of
America. Like any great ballet or jazz dancer, Jamileh adds
that special spice to her dance by being a great actress as
well. After all, every dance is just a form of story-telling.
Her facial expressions, including her famously come-hither
looks and eyebrow twitching has made her the “goddess of Persian
dance” ever since she came to prominence in pre-revolutionary
Iran. After the exile forced on by the revolution, Jamileh
could still be seen performing in Europe and North America,
as supple and gracious as she was in her earlier years.
Los Angeles-based Jillina is one of the foremost
belly dancers today. She is the founder of the international
dance company Jillina & The Sahlala Dancers, which requires
its members to follow a strict training program in Ballet,
Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Ballroom, Folkloric and Oriental dance,
as well as being accomplished professionals in singing, acting
and choreography. Their repertoire is incredibly diverse,
encompassing everything from Raks Sharki and Arabic folkloric
numbers to Armenian, Persian, Indian, Brazilian, Spanish and
Greek dances.
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Jillina constantly explores novel cultures and dances,
by touring Europe, Japan, Australia, and Brazil, and training in
Egypt with master teachers and choreographers. At International
Academy of Middle Eastern Dance’s Fourth Annual Award Show, Jillina
won the award for Best Modern Egyptian Dancer. At the Fifth Annual
Awards, Jillina & The Sahlala Dancers won Best Dance Company.
At the 2001 Giza Awards, Jillina won for Best Instructional Video.
For more information on Jillina and her L.A. and international appearances,
check out her website www.jillina.com.
Today, there is a renewed interest in the dance
and many dance schools and studios are filled to the brim due to
the popularization of this art form by pop idols such as Britney
Spears and Shakira.
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Half
Colombian, half Lebanese Shakira incorporates
her native dance into
her pop routine. |
Britney
Spears dances to her Middle-Eastern inspired hit “I’m a Slave
4 u” |
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Some belly dancers remains highly traditional; some
employ Westernized music and glitzy show-biz ambience. While it
is a powerful and sexy dance, real belly dancing is not lewd or
vulgar. It is meant to inspire awe and admiration, as well as great
entertainment. In whatever form it expresses itself today, belly
dance remains one of the world’s strongest and most vital links
to an ancient heritage.
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