Where does belly dance come from?
What kinds of events are appropriate for belly dancers?
How much do belly dancers charge for a performance?
How does one tip a belly dancer and is this appropriate?
Where does belly dance come from?
Belly dance does not have a single
point of origin but rather has existed in many forms throughout many cultures.
In fact, it is not really possible to say where "belly dance" originated as the
very term "belly dance" is a modern day term covering the integrated form of
numerous dance forms throughout the Middle-East, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia
and even North and South America. There are lots of stories portraying it
as some ultra-erotic seduction tool practiced by women for the pleasure of their
men. These stories, however are not the mainstream belief of historians
and are not how most Middle-Eastern cultures view belly dance. The most
widely accepted belief is that early forms of belly dance developed in the
Middle-East as a recreational and festive art form. It is believed
that it was performed by ordinary people at festive events much in the same way
most contemporary cultures have dancing at parties and festivals. It was
something to perform, participate in and experience by men, women and children
(though often men and women celebrated separately at same-sex parties,
especially in Muslim cultures). Instead of doing the Macarena, the
Electric Slide, Line Dancing, etc, common everyday people would "belly
dance".
This is believed to have been common in numerous countries including Egypt,
Turkey, Armenia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and many many others. Over
time these forms of "belly dance" mingled and evolved into what most modern "belly
dancers"
perform. Even now, however, belly dance is a very general term that applies
to a wide variety of styles of dance found in many cultures throughout the
world.
What do belly dancers do?
Belly dancers create a beautiful visual interpretation of
the music they are dancing to. Professional belly dancers are known for
fast hip work and excellent abdominal muscle control which enables them to do
belly rolls. They can keep the beat to the various fast rythmns found in
Middle Eastern music with zills (finger cymbals) while they perform their
intricate moves. Then, as the tempo of the music slows their movements
will change to undulations, slow and graceful. They may pick up a silk veil
and make it float through the air as they spin, or demonstrate their skills
balancing a scimitar (heavy Turkish sword) or Shamadan (large candelabra with
lighted candles) on their head while they dance. Some dancers will perform
ethnic dances from Egypt, Turkey, Armenia, Persia, and other Middle Eastern
countries. In the United States dancers may integrate many cultures and
styles into their dance. In
the United States a typical
15-30 minute cabaret performance includes a fast opening dance, a
slow veil dance, another fast dance, a drum solo and a farewell dance.
What kinds of events are
appropriate for belly dancers?
Belly dancers provide fun and crowd pleasing entertainment at
nearly any happy or joyous event. They are great at parties, receptions, ethnic
restaurants and dance clubs, fairs, stage shows, and even movies and TV shows.
In some cultures it is traditional to have belly dancer(s) and musicians lead the bride
and/or groom into their wedding reception in a processional called a Zaffa.
Belly dancers are practitioners of a highly developed cultural art, much in the way
Hawaiian Hula, Spanish Flamenco or Classical Ballet dancers are and should not be thought
of as striptease dancers. Although the dance is flirtatious and sometimes
sensual, they are appropriate for family events and are enjoyed by men, women
and children of all ages. Mara has performed at a large variety of venues, including
fairs, festivals, stage productions, retirement and birthday parties, dance clubs,
weddings, children's parties, and even
retirement homes. She tailors her performances to her audience, selecting
appropriate music and costuming to ensure an appealing show.
How much do belly
dancers charge for a performance?
Given how many years of hard work it takes to learn this demanding
art and how many hundreds of dollars in costuming and props are used in
a performance, belly dancers perform for small amounts of money.
As with any professional entertainer, rates are subject to vary based on
the length and difficulty of the performance, skill of the dancer, size of the
event, number of dancers, etc. Mara receives a minimum of
$100 for a solo appearance of up to 25 minutes and is usually graced with tips from her appreciative audiences.
Due to the extremely demanding nature of the dance, most solo performers will dance
continuously for
15-30 minutes. If the event calls for a longer performance, multiple dancers
may
stage a show, where the dancers can mix solo performances, duets and group performances. When trying to plan costs for
your event, keep in mind charges usually increase with the distance the dancer
must travel, the amount of sound equipment required, length of performance, size
of audience, costume changes, etc.
How does one tip a
belly dancer and is this appropriate?
Tips are always appreciated if they are given to the
dancer politely. The audience
can show their enjoyment of a dance performance with tips, and in restaurants,
much of the belly dancer's
income comes from these tips. Arabic audiences usually "shower" the dancer with a handful
of paper money by throwing it in the air over her head. The other common
method of tipping in the US is to fold bills
lengthwise to stiffen them and then try to partially insert them into the top of
her
belt/waistband, while she does her utmost with her quickly moving hips to
make it difficult for you to do so. Unfortunately, people unfamiliar with
belly dancers my get the wrong idea about what tipping represents. Please
respect the belly dancer and don't tip her in a suggestive manner, or try to
grab her or her costume.
How do I learn belly dance?
Luckily women everywhere in the United States are becoming
more aware of the great health benefits to be gained by taking belly dance
lessons and practicing the dance. Belly dance movements are very natural
to a woman's body, and because they are mostly low impact, they are easy on the
joints. Belly dance is one of the few dance forms that can be done
throughout a woman's life. Students in Mara's classes typically range in
age from 11 to 60! If you are interested in learning belly dance you can
hopefully locate an instructor near you by searching on the internet or by
checking at your local community center. If you are unable to find a
teacher near you, then try purchasing some belly dance videos online. You
can find vendors selling belly dance videos on Mara's
Links page, or you can purchase them
through Amazon.
This page was last updated on 02/18/07.