Belly dancing is part of Egyptian culture, with tremendous influence on Arabic culture as a whole. Throughout the Middle East and the Arab diaspora, belly dancing is closely associated with Arabic music that is modern classical (known as "al-jadid").
African origins
…is considerable agreement that the belly dance, now performed by dancers from the Middle East, is of African origin. A report of the 4th century bc from Memphis in Egypt described in detail the performance of an apparently rumba-like couple dance with an unquestionably erotic character.
What we call “belly dance” is known as “Oriental” or “Eastern” dance in Arabic and Turkish (raqs sharqi and Oryantal dans, respectively).
Origins of the Dance
According to some, the dance form that today many call belly dance is extremely old and traces of it can be found up to 6,000 years ago, in some pagan societies who used to worship a feminine deity, to celebrate women's fertility as something magic.
Among the best-known of the Arab traditional dances are the belly dance, the ardah, and the dabke. Traditional dancing is still popular among expatriate Arabs and has also been successfully exported to international folk dance groups all over the world.
Dervish dancing. There is one outstanding example of pure dance: that of the whirling dervishes, an art that has been practiced since the 13th century. The procedure is part of a Muslim ceremony called the dhikr, the purpose of which is to glorify God and seek spiritual perfection.
Alardah is a traditional performance combining dance, drumming and chanting poetry that signifies the start and end of notable occasions, such as religious holidays, weddings, births, graduation ceremonies, or events of national or local significance.
Overall, there is no universally accepted proscription against dancing in Islam. Some Muslims may feel belly dance is acceptable, but less so when it is associated with alcohol, drugs, or sexuality outside of marriage, while others may feel only each individuals' behavior and relationship with God matters.
In 1893, promoter Sol Bloom, introduced belly dance to America, at the Chicago World's Fair. In those days, it was considered to be daring if a woman revealed so much as an ankle. Belly dance was therefore initially seen as being risqué and shocking.
Belly dancing has its roots in the Middle East, while salsa grew out of Latin American traditions.
They did these dances as a military practice. The dances which typically feature mock battles serve as both physical exercise and martial training on how to utilize the stick as a weapon. This type of dance is still seen in the traditional Egyptian raqs al-tahtib (the men's "stick dance").
The M'alayah (Arabic: معلايه or معلاية / ALA-LC: ma'alāyah) is a kind of dance common in North Africa and Eastern Arabia.
It came to represent not only femininity. It became a symbol of pride amongst feminist to not only showcase their bodies and consider themselves goddesses. This art form became one with empowerment. The belly dance world was connected to something more than that, people also went back to the source.
As one of the oldest forms of dance, the benefits of belly dance are undeniable; Belly Dancing promotes balance, strength, digestion, coordination and confidence as well as being a fun and highly expressive dance form. Belly dancing is empowering and fun, but its health benefits and rewards are highly underestimated.
Throughout the history of the belly dance, veils have been worn to conceal the body, which symbolizes both sexuality and worldliness. In Muslim society, modern Arab women are still required to wear veils in obedience to Islam.
There is a regional folk dance from the south of Iran called Bandari, and it is often referred to as Persian belly dance. The reason is quite obvious: it has a lot of shaking movements (both hips and shoulder shimmies), twists, some hip circles, and a bit of hair tosses.
Turkish Belly Dancing & Dancers
Belly dancing is popular in Turkey. Night clubs are the most common venues, but belly dancers are also hired göbek atmak (“to toss the belly”) at weddings and special events.
There are certain guidelines in regards to what is considered al- halal and al-haram within the Muslim religion. Muslim women are not allowed to dance with men and are not allowed to dance in front of them. However, some Muslims dance in their homes with their brother(s), husbands, or even their fathers (Banes 247).
Here are a few reasons why there may be belly dancers at weddings: In Egypt, the Ghawazee had typically been hired as wedding dancers, just as in the West, we hire DJs to “get the party started”. In this case, it would be unseemly for the bride to dance in public, so by hiring the Ghawazee, social order is preserved.
Ayyala Dancing
Perhaps the most well-known traditional dance in the United Arab Emirates, Al Ayyala is performed by men and boys at weddings, national holidays and other celebrations.
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that emerged from Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso.
The Muslim scholar al-Qaradawi states that singing and music in itself is permissible and pleasurable. He places several restrictions on them though. The content of the song should not be against the morals and teachings of Islam or be accompanied by other forbidden things in Islam like alcohol.