Syrian

“Belly Dance”

‫رﻗص ﺷرﻗﻲ ودب‬

Michael Cuenco, Jelina Hollberg, Kholoud Abou Arida,
Ishora Dulal, and Lauren Mason
‫وﻟورﯾن ﻣﯾﺳون‬, ‫إﯾﺷورا دوﻻل‬, ‫ﺧﻠود اﺑو ﻋرﯾﺿﺔ‬, ‫ﺟﯾﻠﯾﻧﺎ ھوﻟﺑرج‬, ‫ﻣﺎﯾﻛل ﻛوﯾﻧﻛو‬
Dancers in the Syrian culture
“Raqs Sharqi, “belly dance,” was traditionally
done by women for women; the separation of
sexes and the veiling of women predates Islam
and can be traced back to many ancient
cultures.”

In modern days, both men and women can

dance- but it is more often the women who
perform.

Belly dance in the Middle East has two distinct

social contexts: as a folk or social dance, and as
a performance art.
Religious origins
There are numerous different stories and purposes as for why people began to
belly dance. Some examples of what the dances stood for are:

● blessing and healing people

● mimicking the harvesting and sowing of crops
● preparation for childbirth
● preparation of the wedding ceremony
● secular entertainment
● evolved from the worship of the great mother goddess
● magic and secular dances in ancient civilizations
Misconception about sensuality
In the work of Roman Balladine entitled “Secrets of Belly Dancing,” it is stated that
the dancer is “…never coy or flirtatious; she is not trying to arouse, but to fascinate.
Promising nothing but pleasure for its own sake, she does not bring the dance to a
climax, but having captivated her audience will move into a new stage.”
Movement
● Belly dance is primarily a torso-driven dance,
● with an emphasis on articulations of the hips.
● The majority of movements come from the hip and pelvic region; however,
isolations of the shoulders and chest are also vital to a fluid-looking
performance.
● Belly dancing is very showy in style and costuming, but requires disciplined
skill of isolations.
 Values, Cultural Norms & Ideals
● Syria is a traditional society with a long cultural history.
● Their main importance is family, religion, education, self-discipline, and respect
● Physical touch is acceptable between members of the same sex, not opposite
gender.
● It is common for friends of the same sex to hold hands in public as a sign of
friendship
● Hand shaking is acceptable, cheek kissing is not
Music
● Some of the instruments used for belly dance are the:
○ oboe, shovel-shaped harp, vocal harmony, hand clapping, rectangular tambourines,
drums, and rattles.
● Other instruments that were also seen were the:
○ lute, flute, harp, Moroccan trumpet, round tambourine, finger cymbals and many more
Clothing
The attire of a belly dancer is extremely
important and holds a great deal of meaning to
the dance form.

● Layers of colorful skirts

● Fitted bra top
● Low riding belt
● Fringe
● Coins/sequins
● Veils
Belly dance in the U.S.
Belly dancing was introduced to America in 1893.

It started with promoter Sol Bloom, at the Chicago

World’s Fair.

Belly dance is a celebration and an expression of

feminine strength.

In Northern Africa, young women perform the belly

dance to collect coins in the marketplace. These coins are
sewn onto their clothes as part of a dowry.
Stereotype of belly dancing
● “One of the things we do is disassociate ourselves from sexual stigmas,
because this dance is not at all intended to be sexual.
● The Belly Dancers at Florida State University are aware that their dances raise
false sexual stigmas about women and dance and have therefore denied
performing at events that have fitness poles, which have sexual connotations
tied to them.
Acculturation
● Belly dancing has acculturated in the US in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

● Studios were opened and Americans started to practice belly dance.

How do the natives feel about this?
● Because belly dancing has been taken up in the U.S., many people of all
backgrounds have been given the chance to try it.
● However most of the time it is not taught by someone who knows what they’re
doing, isn’t passing it along correctly, or does not have authentic intentions.

● Natives believe that much of the time it is offensive or seems to be mockery, but
if done correctly and respectfully should be okay for anyone to do.
Oppression and privilege today
● ⅔ of Muslim Americans say they are dissatisfied with their treatment in the U.S.
today.
● 48% say they’ve experienced incidents of racism in recent years.
 In the midst of a Civil War, Syrians keep dancing
● A group of dancers in Syria, known as Dare, have taken to the streets
of Syria in an effort to inspire change
● Despite a conservative culture, and because
of their focus on restoring a positive
atmosphere, as opposed to opposing the
government, the dancers have been
graciously accepted among Syrians
● They “dare to live their lives the way they
wanted” and focus on inspiring others to
follow suit
Syria
Fest
● People gather in the Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. to celebrate Syrian
culture once a year
● Comprised of food and merchandise tents and events happening all day long
from “tent talks” to cultural exhibits and photo galleries to dances and musical
acts all celebrating Syrian culture
● Sponsered by the Syrian Culture House, a non profit based out of the Greater
Washington D.C. area
Syrian Impact on American Culture
● Without Syrian influence, American culture wouldn’t be the same today
● Steve Jobs, Jerry Seinfeld and Paula Abdul all hail from Syrian background, all
of which have had enormous impacts on their respective disciplines
Commonalities as contemporary peoples
The evolution of “Belly dance” connected with me, because it has been influenced by so many different
countries and ideas. For one person, dancing represents freedom; to another it means healing. It adapted,
and so can we. - Jelina

Belly dance means a lot to me it is my culture, I raised with belly dancing, it gives me the happiness always
gets me out of my negative feelings. Belly dancing gathers me and my even when we were in the middle of
the war it was the treatment for our souls.-Kholoud

The history and cultivation of belly dancing was very intriguing and interesting to me because I grew up
dancing in a form that practiced movement in a very isolated way. I loved to learn about this culture and the
meaning behind their movements.-Lauren

I learned that dance is cultural identity and a way of connecting with other people. The newer generations
need to understand the eminence of cultures, traditions, and impressions they bring within the society.
-Ishora
 Works Cited:
1. www.dailysabah.com. “Belly Dancing: An Oriental Stereotype or Source of Rehabilitation for Women?”
DailySabah, Www.dailysabah.com, 23 Jan. 2016,
www.dailysabah.com/feature/2016/01/23/belly-dancing-an-oriental-stereotype-or-source-of-rehabili
tation-for-women.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance
3. https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1642&context=honors_capstone
4. zaitoon, r. (2019). Belly dancers shake up cultural stereotypes. [online] Fsunews.com. Available at:
https://www.fsunews.com/story/life/2016/04/18/belly-dancers-shake-up-cultural-stereotypes/8320
2830/ [Accessed 24 Apr. 2019].
5. Introtodance. “Belly Dancing: A Look into the History of the Ancient Form.” History and Development of
Dance/ Brockport, 3 May 2013,
dancehistorydevelopment.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/belly-dancing-a-look-into-the-history-of-the-a
ncient-form/
6. Balladine, Roman, and Sula. The Secrets of Belly Dancing. Celestial Arts Pub., 1973.
7. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/dancing-social-change-syria-arts-culture/