About Middle Eastern Dance:

Its History, Cultural Context, Styles

History Of Middle Eastern Dance Enriching Your Knowledge: The Dance Today	Clip Art and Quotes
Recent Additions To This Page	Important Notice!

<==This graphic, wherever it appears, indicates a book review.

History Of Oriental Dance

Did you know the correct name for belly dancing is actually "Oriental Dance"? The Arabic name for it is raqs sharqi, which means "dance of the East/Orient", and the Turkish name is Oryantal.

Articles

A Dance For The Whole Family. Is it a dance of seduction, or a joyous family activity? Read this article to find out.
The Veil And Oriental Dance: Veil Dancing In North Africa And The Middle East. History of how veils have been used over the past century in the dancing of the Middle East and North Africa, by Elizabeth Artemis Mourat.
Fact Or Fantasy? There are many beliefs about the history of Middle Eastern music, dance, and apparel. Which ones are true?
Belly Dancing - Isn't That Like Stripping? Just why do people link belly dancing with stripping? Here's a historical and cultural perspective.
Cross-Dressing in Middle Eastern Dance. When and where men in the Middle East performed dressed as women.
The Required Qualities of Dancers. Translation by Dr. George Sawa of a 10th-century Syrian text. Placed online May 2, 2008.

That "Snake Charmer" Song. Find out how belly dancing first came to North America, and learn about the "snake charmer" song that so many non-dancers associate with belly dancing.
Dance of the Seven Veils. Why people think belly dancers do the "dance of the seven veils".
Middle Eastern Dance: The Spiritual Connection. Use of movement meditation in traditional Middle Eastern spiritual practices.
Why the Fuss Over Egyptian Style Music & Oriental Dance? Why so many people believe Egyptian style is the "real" Oriental dance.

Product Reviews

A Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers And Dancers In Egypt. This book presents research into the status that female singers and dancers have in Egyptian society. It traces the history of the entertainment profession from the 19th century to today.
Dance Crazy: Star Turns From Ballet To Belly Dancing. Review of a children's book, designed to teach children ages 9-12 about dance. It focuses primarily on ballet, but has five excellent pages about belly dancing. The historical information it gives about belly dancing is much more accurate than some of the rubbish I've heard from self-pronounced "professional" belly dancers.

Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World. This book explores the history of belly dancing from ancient times through the present.
Looking For Little Egypt. This book shares the author's detailed research into the Middle Eastern dancing at the 1893 World's Columbia Exposition in Chicago and the impact it had on American society.

Enriching Your Knowledge: The Dance Today

Dance is a living and growing art form. Learn about the directions it is taking today, not just in the Middle East, but in other places too!

Styles Of Belly Dance In The United States. Explores the differences between the three styles of belly dancing that are most popular in the United States: American Restaurant, U.S. Tribal, and Egyptian Oriental. Read this before you attend your first belly dance festival in the United States so you can recognize the different dance styles that appear on stage!
A Dance By Any Other Name. What should we call it? Belly dance? Oriental dance? Raqs sharqi?
A Glossary Of Middle Eastern Dance Terms. Contains a list of more than 60 terms related to belly dancing along with their definitions and guidelines on pronunciation.
What Is Pharaonic Dance? What does it mean when a dancer says she performs "Pharaonic" dance, and where can you see performances of it?
Belly Dance and Harem Scenes in Movies and Television. A list of some places where belly dance has appeared in the popular media with mini-reviews of each.

Quiz. Tackle these 14 questions to test what you know of belly dancing, Middle Eastern culture, and music. Are you as knowledgeable as you think you are?
Belly Questions. Both snappy answers and educational answers to questions that people commonly ask belly dancers.
Middle Eastern Dance and the Internet. Learn how the Internet has changed the worldwide belly dance community.
Baladi. By Hossam Ramzy. The word "baladi" refers to a rich Egyptian cultural heritage. Egyptian musician Hossam Ramzy describes the culture that spawned the baladi dance style.
Shira's Reading List For Belly Dancers. A list of books related to the history of belly dancing, Middle Eastern culture, and other topics that dancers are likely to enjoy. Some have pointers to reviews written by Shira, while others are titles that Shira hasn't read yet but plans to. If you're researching Middle Eastern dance or culture, this list will give you an idea of where to start in your library or bookstore.

They Told Me I Couldn't: A Young Woman's Multicultural Adventures In Colombia. This book describes Tamalyn Dallal's travels around Colombia after getting a job belly dancing in an Arabic restaurant in Bogota.
Belly Laughs. This book is a compilation of anecdotes about the audience members, bloopers, unusual settings, and experiences belly dancers have encountered while plying their trade.
The Tribal Bible. Read Shira's review of this book by Kajira Djoumahna which attacks the question of "What the heck IS American Tribal Style Bellydance, Anyway?"

Photo Gallery: Scenes From Turkey

Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance at Orient House. Photo gallery featuring three dancers who performed at Orient House in Istanbul on July 11, 2000.
Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance at Gar Gazinosu. Photo gallery featuring four dancers who performed at Gar Gazinosu in Istanbul on July 12, 2000.
Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance at Kervansaray. Photo gallery featuring three dancers who performed at Kervansaray in Istanbul on July 13, 2000.
Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance at Kusadasi. Pictures of the five dancers who performed at the Kervansaray Hotel in Kusadasi on July 18, 2000.
Scenes from Turkey: Other Oriental Dance Performances. Pictures of three additional dancers I saw while I was in Turkey in July, 2000.

Clip Art & Quotes

Clip Art For Dancers. Here are several online clip art collections that you may find helpful. The best is a royalty-free collection of 68 clip art images related to belly dancing created by Me'ira for you to use on your web site, in your newsletter, on your flyers, or other places where you need a little artwork. Also includes pointers to several other sources.
Quotations About Dance. A potpourri of what well-known dancers, choreographers, and others have said about dance. Note that this is not limited to Oriental dance--the quotes come from people of all dance disciplines (Oriental, ballet, modern, etc.)

PHOTO CREDIT: This photo of Shira in her pink Turkish costume was taken by Dr. William M. Smith, Sunnyvale, California, 2001.

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Recent Changes To This Menu

On May 2, 2008, added the article The Required Qualities of Dancers, summarized and translated by Dr. George Sawa from a 10th-century Syrian text.

On June 10, 2006, inserted the "Updated" icon by The Snake Charmer Song to indicate that additional information has been added.