1. Before the establishment of Islam, belly dancing was popular for a long time.

Before the Middle East, belly dancing was not what we see now. We wear wide and big folk coats or robes, which can cover the lines of our bodies. The only decoration is a square towel or belt around the hips to highlight the movement of the waist and hips.

In America, this kind of dance was originally named as colorful and clear belly dance. Later, it appeared in a large number of Hollywood movies, and the costumes were completely changed into corsets and waist ornaments decorated with sequins and beads, as well as long skirts with slits, which satisfied the imagination of the sensory stimulation of the Ottoman harem in western culture. . . It turned out to be a classic image of belly dance.

4. Then the American version of "Belly Dance", which was completely changed and renamed, was sent back to the Middle East. At that time, Western tourists visited Egypt and Turkey, and what they saw when watching belly dancing was not what they expected. In order to meet the psychological expectations of western tourists and attract tourists, Egyptian nightclubs began to let belly dancers wear the same belly dance costumes as in movies. The first one is a nightclub owner named badia Masanbi, who is also a dancer. 1926, she opened her first nightclub in Egypt, which was also her nightclub. In 1930s, she first introduced belly dancing costumes from Hollywood movies. Since then, Egyptian dancers have accepted this special belly dance costume. This style of belly dance clothing has been used to this day.

In a word, Islamic countries have been wronged.

The following is a more detailed explanation

Islam was founded in the seventh century BC. Before this, belly dance began to spread among the people from ancient society. Even religion can't completely control people, and people's traditional customs are often non-religious. And belly dancing has always been a party dance between women, not a performance. So religion doesn't need to interfere.

In fact, it's not just Islam. In ancient society, no matter what religion, women should not be seen in public in China, Europe and many parts of the world. So-called female artists (singers, dancers, actors, etc.) have always been despised. ) belly dance was not seen for the first time until the western colonists came to the Middle East in the19th century. It is said that they are local Gypsies (or Gawazee) in Egypt. These ethnic groups have been wandering on the edge of society and are not regulated by the mainstream society. So when the western troops entered Egypt, these gypsies made money by performing arts.

Then there is the capitalist world: America. At the World Expo in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century, in a bunch of scientific and technological exhibitions, a businessman had a unique eye and got an Egyptian dancer, and publicized it with great fanfare: Come to the weird East to see the belly.

Dance! This is how what used to be called oriental dance in the Middle East became belly dance. In order to arouse people's excitement, businessmen specially named this dance body part. In the conservative early 20th century, it was very impolite to address women by parts. In fact, for this businessman, it was originally meant to be called HipDance, but Hip was even more offensive at that time, so I found a more neutral belly.

This is also the reason why many people vaguely think that the name belly dance is indecent. In fact, no dance is directly named after body parts. Ballet is not called tiptoe dance; Flamingos are not called tap dancing; Samba dance is not called hip dance; The national standard dance is not called waist twisting dance; Even tap dancing has its own characteristics, not called legs or feet.

Back to the Chicago Expo, even if it was called belly dancing, the dancers who performed at that time were all wearing robes, wearing belts on their hips and not showing their bellies. So it is concluded that belly dancing clothes are not so exposed from beginning to end.

A new question has also arisen: how did the clothes for belly dancing become like this?

In fact, belly dancing officially became a professional performance, especially in the United States, after the invention of the film. In early Hollywood, many Middle Eastern dancers were introduced and many belly dancing movies were made. Many later master dancers performed in movies at that time. In order to achieve the effect of the film, belly dance costumes are gradually "customized", with bra-style tops and elegant skirts. The first choreography of belly dance also took place in the United States at that time. Interestingly, when many people watch the early Hollywood belly dance movies, they will find that there are several famous Middle Eastern belly dancers in the dance troupe. But why so clumsy?

In fact, in the Middle East, dancers always improvise and never choreograph, so they are not used to performing standard dance codes in movies.

Since the 1920s and 1930s, more and more western tourists have visited Egypt, including not only pyramids and sphinxes, but also belly dancers. But there was no specific belly dance costume in Egypt at that time. In fact, even in performances, dancers wear wide folk coats or robes, which can cover their body lines. The only decoration is a square towel or belt around their hips to highlight their waist and hip movements. But obviously, such a conservative image is far from the glamorous and charming image of belly dancers in Hollywood movies, and it is far from meeting the aesthetic expectations of western tourists for belly dancing. In order to meet the psychological expectations of western tourists and attract tourists, Egyptian nightclubs began to let belly dancers wear the same belly dance costumes as in movies. The first one is a nightclub owner named badia Masanbi, who is also a dancer. 1926, she opened her first nightclub in Egypt, which was also her nightclub. In 1930s, she first introduced belly dancing costumes from Hollywood movies. Since then, Egyptian dancers have accepted this special belly dance costume. This style of belly dance clothing has been used to this day, that is, the Caballe belly dance clothing we see today is sexy, gorgeous and shining.

Belly dancing set off a craze in the United States at that time. There was a movie craze in the Middle East. Egypt was an important film city at that time. There are many belly dance movies, and many belly dancers have reached the peak. Turkey has also developed many belly dance movies and produced many belly dance stars. Clubs and nightclubs hold concerts every night, and many famous belly dance stars become famous in these places.

However, belly dancing gradually declined in Egypt. For a time, Egypt was open, but when the relations between Europe, America and Middle East countries became more tense, Islamic revivalists would gain more power in society. Islamic fundamentalism (note 3), which is often referred to as the fundamentalist school in the media, later expanded its influence in Egypt and suppressed belly dancing. Many belly dance nightclubs closed down or transformed, dancers who made a living from belly dancing gradually withdrew or moved to Europe and the United States for development, and many well-known dancers retired because they were fed up with attacks and insults from fundamentalists. Famous belly dancers who stay in Egypt always need layers of bodyguards to protect them now.

Therefore, in fact, the development of belly dance in the Middle East now depends on the country's political and social situation. Not all Middle Eastern countries are very conservative. Not all Muslim-dominated countries have only one face.

Turkey has always adopted the separation of church and state, and Lebanon has a tradition of tolerance. Syria is ruled by Shia Allevi, a very liberal sect of Islam. Egypt has been an Arab cultural, artistic and entertainment center since ancient times, and it is also very open. Iran was also very open before the revolution. Saddam Hussein in Iraq does not rule the country by religion, and women are not bound, which is also open. Bahrain is also a relatively open place, known as the Bay Nightclub.

In these countries, there are more belly dancers developing locally (there are none in Iran now). But now there are few belly dancers in Iran and Iraq. After the American invasion, sectarian violence in Iraq made women's personal safety very dangerous, and fundamentalists began to rise because of the American invasion.

However, due to the increasingly tense relationship between the West and the Middle East countries, when there is foreign aggression, local people tend to be xenophobic and return to tradition, self-identity and nationalism. If people are willing to operate it, it will become the control of basic teachings. This is also a problem that the Middle East is trying to face. It is also the dilemma that belly dancers in the Middle East will encounter in the face of this trend.