A: Historically, belly dancing was performed to celebrate and aid with childbirth.  It most likely originated as a sacred fertility dance.

Then over the years, it evolved into a social folk dance to celebrate new births and weddings. Traditionally, belly dancing was performed by women for women.  The dance was performed fully clothed with a sash tied around the hips as seen in these paintings of Egypt's Ghawazee dancers.  Belly dancing was passed from mother to daughter to develop strong pelvic muscles to ease and shorten the duration of childbirth. 

In Egypt, it is still customary for a couple to hire a belly dancer to perform at their wedding and to get a photo taken of their hands placed on her stomach.  This gesture is a blessing of fertility.

A:  Like with Victorian culture, segregating the sexes was common in the Middle East particularly among the high-class (the veil is a segregation tool).  "Proper ladies" never danced in the presence of men - especially to seduce or arouse them.  However, high-class women also wanted to learn the birth dance of the Ghawazee (for the reasons above).  Thus, skilled belly dancers were summoned to teach and perform high society women in the privacy of their palaces and homes.

In the West, a "harem" is associated with a brothel.  However in the Middle East, the history of a harem is much different.  Harem actually means "forbidden".  It was a private area of a home or palace that was forbidden to all men except family members (and castrated guards & servants).  The harem housed all of a family's women - including mothers, daughters, aunts and grandmothers.  No man from outside the family was permitted.  Male outsiders could certainly not enter a family's harem to be aroused by the women.

   Q: How did belly dancing go public?

A: The Ghawazee were a distinct tribe in Egypt that descended from the Romani of India; therefore, they weren't pure Egyptians.  They looked different, and although the Ghawazee were considered some of the most beautiful women in Egypt, they were considered low class.  As a result, they weren't bound by the same etiquette and mores of the upper class.  The Ghawazee openly performed belly dancing at celebrations, and became widely known for their entertaining music and dance.  Some were hired by the upper class to privately teach. 

However, the Ghawazee discovered they could also make a living as street performers - dancing with zills, canes, swords and other props to impress the public.  The public tipped them with coins and they would attach them to their hip sashes.  As a result, wearing coin belts, taking tips & doing public performances developed in belly dancing.

Bellydancers can largely thank Oscar Wilde & Richard Strauss for representing Middle Eastern dance as a form of striptease in the early 1900s.  In their productions of "Salomé", they portrayed a Middle Eastern Dancer stripping off her veils until she is naked. This scene became famous and know as the "Dance of the Seven Veils".  Unknown to most Westerners, it was forbidden for Middle Eastern women to remove their veils in public or use them seductively.  The Ghawazee were banned from performing in Egypt for a period because they didn't wear veils.  Even today, it is illegal in Egypt for belly dancers to perform with a bare stomach.  They must were a body stocking ("shebecka") to cover their abdomen.

Unfortunately, Salomé's fictional striptease was the...um, first 'exposure' many Westerners had to Middle Eastern dance.  At the same time, other Westerners were getting their first glimpses of an erotic book of folklore called "Arabian Nights".  New discoveries of Egyptian tombs and the stories of Cleopatra added to the mystique.  All of these factors kicked off an American obsession with fantasies of the Orient including: desert palaces, great pyramids, exotic harems, veiled dancers, slave girls, flying carpets and magic lamps.

Of course, all of this fantasy makes for great movies.  Numerous Hollywood classics portrayed belly dancers as harem dancers, or mystical erotic temptresses.  Unfortunately, real strippers and prostitutes also capitalized on this fantasy (hence known as "exotic dancers").  As this seedy association grew, legitimate Middle Eastern dancers were relegated to dance for tips in dingy nightclubs.  Due to these poor depictions of the art, many belly dancers have faced bigotry and the attitude "we don't want that sort of thing here".

Fortunately, legitimate belly dancers have fought to re-educate the public to overcome these attitudes and fictional portrayals.  As a result, the art is gaining far more respect.  Today, many professional dance troupes offer spectacular stage shows.  As well, belly dancing has re-emerged as a popular way to celebrate special occasions like weddings, birthdays, and community events.  Many respectable restaurants also offer high-level performances.

Belly dancing is now practiced by thousands of women, children and a few brave men.  It's popular throughout the world - as can be seen on Shakira videos, Bollywood movies & onstage with the Belly Dance Superstars.  Belly dance is suitable for all ages & body types and is an excellent way to develop fitness, self-expression and self-confidence.  Most of all, belly dancing continues to be a wonderful social dance that offers women (& those few brave men) a community of like-minded friends.