History of Bellydance

The ancient history of Belly Dance has been traced to fertility and religious rituals that honoured women as the bearers of life. The abdominal/pelvic movements imitating childbirth were used to prepare the woman’s body and also to assist in the birthing process.

Belly Dance in this original form was not performed to project eroticism but rather to display the wonder and power of women, motherhood and childbirth. Some researchers believe that the dance originated in Egypt while others suggest a migration pattern from regions thru out North Africa. Two groups believed to be integral in its proliferation are the Ghawazi in Egypt and the Ouled Nail of Algeria. The acceptability of dance in the Middle East has been entwined with women's role in society. Over time the dance was limited to the home for women to entertain each other. Professional dance became the domain of poorer members of society.

Over time Belly Dance moved from a religious sphere to the realm of entertainment. The entertainment version was brought to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 where it was dubbed “belly dance” or, “dance of the abdomen”.

Tribal Style Belly Dance has flourished on the west coast of the United States for the past 40 years. It has gained enormous popularity throughout North America, Europe, Australia and more recently in the UK and Ireland.

The dance blends Romany, Flamenco and Indian influences with regional belly dances from Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. The flavor is dynamic and unique, conveying the power of flamenco with the fluidity of Belly Dance. The costumes are folkloric in nature, inspired by various Tribes through North Africa, the Middle East and India.

The distinguishing feature of Tribal is its use of group improvisation, in small ensembles of 4 or 5 dancers as well as large troupes of up to 25 dancers. Movements are divided between slow and fast repertoires and cues are used to change the movements rather than memorized choreography. As dancers learn the vocabulary of dance cues, they create each dance spontaneously. Tribal dance creates chemistry among dancers as well as with the audience and the music. Fast dances are performed while playing finger cymbals and slow dances often incorporate floorwork and sword or basket balancing.