Belly Dance is said to be the oldest form of dance. It is hard to pin point the exact origins of the dance, as it has evolved so much throughout history, mainly due to the traveling Romany Gypsies who shared and exchanged dance styles with the indigenous people of the countries they traveled through.

The name ‘Belly Dance’ probably translated from French – Danse du Ventre, meaning dance of the solar plexus or vent (ventre being the belly area), where all the nerve endings come together in the diaphragm., or from the Arabic word “beledi” which means ‘of the country’, Westerners may have misheard the word as “belly” as they noticed the dancers moving the belly area as they danced.

Some of the earliest mentions of Belly Dancing have been found on papyrus in Egypt, confirming that even in 1500 BC, Egyptians Belly Danced.

A popular school of thought says that where “dancing” is spoken about in the Bible, it is referring to Belly Dancing!
In the bible we read about Salome, dancing for Herod. He so enjoyed the dance that he offered her anything. She asked for the head of John the Baptist.
Records show that dance was seen as an important part of worship and Christian rituals.

Oscar Wilde’s play, "Salome," was written in French in 1892, it was illustrated by Audrey Beardsley. One illustration was titled "Danse Du Ventre." Lord Alfred Douglas translated the works into English, and the painting was translated as "Stomach Dance."

During the 1500s records exist of dancing in huge palaces when harem dancers were brought in to entertain the ladies of the harem. The word harem means “forbidden” and men were not permitted to enter the harem or watch the dancers.

In the 1700s stories of the Ghawazee are recorded by explorers in Egypt. The Ghawazee were considered low class street performers, they made their living by dancing and used zills, canes, swords and other props into their dancing to impress the public. They carried their money by displaying it on their clothing, hence the origin of today’s popular coin belts!

The Ghawazee are a living expression of the belly dancer's dream -- to live amongst the desert sands, to wear exotic costumes and eat rich foods, and to dance every night to music that never, ever ends...

Although they professed the Muslim faith and spoke the same language, they were not really Egyptians, but members of a distinct tribe. The Ghawazee were said to be different in appearance to the rest of the Egyptians and were considered by many to be the most beautiful women in Egypt. Some say they were the descendents of gypsies that wandered into Egypt from Syria, where they had lived for a few generations, and that they originally came from India.

In 1832 The Ghawazee dancers of Cairo were banished due to religious pressures and Essne Khawals (female impersonators) took their place in public dancing. The main reason for the banishment was because they did not wear face veils. Many years past before women were allowed to dance again, some Ghawazee dancers went underground or to other countries to keep their dance alive. – the last actively performing descendent of the Ghawazee, Khaireyya Maazen, still teaches belly dance in Cairo today!

The first record of the term “Belly Dance” being used is in 1893 when a dancer called ‘Little Egypt’ performed at the Chicago World Fair.

In the 1960's Mahmoud Reda founded the famous "Reda troupe" in Cairo. The troupe travelled throughout Egypt researching traditional dances, music and costumes, and bringing it back to the Cairo stage, and to Egyptian films directed by Ali Reda (Mahmoud's brother). The Reda troupe brought Egyptian dance into the spot light, and its lead dancer, Farida Fahmy, played a large part in re-gaining respect for women in Egypt, and dancing.

A few years ago Shakira started using belly dance in her performances, and suddenly Belly Dance was in fashion again! The Colombian singer now credits belly dance with helping her overcome crippling shyness.

Throughout history belly dance celebrated women, femininity and all the aspects of a woman’s life - from fertility and childbirth to love and grief. In Egypt it is still custom for a belly dancer to dance at a wedding and to have a photo taken with the bride and groom placing their hands on the belly dancer’s stomach. This custom signifies the blessing of fertility on the newly weds.

There are so many different stories in Belly Dance history, and many contradict each other. What I have said here is what feels true to me, after sifting through mountains of research. Please contact me if you would like to share your views and feelings with us.