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Somehow, the definition that Wikipedia presents for “belly dance” doesn’t quite convey the passion of it all. It simply reads: “solo, improvised
dances based on torso articulation.”
It must be the “torso articulation” that is getting on the nerves of Egyptian authorities these days. The
Cairo Associated Press reports that
a new Egyptian belly-dancing show called “Dancer” has been suspended by Egypt’s top religious body for “corrupting morals.”
This show has also been accused of serving Egypt’s “extremists,” who could allegedly “use it as a pretext to depict Egyptian society as anti-Islamic.”
Although "conservatives in Egypt believe belly dancing
is immoral,”
Wikipedia explains that it has been both a folk and a social dance in the Middle East for years.
The Ghawazi (“conquerors”
of the hearts of their audiences) of rural Egypt have practiced this art since the 18th century. During the first half of the 20th century, urban Egyptians began practicing a version of belly dancing known as Raqs Sharqi (“oriental
dancing”).
Resources
http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-religious-body-suspend-belly-dancing-show-160434153.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance
Copyright September 3, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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