Philosophy of Belly-dance
Long before the existence of cross-linked elastin, high-impact aerobics or modern
Cosmetic surgery, some women kept their beauty and maintained a level of fitness that is elusive in this hi-tech world. It seems as with so many things, the more we progress, the deeper into history we must plunge to find and retain the most significant of human experience. Egyptian belly dance is one such relic of the past, that is just as relevant now as in the time of the ancient Egyptians.

Originally, Egyptian belly dance was called Egyptian Beladi. Beladi dance literally translates to native dance. A few thousand years after it's creation, the term "Belly dance" was coined and has remained ever since. It's often said that dance began in Africa. That's not really an accurate statement. Actually, African dance and Egyptian dance began around the same time, quite independently. Africans may be attributed as the inventors of dance.. However it's not really clear when Egyptian Beladi dance first began. Some of the oldest Hieroglyphics, contained in the great pyramids dating back as far as 7000 BC, portray woman in traditional Beladi poses.
In the Addrauran caves of Sicily, there exists engravings in the rocks that represent belly dance movements dating back as far as 5000 BC. Even the Greek masters sculptured the 'new" dance style that had by now spread through the Middle East and parts of Europe, as late as 3000 BC. One thing that is certain is that the
Egyptians formed the dance and the surrounding countries adopted it as their own.

Originally the Egyptian style was not the dance we see today. The first form was a combination of hip, shoulder and walking movements. The actual 'tummy rolls" were added by the Turks, while the Arabs added the "Shimmy". Even the Greeks contributed the "zills" those finger cymbals that all true belly dancers use at
appropriate time of the dance.

This cultural interaction occurred at the height of the Egyptian civilisation. As with so many countries, through warring and trading, the cultures intermixed and
exchanged art forms. This can very clearly be seen in the Middle Eastern music with which belly dance has always been accompanied. It's virtually impossible to perform a true belly dance without it's traditional music.

Once again the Egyptian form is the purest. Belly dance music is necessarily
instrumental. Some of the traditional instruments that create this hypnotic sound are the Def, and Egyptian tambourine, the Kemanche, a three stringed violin, the
Dumbeki, a conical drum, and more recently, the Bazooki, a stringed instrument used nowadays by the middle Eastern community.

Belly dancing has always been popular in Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. However, in the last 100 years or so, it's been quite possible to see a belly dance performed in virtually any country in the world from Australia to America. There have been reports of "underground" performances in the USSR. Of course there are still some countries where this form of dance is forbidden. These countries are governed by strict religious laws. There are a few in the Middle East itself, such as the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Belly dancing throughout history has had a notorious reputation from the days of Cleopatra, to the devilish exploits of Salome. There is no evidence to suggest that either of the infamous personalities were in fact true belly dancers. History has
always associated all Egyptian women with the mystic art form.

Apart from the aesthetic qualities of this art form, there are many other aspects that are just as unique. In fact it is simply more that dance. It could be called the union of physics and bodily engineering at a high level, or an advanced form of mind/body control. The beat of the drum set the rhythm of the dance in turn the pulse and heart rate: introspective awareness at it's best.

The Japanese, in the early period of their history when their thinking was beginning to take shape, formed a branch of esoteric philosophy called "Hara". It is the premise of "Hara" that a point just below the navel is the "pressure valve" of one's being. The believe that, if one keeps this point relaxed, and focuses on that are from time to time, then ole will have control of one's being and attain mind/body harmony.
It seems the Japanese, quite independently discovered the meditative aspect of Beledi dance.