T he modern concept of Middle Eastern dance owes both its fame and infamy to the advent of tourism to Egypt in the 1920's. During this time, as an effect of European colonialism and historical events like the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, the Mid-East opened its borders to the U.S. and Europe. In this climate, cities like Cairo in Egypt, and others in Lebanon and Turkey became very sophisticated modern tourist centers. It was then that what we now know as "Bellydance" became a stage-oriented form of dance.
The performance style of Middle Eastern dance and its accompanying music developed during this time. Before this, dance for performance was relegated to private solo and group (mostly family groups) performances in the homes of the wealthy, or at weddings and celebrations in tents or outdoors at some moulids (celebration of the Saints).
Performing at a public "show" venue or dancing outside the home or communal environment was and still is culturally a strange concept, especially as it pertains to women. Women usually danced in their homes and around family, for themselves and celebrations. The general term for social dancing in Egypt is "beledi", Arabic for "of the land". Folk and social dance is done by men, women, and children.
The folkloric dances most popularly adapted in contemporary bellydance are the women's cane dance from rural Egypt (Raks al Assaya) that was adapted from a men's martial art called Tahtib; the saucy and confident Egyptian Melaya Leff from the port city of Alexandria (created by Mahmoud Reda); the Saudi Arabian Gulf dance (Khaleegi), that features dramatic tossing of the hair; and some styles from the area to the south of Egypt, between Egypt and the Sudan (Nubian).
The stage version of Egyptian bellydance first developed in cosmopolitan night clubs and restaurants where dancing became associated with chic nightlife. In 1926 Badia Masbny, a Lebanese dancer/actress, opened the "Opera Casino" where eventually the most famous stars of Egyptian dance would emerge: Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal.
Gradually a complex style of staged dance came about, developed through the years by tradition and innovation by many talented dancers who were trained and hired to perform. For the first time the solo female peformer was highlighted and many Egyptian dance stars came out of this era. Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal became famous in Egyptian films as well and had careers that spanned the 1940's and '50's.
Choreography was designed to cover a large stage space and the music became increasingly elaborate, mixing traditional Arabic and orchestral instruments. The costume became less traditional and more elaborate for stage, and borrowing from the American bra-style top, the recognizable sequined and beaded two-piece bra-and-skirt costume style was born (named a bedlah, Arabic for "suit"). This style of bellydance is what is known as "cabaret" or "Oriental" style and involves complex music and layers of movements.
Other events served to Westernize the concept of Middle Eastern dance. Hollywood movies exploited the concept and many American and European films from the 1930's and beyond perpetuated the concept of "Orientalism", a fantasy notion of an exotic, over-sexualized setting coined by European explorers/colonists to these countries. The image of an exotic dancer seducing men or temple Odalisques languishing in harems is a racist and condescending fantasy.
A sideshow promoter named Sol Bloom was said to have popularized the term "Bellydance" when in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair he hawked traditionally-dressed dancers from Algeria brought to the venue, as girls who danced undulating their bellies. In the Victorian period, this was quite scandalous. Anything exotic or Eastern was grossly misunderstood and measured against puritan values of that period, resulting in an inevitable clash of cultures.
The modern idea of Middle Eastern dance is more accurately described when associated with the evolution of village and urban folk dance into stage and theater. The term "Bellydance" is actually not indigenous to its homelands. In Arabic it is called "Raqs Sharqi": "Raqs" meaning "East", and "Sharqi" meaning "dance", or as "Raqs Beledi" meaning "dance of the people".
Although in the religious and politically conservative climate of Cairo, entertainment is not a highly-regarded job, many dancers have gone there to be in the "heart" of the Bellydance world and perform at hotels, resorts, and other establishments. Professional American bellydance began in the U.S. in the 1960's when Middle Eastern immigrants took up residence in American cities, and Greek and Middle Eastern clubs and restaurants began to offer authentic ethnic food, music and performers.
In the new millenium, the dance form has enjoyed a huge resurgence. Classes and seminars attract thousands of dedicated students (mostly women) from all backgrounds, ages, shapes, and sizes. Bellydancers perform solo and in troupes at cultural events, Bellydance-specific productions, restaurants, parties, weddings, and haflas (parties). Continuing to develop through innovation and infusion of traditional and modern dance elements, Bellydance is evolving through a cultural diaspora that spans the globe.