Top 10 misconceptions and myths about belly dance - Part 1
Belly dance, raqs sharki, oriental dance, Arabic dance, Middle Eastern dance or whatever you prefer to call it, has always been victim on several misconception. Below and in the following page I have listed 10 of them:
1. Belly dance is for big women only or “you need a belly to bellydance” – just because belly dance suits every woman’s shape, hence it is common to see big women belly dancing, this does not mean that slim women cannot. You do not need to be big to emphasises the movements of your body, if your technique is correct.
2. You need to be slim to be a belly dancer – this is the opposite of the above. However, every woman, no matter what shape or size, can belly dance.
3. Belly dancing originated in harems and was danced by women to entertain men – this is a fantasy created by the Hollywood film industry. Quite the opposite is true, as in traditional societies where women and men are segregated, this type of dance is performed amongst women when they get together.
4. Belly dance is adult entertainment and is the same as stripping – this is another misconception created in western societies between the late 1800s and early 1900s, which is hard to forget for many people.
5. Only women can belly dance – there are in fact several male belly dancers, who are very good. Also in the past, in traditional cultures, men routinely performed this type of dance.
Return to Top 10 Articles or to Part 2 of Myths.
