Many times when I speak to my belly dance students that are new to the art form, I hear about their awkward experiences telling others what type of dance they are studying. Quickly, the new students learn that simply saying "belly dance" is often not enough. Although they have just discovered a beautiful, feminine, ancient art form, they soon find that most people in America don't believe belly dancing is anywhere near art. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that belly dance is strip tease, or at least something on that level of lewd, nude exposure. It is almost comical, actually, because all the wonderful women I see around the world who study and perform Middle Eastern Dance are very nice, very clean-cut people. But it is no laughing matter to face the ignorant prejudice about our dance.
So here is what I advise. First of all, when someone asks you about what type of dance you are studying, consider who you are talking to. Is it someone who is truly interested and open-minded? Is it your boss? Is it your Mom? Is it your boyfriend? A person with influence in your life would, hopefully, be in favor of your exciting new learning experience, but we all know that that's not always true. Be careful if the person is too conservative. Also, if you feel the person is not genuinely interested, or if it is really none of their business, why say the term "belly dance" at all?
No, I am not suggesting that you should be embarrassed about being involved with the oldest recorded dance form in the history of mankind. What I am trying to suggest is that you may like to use other names for the art of belly dance in order to preserve the dignity of the dance, as well as your own.
So what other names can you use instead of belly dance? Well, there are several to choose from. You might say you are learning Near Eastern dance, Middle Eastern dance or North African dance. You could say you are studying Egyptian dance or Turkish dance, provided you are aware what specific style your teacher is instructing. In the Middle East, belly dance is properly referred to as Raks Sharqi (pronounced "rocks sharky"). All over the world, belly dance is more commonly called le Dance Oreintale, or Oriental dance. Sometimes, though, when you say "Oriental dance" here in the U.S., the other person will think you are talking about the Far East, like Japan, so you would have to clarify the misunderstanding.
All the terms are correct. It all depends on what you prefer to use. Once you use one of these alternate names, the listener will either show you a genuine interest and ask you for more information (and then you can describe it clearly as the ancient art of belly dance), or the listener will drop the subject completely (in which case their ignorance is intact and you don't need to be insulted by it).
With time and experience, perhaps you won't feel so awkward when asked about what kind of dance you do. In the 20 years that I have been in this business, I have seen it all, and I have come to the conclusion that really what counts is your own personal level of quality and self-respect. I don't mind using the term "belly dance", in fact, I am proud of it, and I hope you are, too.
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©1998 Jasmin Jahal