Is Belly Dancing bad?

[umhbtexasdem]

I don't think belly dancing is bad, I think it is the manner in which people use it. If you are doing it because you want it for a hobby or to get in shape and its the manner you choose; so be it. If you are using it because you want to seduce the lawn boy and you are married or something like that, then there might be an issue...just my thoughts!

 

[SWigton87]

Hm I saw almost nobody post this, so:

You not only need to consider your intentions, but the intentions of those who are watching you. In and of itself, I don't find it any more sinful than singing in the shower. But you wouldn't invite a member of the opposite sex (out of wedlock) into the shower to listen, for obvious reasons.

 

[Lludmila]

I wouldn't? lol

 

[deornie]

Hm I saw almost nobody post this, so:

You not only need to consider your intentions, but the intentions of those who are watching you. In and of itself, I don't find it any more sinful than singing in the shower. But you wouldn't invite a member of the opposite sex (out of wedlock) into the shower to listen, for obvious reasons.

That refers to any other form of dancing as well, not just belly dancing.

 

[MrsJones]

Well there is definitely a lot of comments to respond to. First of all, I am a belly dancer, but I guess I'd be considered a beginner. I've been doing it for about a year (I did other types of dance for 12 years, so I have a pretty good dancing background.), and I recently joined the troupe. We perform at schools and festivals, as well as other venues as requested. Just because I am a part of the troupe doesn't mean I go to every show. For instance, we were invited to a Pagan festival. I chose not to go to that for obvious reasons.

If you're concerned about the lyrics in a song, choose something that is instrumental. I will be doing a solo in 2 months at our recital, and I made a point to choose a song that was entirely instrumental. That way, I knew that the song wasn't saying anything God wouldn't be happy with.

Even though I am quite active (dancing, running, weight training), I don't have a dancer's physique. I think it is great that belly dancing is available for all females, no matter their height or weight or age! Also, for some moves, like undulations, a bit of a stomach is desired so as to get the right affect.

Enough rambling. God bless!

 

[B3li3v3r4ChRiSt]

I don't really think belly-dancing is bad, unless used otherwise. Because belly-dancing is a dancing custom. But if your using it just for flirting or something, I guess you can say it's bad.

x

 

[Macrina]

I think a lot of the bad connotation for belly dancing comes from two things:

1) People who misunderstand the dance. Over a hundred years ago, when middle eastern dance was performed at the Chicago World's Fair, people were horrified because it was so outside of American cultural norms of the time. Moving any muscles of the torso would probably have been shocking to them.

2) People who misrepresent the dance. Did you know that that midriff-baring bellydancing costume was invented in the west, and has no basis in what was originally worn in the east? When Oscar Wilde wrote his play Salome and an opera was based on it a few years later, the title character was costumed in what we now think of as the classic harem costume. That spread through Hollywood over the decades, and soon dancers in Egypt, Turkey, and elsewhere adopted that style of dress because the American tourists expected to see it. The other way in which people misrepresent the dance is that there are some dancers who put on a belly dancing outfit but then proceed to do something which is more like stripping. Those people are not representing the dance accurately. A stripper dressed as a belly dancer is no more a real belly dancer than a stripper dressed as a nurse is a real nurse. One should not draw one's conclusions from dancers who take a legitimate art form and mimic it with seedy sexuality.

I love the idea that what I do is similar to a folk dance generations of mothers and grandmothers taught girls to help prepare their muscles for childbirth. I love the idea that I'm using more muscle groups than I ever have in any other form of exercise. I love that I am strengthening the core of the body which God gave me.

Of course I'm not going to put on a bra and skirt and go dance around church or anything. I am aware that there are many who will not take the dance in the spirit in which it is intended. For this reason, but not because of any inherent "badness" in the dance, I will use discretion.

 

[Pepsigurl]

Well, I have been doing egyptian raqs sharki for as long as I could remember and I am a Christian. I agree with some of you here, that it really depends on your intentions. Firstly, with regards to the songs, the music is almost always about love and heartbreak, no chanting to gods.

Secondly, I wont mind wearing a tastefully made costume to dance at a woman's retreat or a traditional wedding, i however will not dance for bachelor parties or related events, so as stated before, it depends on your intentions. I really do love the dance and one day I hope to open a studio which will promote the dance for what it is and not what hollywood made it to be.

 

[Peach81]

My goodness! I am surprised at a lot of you! Brainwashed by Hollywood, much? For those who think belly dancing is "flirting," have you ever seen belly dancing in real life before? If you did, the last thing anyone would think is that it is a dance of seduction.

I've been belly dancing for about six years, and it is the love of my life. Most of the women in my class are older women in their 50s and 60s, dancing alongside their daughters. The most common forms of belly dance in the West are cabaret and tribal. Some costumes are kind of revealing, but so what? They're not strippers. Nothing comes off. And most dancers are pretty modest anyhow.

Historically, the belly was not revealed. That is a Western invention to showcase hip movements and belly undulations. Traditionally, people (men and women) perform the dance covered from head to toe, but the movements are not as effective when the entire body is covered up.

I would definitely recommend belly dancing to anyone, big or small. It's a great workout and it's terrific fun.

 

[stringer]

OH my God its a long post

 

[stringer]

goood reply

 

[joggerblogger]

I am a bellydancer and a christian or rather I am a christian and then a bellydancer in australia.
I thought bellydance was a very tarty thing as most people do, until I saw some by veena and neena. They are very graceful and modest. I was lucky to find a good teacher with ethics, who only picks romantic not religious songs and chooses more modest costumes. I am now a performer as well,much to my surprise. There are so many forms this dance that it is hard to generalise about it.
It's a great thing to do and I recommend it to anyone.

 

[pegatha]

If you're going to dance in public, or even tell people that you're a belly dancer, there are two things to keep in mind:

1) Women intend and interpret very few of their own actions as directly sexual.
2) Men interpret almost everything a woman does as sexual. (Let's face it, if you're young and female, sometimes you can't even walk across campus, modestly dressed, without some jerk you don't even know making a crude remark to you.)

This is where all the debate comes in, "Is belly dance sexual/right/suitable for Christians or not?" What's in the (female) performer's heart is not necessarily the same thing that's in the (male) viewer's mind. He assumes she's dancing to arouse men, and then gets angry and thinks she's a tease if she denies it. She, in turn, is offended that some guys insist on defiling things that are perfectly innocent.

The difference seems to be hard-wired in our brains. Personally, I seldom even tell people that I dance. I'm tired of trying to educate the public about "what belly dance really is" when so many of them (especially men) are determined to think of it as "stripping" (which it most definitely is not).

Hekc yeah. There's a belly dancing club at my university and all the chicks have way too much belly to dance with. It's really gross. In fact I think that's why belly dancing doesn't have partners: the women who do it usually have enough belly that they don't need a partner cuase they have enough for two.

Awwww, c'mon now, be nice!

 

[rhettsmum]

I've been watching this thread, but never posted. I, too, have lots of questions about whether or not it's okay to bellydance being a Christian. I'm still forming my own opinion, but there's so many different views! One question I have is that I read somewhere that belly dance began as a way for women to worship their female dieties in the Middle East. I only read that one place, has anyone else ever heard that?

 

[Peach81]

I've been watching this thread, but never posted. I, too, have lots of questions about whether or not it's okay to bellydance being a Christian. I'm still forming my own opinion, but there's so many different views! One question I have is that I read somewhere that belly dance began as a way for women to worship their female dieties in the Middle East. I only read that one place, has anyone else ever heard that?

Nope, never heard of that. The art known as belly dance, or oriental dance (raqs sharqi), has always been a social dance at weddings or social gatherings, like the electric slide or the macarena.

 

[Macrina]

It was also taught to girls by mothers and grandmothers as preparation for childbirth. Think about it -- it develops some very useful muscles!

Originally, the dance was performed for women, by women, in modest clothing. There are some people now who choose to put a sort of goddess-spin on it, but that's what they are adding to it, not the dance itself. I find it to be beautiful, feminine, and great exercise and stress-relief.

 

[joggerblogger]

You are probably right about what men think of bellydancing. They are strange creatures. I think they probably like it because they can't do it. I am blessed that the majority of my audience is female or sometime only all female. The times there have been males there they were often the partners of some of the dancers. I would never dance for an all male group.
Still as a single christian women you sometimes can't even talk to man without being accussed of being interested in them.
Well you can't pleased every one all the time anyway.

 

[Peach81]

You are probably right about what men think of bellydancing. They are strange creatures. I think they probably like it because they can't do it.

They can. I've seen only a handful of male dancers, but the ones I've seen are amazing!

I am blessed that the majority of my audience is female or sometime only all female. The times there have been males there they were often the partners of some of the dancers. I would never dance for an all male group.
Still as a single christian women you sometimes can't even talk to man without being accussed of being interested in them.
Well you can't pleased every one all the time anyway.

Don't worry about other people running their mouths. What do they know anyway?

My favorite audiences are at festivals and fairs, especially the Medieval Faire that I perform every year. Lots of families gather around to watch the belly dancers. I love watching the kids try to imitate us. Our biggest draw was when one of our solo dancers was 8 months pregnant. There was a huge crowd for her.

 

[deornie]

Just say NO. By Salome(orientaldancer.net)

"Belly dance" is a dance of seduction. "Belly dance" was used by concubines to win the sultans favor. "Belly dance" is the eastern equivalent of strip tease. In a word - Erroneous!

When someone makes a statement that falls into the above category, counter myth with fact, explain that: Traditionally in Muslim society men and women live in separate quarters of the house. The section where the women and children live is referred to as the harem. We, in the West, often have an image of a harem being young, semi nude concubines, fanning themselves while lolling on pillows waiting to 'please' the master of the house. This concept was surely formed by fantasy paintings and written works from the Orientalist period and perpetuated in contemporary media. However our fantasy and the reality couldn't be farther apart.

As stated earlier, a harem is the women and children's quarters of a domicile. The word itself means forbidden. That is because males, who are not immediate relatives, are not allowed to enter the harem. It is forbidden. In Muslim society, women are shielded from unknown men and this is one way that is carried out.

While some Muslim women work outside of the home or attend school, many women occupy the role of home maker. As home maker, women cook, clean, care for their children and may also visit with girlfriends and female relatives. This is one context where dance may play a part in a woman's life.

For women whose movement is traditionally very structured, going to the cinema, joining a health club or any activity outside of the home where a male relative is not chaperoning is generally unfeasible. But woman can and do socialize with each other in their homes. And dance is a diversion that can be enjoyed by and for each other in the harem.

Outside of the home dance was and is commonplace during festive occasions. In gender segregated celebrations, dance was done by both sexes spontaneously and was not seen as performance but as a social/celebratory activity. For centuries the dance has also been used in these gender separate/social contexts.

Today celebrations may or may not be gender separate. Often a band and a professional dancer are hired for festivities. After the professional dancer has retired the musicians continue to play and this is the time for party goers to dance. If it is a mixed gender crowd some women may be reluctant to hit the dance floor. But either way the spirit of the dance is one of celebration, socializing and informal entertainment.

I ran into this article on one site, I think it is quite educating!

 

[Hoopty]

This has gained popularity where I live and classes are being offered. I think it is fine it is between a wife and her husband, but otherwise is pretty distasteful.