Arab traditional male and female dances

After the yoga class, melodious Arabic dance music came from the corridor. It turns out that the belly dance class has already started. With the teacher's consent, I also participated. I was so excited that I sweated for half an hour. This exotic dance always gives me a mysterious feeling, which makes me want to know more about it and unveil its mysterious veil.

Belly dance originated in Egypt. According to legend, a woman prayed to the god of fertility to realize her wish of having a child. Under the guidance of God, she threw herself in front of her idol, twisting her waist and hips like dancing. Later, it was handed down as a "sacrificial dance" and recorded in ancient Egyptian cultural relics murals. There are other legends, such as: dancing with emphasis on chest, abdomen and hip joint can make women give birth more smoothly; It is a religious ceremony, praising the ancient myth of Mother Earth, praising the mystery of life, and dancing barefoot to show reverence for God. At that time, it was a kind of self-cultivation dance, a sacred and lofty court dance, which only ladies-in-waiting could dance, that is, noble and enthusiastic, reserved and charming. In the tomb of the ancient Egyptian king, there are murals of dancers dancing similar to belly dancing. During this period, the clothes for belly dancing were robes and the like. In the Ottoman dynasty, belly dancing began to incorporate the elements of eroticism and temptation, and became a means to compete for good feelings. With the increase of personnel exchanges and the internationalization of the city, belly dance spread to the people and was performed in some commercial places. It is a dance with Arabic flavor, which is widely spread in the Middle East, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Iran and other places. Belly dance originally meant "Oriental dance" in Arabic. At the beginning of the 20th century, a businessman introduced Egyptian dancers to the Chicago World Expo, which caused a sensation. At that time, dancers wore robes and wore a long belt on their hips. Later, Hollywood put belly dancing on the movie screen many times. For the film effect, belly dancing clothes are determined as bra tops and elegant long skirts. With the development of tourism in Egypt, there are more and more tourists from the west and the United States. In order to retain tourists, Egyptian nightclubs also let dancers wear belly dance costumes in movies, which have been used to this day, that is, the Caballe belly dance costumes we see are sexy, gorgeous and dazzling.

Belly dance existed for a long time before the establishment of Islam. According to different countries and regions, there are different genres of belly dance.

Modern Egyptian schools. Its performance is restrained and elegant, and often includes some ballet movements. It dances slowly and slightly with the central trunk as the main axis, pays attention to emotional expression, dresses conservatively, and plays music, mainly singing strings, modern drums and accompanying dances. "Less is better" is their dance philosophy.

Turkish performance genre. Turkey is also one of the cradles of belly dancing. Different from the performance style of Egyptian belly dance, "everything is fine" is more in line with their dance concept. Large-scale movements, unrestrained, gorgeous and unrestrained crotch movements, often jumping movements. Dressing is relatively exposed and full of visual impact. The music absorbed the fast and sharp drums of gypsy style. Others include Lebanese acting school, American belly dance, Gypsy acting school and Indian style belly dance.

I still remember reading in a magazine that a globetrotter loves belly dancing. She took a full set of belly dancing clothes with her when she traveled. It is very popular to perform belly dancing for local Egyptians. In a small town hotel in the hinterland of Tunisia's vast, hot and romantic Sahara desert, I performed with local dancers. Dancing barefoot on the thick carpet, playing drums under the gorgeous night sky in North Africa. "The starry sky hangs over the field like a vault, so low that it seems to be within reach. A strong feeling spread in my heart. This is the loneliest and most romantic moment in my life. The desert is reserved for people with dreams in their hearts. I believe that even God was drunk that night. " The traveler's words expressed her happiness in an eclectic way, saying that this was the highest "belly dance trip" she had ever experienced. Yes, if you like it, you will be happy!