Bellydance is a dance from the MENAHT region that is both danced socially and performed professionally (typically as a soloist or in a dance troupe). It is danced at social gatherings by all, regardless of age or gender. The heart of this dance is improvising and connecting with yourself, the music, and others.
This piece explores the nuance in the different terms used for this dance through the cultural and linguistic lens of an Arab diaspora dancer. The intended audience is English speakers (either non-Arabs or diaspora).
Terminology
In English, we use the term bellydance and it’s an umbrella term for all the different styles of this dance. The word comes from the French colonizers' term of danse du ventre.
In Arabic, it is called raqs (dance), raqs sharqi (dance of the east), or raqs baladi (dance of the homeland). The different terms for this in Arabic can have very different style, music, and class connotations. For example, raqs baladi implies a style that reflects what ”people of the land” dance. “People of the land” meaning the regular and common people. Raqs sharqi implies a style developed in early 20th century Egypt for the stage/cinema. The root of raqs sharqi is raqs baladi. Raqs sharqi was created by taking the people’s dance and modifying it for the global stage by adding elements of ballet and western dance.
From both the research I have come across and my own linguistic knowledge, the oldest term of these is raqs. Although raqs just translates to dance in English, raqs (without any clarifiers) almost always implies this dance. Other dances in Arabic are called different, specific names (ex/ dabke).
Clarifying Nuance
Raqs Sharqi vs Raqs Baladi
When translating raqs sharqi and raqs baladi to English, sometimes it will be described as sharqi is stage dance and baladi is social dance. I’d make it a point to distinguish them more as different styles rather than different dances. Raqs sharqi comes from raqs baladi. Baladi is performed on stages globally. Professional dancers that perform a baladi style for an audience have always existed. Colloquially, we tend to use these terms very interchangeably in Arabic. I feel this holds the wisdom that these two dance styles can never be perfectly separated. To fully grasp the difference, it’s better to experience them and study their full context in depth. If you think of it too strictly as one is a stage dance and one is a social dance, the full nuance gets erased.
“Bellydance” as a Colonial Term
There are efforts to retire the term "bellydance" due to its colonial origins; I absolutely support this. However, bellydance is still far better known than raqs or any other term. Many of the existing terms also won’t be perfectly inclusive replacements since this dance isn’t exclusively Arab. Greek and Turkish people have their own style of it too (I just can’t speak to the terminology there as it’s outside of my cultural/linguistic knowledge). Ultimately, the narrative that this is a seductive, women’s-only, ancient fertility dance is still widely prevalent. I deeply value people unlearning orientalist narratives, as they have real life consequences, and to do that I need to meet them where they’re at, which is typically at the term bellydance. From there, I can share our culture’s terminology instead and explain further.
Improving people’s understanding of the dance, acknowledging nuance, and correcting orientalist narratives matter most in the long run. Language has limits: the fact that in Arabic we call this simply “dance” speaks volumes. The pursuit of perfect terminology can be a rigid mentality that prevents true cultural immersion and deeper understanding. Lean into connection and let go of perfection - that’s the heart of this dance. Give everything respect and time; don’t confine your learning. Study history, music, language, and different teachers and styles so you can appreciate the nuance that exists under the term “bellydance.” Remain humble. The work is never-ending, and neither is the art.
One of my goals as an artist is to expand how raqs is seen and understood; explaining words and terminology is one way I can do that. By presenting all the nuance in the Arabic terms that exist, I can help prevent the flattening of our history. Thanks for reading, and welcome to the beautiful complexity of this dance!
