Belly Dance and Feminism

I’ve been asked before how belly dancing fits in with my feministic philosophies. For me it’s quite obvious. I see it as a very powerful feministic force. However, it’s an uphill battle for others to see it this way, and an up-mountain battle to try and change how society sees belly dancing.

Traditionally, the feminine is seen as weak and masculine strong. When a woman is perceived as powerful and in control she is labelled as butch or a slut. In my eyes belly dancing gives an alternative. It is a strong feminine dance form that shows women being in control of their bodies, minds and souls. Even when dancing with traditionally masculine props (canes and swords) it has a sensuality that is strong and womanly. It shows that women can be both feminine and strong, in control of their bodies and celebratory of their varying forms. It actually gives me goose bumps thinking of the potential that belly dance has to change the perception of women and the feminine.

Unfortunately, the discourse of patriarchy is so entrenched in society that people find it very difficult to take off the goggles and see women as anything other than an object, a body, prudish or promiscuous… I’m sure every belly dancer out there has been both shunned and gathered a lot of unwanted male attention (sometimes the sleaziest kind!) at the same performance. This just goes to show the absolute dichotomy that exists in a woman’s world in general.

Belly dancers are often objectified and seen as sexual objects because, well, people in society sexualize everything, but it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact at its roots it’s not this way. Belly dancing is highly subjective in that each dance is performed by an individual (I’ll touch on group dances in another post) and the dance encourages that woman to express herself and the music. There is nothing more subjective than baring your soul, feeling the music and expressing it all with your body. If the audience would take their objectifying veils off their faces they would have a whole new experience, be exposed to another level of beauty and expression.