“From Temple to Strip Tease – The Evolution and Globalization of Belly Dance” (Salon on January 20th, 2007)

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Summary:

What comes to mind when you envision a belly dancer? A quick glimpse of the words alone likely conjures up vivid images of exotic women shaking seductively to tribal beats.  But what does this dance form actually mean, and why has it remained one of the most popularized cultural art forms from the East despite its isolated origins as an ancient act of temple worship?

Throughout history, belly dancers have danced for and with other women, for and with men and for themselves. They have danced at home, in temples, at weddings, in nightclubs and on the streets. They have danced for spiritual connection, for fertility, for God, for pleasure and for money.  Sometimes, they dance for some combination of all of these things.

In this discussion, we will explore a theory on the threefold image of the belly dancer – the lover, the prostitute, and the mother– and discuss how these images relate to alternative views of femininity and the role of sexuality in society, with thought provoking implications for current discourse on women in the Middle East. We will also explore how these conflicting images mirror our perceptions of other traditional arts, rituals and symbols whose meanings have changed as prevailing value systems have changed over time. One such example revolves around ways in which monotheistic religions have both shaped and been shaped by traditional symbols and rituals whose specific origins have been obscured.  And finally, what does this ongoing phenomenon mean for the concept of cultural preservation in a globalized world?

Speaker:

Avril holds a B.A. in political science with a minor in African Studies from Princeton University, where she wrote her senior thesis on Mineral Resource Management and Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa.  She currently works as a practice associate with the leading scenario planning firm, The Global Business Network, a member of The Monitor Group. Avril has studied martial arts, hip-hop, belly-dance and south-African gumboot dance and is an avid learner of foreign languages. She has a passion for community development, the arts and international affairs.