Unverified but generally accepted timeline of the

History of Bellydance:

AsallacrosstheworldfromMorocco,TunisiaandAlgeriatoEgypt,Syria,Lebanon,Israeland
JordanandontoTurkeyandGreeceandthenIraqandIran,ancienttraditionalfolkdancemergedand
mixedacrosscountriesandcultures,thedistinctivemovesofbellydanceoozedandstirredwithother
dances,providingthemixtureofstyleswehavetoday.So,asageneralrule,bellydanceisidentifiedby
swayinghips,undulatingtorsoandarticulatedisolations,employedinarangeofdynamicandemotional
expressions.Characteristicmovementsofthedanceincludecurvingpatterns,undulations,thrusts,lifts,
locksanddropsandshakingorquakingbodymovements.Thefocusisonisolatedmovementsofindividual
partsofthebodywithlessnoticegiventothefootsteps.Infact,unlikeanyotherdanceforms,bellydanceis
performedwithinthebodyformanddoesnotrequirethedancerto,necessarily,movefromthespot.
Armsandhandsmovefluidly,likeserpentsorribbonsintheair.Propscanalsobeusedand,originally,
anythingtohandwasutilisedlikepots,swordsandbamboocanesandnowthelistalsoincludeszils(finger
cymbals)andveils,enhancingourperformancestoday.

5000BCTombpaintingsdepictearlydancers

30001400BCTheMinoanCultureofancientGreecebelievedtheGodsinventeddance;dancewas
reveredasameansofcultivatingbothbodyandsoul.

1500BCEgyptianconquestssenddancerstoothercountriesandimportdancersfromothercountries

500BCPhoenicianfingercymbalsareusedinCarthage

384322BCAristotledevelopshiselaborateliteratureofdancetheoryandcriticism.

300BCMuscledancertravelswithPersianArmy

241218BC(BetweenthefirsttwoPunicwars)DancingwithcastanetsbecomespopularinRome.

60BCRomansimportdancersfromSyria

20BC100ADRomanswriteoftheGaditaedancersfromtheformerPhoeniciancolonyofGades(then
partoftheRomanEmpire,nowCadizinSpain).

28A.DSalome,thedaughterofHerodiasdoesadancethatsomovedHerodheoffersheranything.

206ADPapyrusconfirmstheexistenceinEgyptofahighlyorganizedtroupeofdancers.

527ADAcelebratedorientaldancer,actress,andallegedcourtesan,becomestheEmpressTheodora,wife
oftheByzantiumEmperorJustinian.NewByzantiumconvertswereaccustomedtodanceasacentralpart
ofworshipsothechurchincorporatedandabsorbedtheirdancesintotheChristianritualsjustastheydid
withmanyothermyths,symbols,andholidaysthatpredatedChrist.Recordofdanceatthistimeisfound
onsculpture,andminiatures,butrarelywaswrittenabout.

c.850ADDescriptionsofthequalitiesofagooddancerarerecordedastoldbyascholartotheCaliph
Mutamid.

10961300ADThecrusadesofChristianEuropevs.theMoslemMiddleEast.MiddleEasterndancing
girls,broughtbyreturningsoldiers,becomeinfluentialinEurope.

1300ADLalDed,wasanecstaticheart;afterreachingastateofenlightenment,shediscardedallher
clothing,sang,danced,andrecitedpoetry.

1489BalletoriginatesinItalyasadanceperformedbymen.

1500FlamencodancedevelopswhenMoorsandotherminoritiesfleeingpersecutioncommingleinthe
mountainregionsofSpain.

15001600ConstructionofTapkapiPalaceinIstanbul(ByzantiumorConstantinople).Thepalacetypifies
thesettingoftheharemdancersbroughtintoentertaintheladiesoftheharem.

1581BalletisfurtherdevelopedinFrance.

16431715BalletreachesapeakinthecourtofKingLouisXIV.Thefirstfemaleballetdancersare
introducedin1681

18001815TripolitanWarsinSyria;conflictbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheBarbaryStates.When
sailorsreturnedhome,theybroughtbackascargotalesoftheexoticMiddleEasterndancinggirlstothe
shoresofSanFrancisco,knownastheBarbarycoastinthegoldrushdaysof1851.

1832GhawazeedancersofCairobanishedandEssneKhawals(femaleimpersonators)taketheirplacein
publicdancing.

1836EdwardLanepublishesMannersandCustomsoftheModernEgyptians;helikensGhawazeedances
totheRomansdescriptionsofGaditaedances.

1850KuchukAnemcaptivatesFlaubertwithherfamousBeeDance.

1851OrientaldancersappearatCrystalPalaceExhibitioninLondon;QueenVictoriaispresent.

1856GeromegoestoEgyptandmakesdetailedrecordsofthedancesofHasneandothers.

1876ColumbiaExhibitioninPhiladelphia,AmericasCentennialCelebration.Tunisiandancersappear.

18681928LoieFuller,borninIllinois,becomesaleaderinpopularizingtheartofdance;becomes
famousfamousforbeinganAmericaninnovatorsofthenewlyevolvingmoderndancemovement.

1876U.S.Centennial;TheInternationalExhibitionofArts,ManufacturesandProductsoftheSoiland
MineopenedinPhiladelphiainthespringof1876.Thevisualextravaganzaincludedsuchdisparate
elementsasagiantCorlisssteamengine,aTurkishscarfdancer,andhundredsofreplicasoffishes.The
ExpositionfeaturedanAlgeriancafewithnativeentertainers.ThismayhavebeenthefirstviewonMiddle
EasterndancinggirlsinAmerica.

18781927IsadoraDuncan,borninCalifornia,popularizestheartoffreeexpressionindanceusing
themesofnatureandancientGreece.

1880(orearlier)ShimmydanceevolvesintheAfricanAmericancommunityfromHaitianandancient
Africanroots;GildaGraylaterrecreatedtheShimmy.

1893SolBloombringsAlgerianvillagetotheChicagoWorldsfair.Thenamebellydanceiscoined.
OulidNails(fullyclothed)areamongthedancers.Thepublicisentrancedwhilethecensorsareenraged.A
dancercalledLittleEgypt(whoisprobablyafictitiousamalgamofdancerswhoperformedatthefair)is
creditedwithsavingthefairfromfinancialruin.Thechurchisscandalized.

1893LoieFullerstarsinLesFoliesBergere
c.18931990Bellydancemovementsincorporateelementsofstripteaseandviceversa.HootchDance,Cootch
Dance,ShakeDance,andtheShimmyderivefromMiddleEastern,Haitian,andAfricandance.

1904ALittleEgyptperformsattheColumbiaExhibition.

1906RuthStDenis(American)beginsfamousseriesofrecitalsinspiredbytheartandreligionofEgypt,India,
TurkeyandAsia.

1915ExplorerTheodorePedersenventurestoSiberiaandmakesoneoftheearliestfilmsrecordingelder
womanwearinghipbeltsdancinginaforestandshakingtheirhipsaftertakinghallucinogenicmushrooms.

1915TangoevolvesinSouthAmericafromSpanishflamenco,AfricanTangano,andCubaninfluences.

1922JosephineBakerbringsanoholdsbarredchorusgirldancestyletotheParisianstage.

19361952DuringthereignofKingFarouk,TahiaCariocabecomesthemostfamousbellydancerintheworld.

1940sFadilAttracheandAbdulWahabwritemusic.ManyfamousEgyptiandancers;TahiaKarioka,Samiaand
NadiaGamal,NaemaAkef,NellyMasloom,Badia...

1954JamilaSalimpour(knownastheMotherofBellyDanceinAmerica)beginsteachingbellydancetowomen
witha78phonographalbumofCheftitellimusic.AnotherisJodetteinSacramento(originallyborninJordan).

1963LittleEgypt(AKALorraineShalhouboflebanise/Syrianancestery)appearsontheSteveAllenShow.Also
produceswithSunnyLasterthealbum"HowtoBellydanceforYourHusband".

1966SuhailaSalimpourisborntoJamilaSalimpour.Shefollowsinhermother'sfootstepswithherownstyle.

1970Womensliberationmovementmembers,claimingbellydancetreatswomenlikesexobjects,picket
JamilaSalimpoursstudentsinBerkeleywhileotherwomenslibbersburntheirbrasandsignupforbellydance
indroves.Arenaissanceisunderwayfortheartcalleddanseoriental,danseduventre,bellydance,Raksel
Sharki,andMiddleEasterndance.

197376Earlybooksarepublishedonbellydancetechniques.

1967Morocco(AKACarolinaDinicu)writesanextraordinaryfirsthandaccountofaBerberbirthanddance
ritualobservednearCasablanca.Twinsaredeliveredintoashallowpitinthegroundwhilewoman
sympatheticallyundulateandchant.

1983Theageofthehomevideobegins.Thefirstbellydanceinstructionalvideosarereleased.

1984Goddessbellydanceevolvesasanartisticevolutionofbellydancederivedfromwomen'sstudies,belly
dance,andJungianpsychology.

1987CarolenaNericciogivesbirthto"AmericanTribal"styleofbellydancethatspreadslikewildfire.She
developsaunique,spontaneouschoreographyapproachwherealeaddancergivessignalstoatribeofdancers.
Hergroupis"FatChanceBellyDance".Thecostumingisheavyornamentationofcameltasseledbelts,ontopof
fullgypsyskirtsandpantaloons.IndiancholestyletopsarewornandAfghanichainandcoinsjewelryare
adornedontightlywrappedturbans.Skinisoftentattooedorhennaed.

2003TheBellyDanceSuperstarsandTheDesertRosesiscreatedbyrecordmogulMilesCopelandasatouring
acttopromoterecordsalesforhisnewrecordcompany..

August2003EgyptbansforeigndancersfromdancinginEgypt!

Class V
September24th
Corkscrews

PfChoreography

Hipshimmy

Camelwalk

Beginsharingcircle

1RepAbs,2RepGlutes
Homework: Watchclipsoftriballeading/following,practicePfChoreography.

Class VI October1st
Bodywaves

PfChoreography

Camelwalkwithlevels

TravelingBeladi

Travelinghipcircles

Twists;inplaceandtraveling

Travelingups
Homework: PracticePfChoreographyandzhagareet.

1RepAbs,2RepGlutes

Class VII October8th

Midtermgroupperformances

FinishPfChoreography

Beginsharingcircle

Homework: Watchthetribal/groupimprovclipsonline.

2RepAbs,2RepGlutes

ReadandbepreparedtodiscusstheBellydanceTimelineonthe15th.

Class VIIIOctober15th
Armsandhands

History:Ancient

shimmies

Harems

Reviewmoves

LittleEgypt

Bellyrolls

Hollywood

Hipfigureeights

America

Sharingcircle

2RepAbs,2RepGlutes
Homework: Watchatleast2oftheCabaretclipsand2ofthetribalclipsonline;

bepreparedtodiscussCabaretandTribaldifferencesbrieflyinclassonthe22nd.

nd
Class IX October22
Grapevine

Style:Cabaretvs.ATS

Downs

Raqs/RaksSharki

Doubles

Sharingcircle

2RepAbs,2RepGlutes
Homework: Practicethreequartershimmies,startpracticingwithyourFinalPerformancemusic.

Class X
October29th
Chestverticalcircles

Chestfigureeights;horizontalandvertical

Leader/Follower

2RepAbs,3RepGlutes
Homework: PracticeforyourFinalPerformancesasasoloistandasaleader.

Class XI November5th
Hipcircleswithbounce

Catchuponmoves
Homework: Practicestringingmovestogetherinfrontofamirror. 2RepAbs,3RepGlutes