Art Chowder September | October 2016, Issue 5 | Page 20

ORIGINS

of American Belly Dance

By Katie LEUTE

I was almost three years old when my mother took me to see Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. It was dubious whether,

as a toddler, I could stay awake through all four acts. Yet, on the edge of my seat, I was awake until the final curtain
call, entranced with the harrowing, heartbreaking regalia of doomed love, and the enchanting medium through
which such a tale was unraveled on the stage; en pointe, through dance, with not a word spoken among the key
players.
As long as there have been humans, there has been dance. Embodying an emotional experience and expressing
through movement has roots in religious, cultural, and casual social practices in every indigenous group known.
Even in First World cultures there are expectations that, at certain times and in certain places, regardless of personal skill level (or lack thereof), you are expected to dance. The medium itself is highly intimate; in many other forms
of art your expression passes through an external process that creates the art outside of the self. Dance is, by its
nature, a very personal expression, as your creation is embodied through your own physicality, and becomes a part
of you during the moments in which you practice and perform.
I began a long dance education shortly after my experience with Tchaikovsky’s doomed Swan maiden, and I’ve
embodied many dance styles since, through ballet, contemporary jazz and modern, tap, hip hop, and now a modernization of one of the oldest styles of dance known, belly dance. For the past 10 years, I’ve studied many different iterations of Middle Eastern folk dance, and more modern interpretations of belly dance, including American
Tribal Style® and Tribal Fusion. One of many personal goals as a performer has been to elevate belly dance to a level of respect and professionalism that other more contemporary dance styles have enjoyed. Belly dance has roots in
folk dances that may have been practiced as fertility rites, with a practical application of strengthening and building
muscles for pregnancy and for successful, healthy child-birthing experiences. This foundation in body wellness and
positive body imagery was lost in the late 19th century when belly dance first came to North America.
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