Part 1- an introduction
There are many Christian belly dancers across the world, including the U.K
and the U.S.A, alone (and in the Arab world), and there are many references
to dance in the Bible. "Psalm 150 describes the various instruments with
which we are called upon to praise
God"(Pamela Sarolle, www.pinkgypsy.com/question4.htm)
Sarolle makes a suggestion that perhaps "high sounding cymbals"
may be in fact finger cymbals, otherwise known as zills (Turkish) orsagats/zagats(Egyptian
Arabic)
b) Dance References
As the Bible was written in the Middle east, undoubtedly many of the instruments
would have resembled the many that are still played today. One of the most
famously referred to dances in the bible, of course is that of Herod’s' stepdaughter.
Salome
Lyn Embling (Mosaic
issue 33, Spring 2004) talks of this dance. It has been immortalised in Oscar
Wilde's "Vision of Salome". The daughter is seen as merely Salome
John the Baptist condemned the marriage between Herod and his dead brother's
wife Herodias. Herodias merely sought revenge. She knew Herod
would not kill John, as this would have cause a riot. She needed to get her
husband in a good mood. The resulting dance was a manipulation of her "innocent"(Embling,
2004) daughter trying to please her step father. Herodias knew he would be
in a good mood and he would not refuse any of her wishes.
The subtlety worked and the daughter, prompted by her mother requested John' s
head on a platter. Herod did not refuse. Embling says that this story has
mutated in modern western imaginations from a dance of a young girl, to that of
a voluptuous seductress.
That image is so powerful, but not necessarily the true one, given again the
context of the story, and the power games between husband an wife and using
a third party to manipulate a situation to one’s own guilty conscience
NB-Salome is thought to be a symbol of past goddess worship
and a manifestation of Ishtar. She is portrayed in a bad light to add weight to
the biblical opposition to Goddess worship.
Miriam
Miriam, Moses's sister joyfully celebrated the Jews' escape from
Egypt's Red sea, as the Egyptian army was swallowed up as the parted waves
closed up. She danced with other women with "timbrels"(finger cymbals?)
singing,"
Sing ye, unto the Lord, for he hath
triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the
sea"(Exodus 15:20-21)
Jephthah's daughter
She danced upon her warrior father's
return from the victory over the
Ammonites. What she didn't know was her
father had vowed to sacrifice, in
thanks to God, the first thing he sees
on his return. Heartbroken, he knows he
has to keep his promise; his daughter insists he must. She goes to the
mountains, to mourn with her female friends, her death and the fact that she
will "never marry"(Embling, 2004:22) On her return, the sacrifice
poignantly takes place.
David.
There are references to king David dancing as a form of thanks. When
Goliath was killed, the women across
Israel danced in celebration, singing
about his victory (Embling r referring
to 1 Samuel 18:6) Moses, Dance and the Golden Calf When Moses went to receive
the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, the Israelites down below, when they
hadn't seen him return, lost heart and
> proceeded to dance in wild abandon, after melting down earrings to dance
> around a golden calf created from them (Embling, p.23) More dancing is
mentioned in Matthew 11:17 and Psalm 30:11. There are many references indeed,
showing how much dance was part of the culture and social ritual.
Christian belly dancer part 2 - Dancing from the Honest/Deepest Self
-
On the website www.pinkgypsy.com are a series of letters
about Middle
eastern dance and there is a beautiful
and interesting letter/dialogue
between two dancers, one of whom is
Christian. The Christian wrote that she had been feeling very alone and isolated
as she has not met other Christian belly dancers; she felt perhaps the dance
was more inclusive of other faiths, but not Christianity- (see diverse origins
and forms of bellydance.) The dance,
in its native surroundings encompasses many ethnic, and spiritual/religious
groups across three continents (Asia,
Africa and Europe). Belly dance has been linked to other practises, which
are
"stereotyped Bellydance (goddess workshop/ritual etc) The response, she
gets is very reassuring and sensitive Sharon, the second dancer, explains
that dance, when dance beautifully and honestly comes from a spiritual place,
from within- it is
an expression of the ‘deepest self"(www.pinkgypsy.com/question4htm
), the
true and honest self, where you are yourself and you are not pretending. You
can be as free as many of the other women of different faiths who dance"
Sharon perceptively reminds readers that Christians have been subject like
many other groups, to stereotyping, even though "Christians are everyday
people with the same passions, joys, pains, struggles, questions and open
hearts as the next guy or girl"(ibid) Sharon also adds, that many Christian
belly dancers dance as part of
worship, interpreting it in a liturgical context. I do know of Christian
belly dancers in the UK, who perform the dance very spiritually, true to
its original roots (as opposed to just performance) either in forms of worship
or on a personal spiritual level. It is crucial that people feel safe enough
to be themselves and not to feel embarrassed or fearful or who they are or
what others might be thinking about their spirituality (Sharon)
She adds, rather than feel worried about being different, the
Christian Belly dancer’s faith should be "something. (She is). Proud
of and celebrate(s)." "Just knowing one can be herself will go a
long way towards opening her Christian heart and soul, within the dance, in
ways you may not have known
possible"(ibid)
References
Cohan Robert 1986, The dance workshop
Gaia Books
Edwards G/Haas K 2000! Flamenco!
Thames and Hudson
Embling Lyn - Mosaic
Issue 33, spring 2004, pp.21-24
(Blood Gore and Passion the Biblical Stories of dance)
www.pinkgypsy.com/question4htm
www.shira.net
If you want more detail and depth about the cultures roots,
techniques,
music, literature and soul of Middle
Eastern dance, do please visit
www.shira.net
, one of the best and most comprehensive sites around,
highly recommended by many dance authorities, nationally and internationally,
as
an excellent educational resource.
Maureen Pemberton 2005