CULTURAL POLITICS
V92CUP
The Contestation of Power within Modern Day Belly Dance: A Cultural Politics Approach
Introduction
The origins and purpose of belly dance have no clear historical background. However, it has a very strong root from the Middle East and has spread into the Western world today. More and more women are getting involved in this dance as they try to embrace their feminine essence. Unfortunately, due to its historical background, belly dance has a negative connotation to it because of the erotic attachment behind its dance movement. Despite the said fact, men and even women would still spend money to watch such performances. It has been argued that, belly dance is not just a dance to sexually excite the audience; however it is an act of dance which reveals the cultural information of the societies developed for women by women.
Thesis statements
- How Belly dance can be used as a tool for feminism
This paper adopts a Foucault poststructuralist approach in achieving these thesis statements. The feminist perspective of belly dancing is covered in depth in the research paper. The research paper begins with a brief introduction of belly dance origin. The application of the post structuralism approach and its applications in the research paper are elucidated. The research paper adopts this approach and explains the ways of complying with the post structuralism approach. A brief history of the belly dancing and its origin is discussed followed with a discussion of revealing power of women through belly dancing. The transition of belly dancing from the early practices to the modern day belly dance is explained. The various other benefits of belly dancing are also discussed in the research paper.
The paper is structured with a brief introduction of belly dancing followed with the application of Foucault poststructuralist approach adopted for the paper. The paper then achieves the above three thesis statements in a detailed manner. The paper ends with a conclusion reinstating that belly dance is a form of power and acts as a tool for feminism.
Background of Belly dancing
Caroline Higgins, (2013) comments that belly dance had its origins in folk festivals in the Middle East with the dance being performed before families. The author strongly objects that belly dancing is done for sexual provocation of the male audience. The perspective and the nature of belly dancing have changed over years and the dance has seen a lot of transitions. Jeanne Ainslie, (2008) believes that the belly dancing has a long tradition with the Middle East and initially the belly dance was practiced by women during pregnancy times for normal delivery in strengthening the muscles of the abdomen.
Therefore, this paper is going to analyze the contestation of power between the female belly dancer and the male audience to prove that the dancers are not a mere subservient to male gaze and how the dancers are able to take control over their own body. Thus, the female empowerment through belly dance will be explored and subsequently will discuss the feminists’ use of belly dance in their movement. This paper will main explore the topic using Foucault’s poststructuralist approach.
The Negotiation of Power Between Belly Dancers and Male Audience
Belly dance in this paper will be discussed in relation to exotic dance due to the similarity of nature of both dances, which exudes eroticism and sensuality. With this clarification, an argument by Liepe-Levinson (2002, in Egan, 2008) is brought forth where by she suggests that exotic dance (or in this case, belly dance) is not just a mere site of exploitation of women, rather it is a site of agency and resistance. This argument is drawn from Foucault’s theory of power, which suggests that power constitutes both productive and repressive in its mechanisms. Power can coalesce in certain ways to produce exploitative or regressive regimes; however, it is the same productive function that produces resistance to forms of exploitation (Foucault, 1980). Thus, power produces the social order and produces its own resistance. Foucault also goes on to argue that no social interactions can take place outside of power. With that in mind, belly dancers are constantly resisting the objectification treatment by resisting the gaze. This seems to be the only way for the dancers to feel ‘safe’ from being objectified and able to perform belly dance as a profession and not just to satisfy their owners and male audience Belly dancers often find themselves being harassed and looked down upon. However, there are times when the belly dancers would draw an eye contact on the audience when she knows that she has the power to sexually entice the audience with her moves.
Ishtar, (2007) discusses that the belly dance is popular in the Hollywood movies especially in the James Bond movies. In the case of Belly dancers, the camera captures their body parts and most often the model is beheaded by camera not revealing the individual identity. Belly dance is a total feminine experience on camera depicting powerful women in the erotic manner. Belly dance had its origin in Western countries and is famous in the night bars and clubs with a male dominated audience. The television sets in the clubs show the various body parts of the belly dancer. Belly dancing is a breath taking act of dance revealing the cultural information of the societies developed for women by women. Belly dance encourages expressing oneself through the dance moves giving a liberation to the women. Belly dance is a sign of power to the women with men gazing at the women. Belly dance is practiced with a mirror in front for self reflection of the dancer.
The perception of belly dance to empower the feminine nature of the women can also restrict the women in their self exploration at times. Media publicity is one aspect that professional belly dancers receive. Belly dance is viewed as sexual in nature in certain places. Belly dancers agree that their filmed videos and photographs are enhanced or manipulated to look sexy revealing their body parts in a vulgar manner. Most of the audience is men and the film videos and photographs are manipulated according to this audience. Rarely is the case of women watching the belly dance of the other women. In some films, the belly dancer is more powerful and attractive than the main lead women of the film. Women envy each other in the
Foucault’s Concept of Sexuality and Post structuralism
Michel Foucault’s post structuralism is based on textuality and discursivity studies. Michael Barrett, (2011) discusses that Textual research involves analyzing the literature on power and discursivity aims at exploring the power relations on a hierarchical basis based on primary data. This research paper is a textual research involving foucault’s disclosure of discussing the traditions, rules, expressions, norms and social life pertaining to belly dancing in determining the power of the feminine using existnig literature. Robert Hurley, (2001) discusses that Power in Foucault’s perspective is determined through a series of rules including
1. Rule of immanence
Considering the research of the source of power in the case of sexuality, a struggle between knowledge techniques and discourse procedures exist according to this rule. This research paper complies with this rule of Immanence by discussing the belly dance as a source of power to women.
2. Rules of continual variations
In this rule, power is maintained by the relationships of the process involving the persons concerned in the sexuality. Power distribution is represented by the transformations in the relations. According to this rule, the power in the case of child sexuality lies in the relationship between the parents and the doctor. The research paper complies with this rule in discussing the relationship or transition of belly dance from early history to the modern days and the power distribution that has happened over the years.
3. Rule of double conditioning
In this rule, the power lies with the strategy determining the sequence series. This rule relates the family structure to the society and vice versa. The research paper complies with this rule relating the social benefits including physical and emotional benefits of belly dance on women.
4. Rule of the tactical polyvalence of discourses
Sexuality cannot be analyzed in terms of power according to this rule. Discourse can be considered an instrument of power based on the law model. The research paper complies with this rule by discussing belly dance as a tool of feminism.
This ‘participation’ is perhaps accomplished through the approval and acquisition of hegemonic idea of female sexuality and femininity whereby they are constrained to the ideas of female as naturally sexual and inferior. Therefore, the topic of female belly dancers in today’s society has an impact on feminist debates that locate modern day female conduct within a politics of freedom, individualism and choice. Here, choice is seen as a ‘cherished principal’ (Braun, in press) that is widespread within westernized culture and is theorized as a critically definitive factor in the ways we perceive ourselves (Gill, 2007; Hughes, 2002).
This is the case with belly dancers. They have chosen to portray themselves to further pull them down into the pit of patriarchy which feminists are trying to get out from. Thus, the concept of choice, is conceptualized as so important as to supersede the influence of culture itself (Braun, in press). As such, the individual decision to participate in any activity that could be argued to be degrading in a more holistic, cultural manner can be re-worked as empowering and desirable through a discourse of choice. However, as argued by Morgan (1991), this re-working of ‘choice’ can often disguise what is actually acquiescence to prevailing social expectations and instances of conformity.
Nonetheless, it can be argued that belly dancemay constructed as empowering through the extent to which it affords women the opportunity to exercise a form of ‘choice’ and ‘control’. It may also provide a vehicle for women to resist hegemonic notions of femininity as passive and modest. However, following Dentith (2004), one must consider that activities experienced as liberating on an individual level may often secure societal-level oppression in covert ways. Thus, belly dance may reinforce societal notions of both masculine and feminine sexuality as a result of encouraging women to construct themselves as erotic objects.Female body empowerment through belly dance
Belly dance is done with a lot of intention and spirit channeling the feminine beauty to the outside world from the soul of the belly dancer. Rose, (2009) discusses that Belly dance is an ancient form of dance involving a lot of practice and movements. Belly dance can solve the mysteries of wisdom of feminine truth and love. Women performing belly dance from the soul forget themselves and experience the real pleasure of the movements of the belly dance. In the modern days, Belly dance is prescribed as an effective cure of the ailments related to gaining the feminine nature of women again. Belly dance empowers an individual’s complexion and make up. Belly dance helps develop confidence among the female from their heart with emotions and feelings, enhances creativity and imagination of the female, nurture the true love from within, develops the vision and enhances the beauty from with in. The male audience seeing the belly dance has a complete relaxation of the mind, thinking differs, mental activity streamlines, enjoys the pleasure of watching a women’s beauty, gets refreshed and enjoys the moment.
The feminine nature is revealed in the dance steps that are slow and improvised as seen in the Taqism form of belly dance. A woman needs a lot of energy to perform the movements of the belly dance as it involves every part of the body. Moving the chest in a circle form has a direct impact on the heart of the woman dancing. Belly dancing is truth and reveals the truth about a self through the various body movements. Belly dance moves loosens the physical movements of the body and keeps the body fit and energetic. With a lot of practice, one can find that belly dance opens up everything and keeps the mind, spirit and body free. Belly dancing can induce the feminine nature with the dancer feeling every step in an emotional manner. The dance has the wonderful capability of inducing the inside beauty and has healing powers similar to that of yoga and meditation. Belly dance is adopted generation after generation passing from the grand mother to the girl. This dancing lights a fire in the belly enhancing the creative nature of the individual. Once a person starts practicing belly dance, it is evident that their bellies are going to be reduced increasing their personal complexion to a great extent. This enhances and empowers the feminine aspects by revealing their body structure or beauty openly to the outside world.
Belly dance enhances the feminine nature through various ways including the improvisation of mind and body parts according to the moves of the dancing. Gareth Williams, (2011) feels that one must lose themselves in Taqism emotional movements and dance in an introvert manner feeling everything from the heart. The belly dancer must feel the heart and feet while dancing to enhance the breathing and bringing out the powerful energy inherent inside the body. Belly is at the center of the human body and release powerful energy when ignited in the right manner. Belly dancing trains the dancer to breath in a proper manner to get a perfect body posture. As a person gains experience in the belly dancing, the moves start getting slower with music, body, mind and spirit all aligning together. Belly dance reveals the beauty through the face as the dancer is totally relaxed in mind reflecting in the face. The entire facial parts of the female belly dancer shine. Research has revealed that right side of the brain controls the left part of the female body. It is hard to move the left part of the body and through belly dancing these left side of the female body can be opened up to reveal the feminine nature.
Deonesea La Fey, (2005) discusses that Belly dance is a powerful source of personal growth and self expression igniting the Kundalini energy. The bodies of women have this inherent and belly dancing helps to bring this energy out. Belly dancing is the best natural way to empower the female bodies of any age bringing out the creative talent. Belly dance movements can be used as a warm up exercise daily. Every movement in the belly dance has a spiritual meaning linked to the dance form.
Belly Dance as a tool for feminism
While certain group of feminists would frown upon such dance, regarding it as self-degrading and self-objectifying, other group of feminists such as the Bellybutton Revolution, embraces the dance as a way to recognize the feminine aspect of being a woman. Furthermore, belly dance has been regarded as a cultural dance that is meant to be for woman to the woman and essentially is danced during social events where women dance with each other.
Nonetheless, belly dance as a tool for feminism is problematic as discussed by Deagon (n.d.) because they reverse patriarchal valuations of women while reinforcing their essence. This then raises question to: if women are believed to be priori sensual, expressive, life-giving, and empowered to relieve pain through their dancing, do we limit women’s ability to express other emotions, other modes of being? Do we diminish the rights of men to express these supposedly feminine ideas without giving up their masculine identity?Sunaina Maira, (2008) discusses that Belly dance can be a powerful tool for feminism and has been a reflection of the American culture. Belly dance is very popular in the western countries as a dance revealing or inducing the sexuality. Belly dance is popular in the Middle East also. The difference between the American and Middle East belly dance is that in America, the audience is only male and belly dance is done mostly in the night clubs. In the Middle East, belly dance is done in public and both men and women watch the dancing as a social aspect of their lives. The form of belly dancing varies from region to region but the steps in the belly dancing and the basics remain the same acting as a tool for feminism. Belly dancing is seductive as feminism and beauty are totally revealed in this dance form.
Anca Giurchescu, (2010) comments that Belly dance is a powerful symbol from a socio cultural perspective from the ancient to the current modern days favoring the females. Belly dance acts as a tool to reveal their feminism in all ages. There are evidences that belly dancing was used during the war times to mesmerize the enemies and kill them. Belly dance has many artistic features that take the audience from a real world in to a virtual world. The power of the dancer lies in attracting the audience and keeping them gazed. Belly dance acts as a powerful tool of feminism in ritual contexts. Belly dance has a multicultural context integrating the various dimensions of dance. There are many facets of belly dancing like the gestures, facial expressions, body movements, proxemics, costumes, props, choreography, music, expressions, verbal utterances, staging and other social and sexual aspects that add to the tool of feminism. Belly dances in Italy and Denmark have their own significances of ethnic strengthening, social interaction, teaching, social status, entertainment etc.
Isadora Duncan and Yvonne Rainer, (2009) discuss that Belly dancing is practiced as a traditional form of dance passing across generations. In the earlier days, dancing was done in a village or community with people joining together for social interaction. This form is now changed to parties and night clubs where belly dancing occurs in the current modern world. The dancing form has drastically changed from community based to huge stage based dances and dance festivals. Belly dancing has been a great tool of feminism from the earlier historical days and this is revealed through the ancient paintings, sculpture and music. The main elements of female empowerment including confidence, power, self reliance and strength are portrayed to a great extent in the paintings. All these stand as evidence for belly dancing being the tool for feminism from the early days to the current modern days. The opening of the bellies and shimmies by the belly dancing causes empowerment in the females and act as tool for feminism.
The physical benefits of the belly dancing are many including the strengthening of muscles, flexing of the back, loosening of the thigh muscles, improves digestion etc. The belly dance has other major emotional benefits like developing self esteem, confidence and empowering the feminine nature to heal the past sexual abuse and free the mind and spirit altogether. Belly dancing gives the body a good work out of the cardio vascular muscles increasing the flexibility and strength of the muscles. The belly dancers have reported that their posture has improved to a great extent developing their self confidence and well being.
Belly dancing offers a healing experience for many patients like cancer survivors to experience a spiritual liberation. Most of the belly dancers felt that revealing the stomach is a means of freeing themselves and normally it takes a year after practicing the belly dance to reveal the stomach. Belly dancers have admitted that revealing their stomach gave them a lot of confidence.
Gönderen Ozan Örmeci Makale, (2005) discusses female empowerment and pole using a feminist poststructuralist approach. Pole dancing, popular in strip clubs is now being practiced as a great aerobic exercise. The study is a discursive analysis involving focus groups and interviews with 25 females and 5 males. The study concludes stating that pole dancing is a means of expressing the power of women in an erotic manner.
For Andrea, she struggles on having a mixed feelings about adopting such a traditionally feminine self-presentation as a vehicle for her own experience of life, the music, and all the other things belly dance expresses.”
While she ultimately came to accept and even enjoy this self-presentation for its archetypal positioning of the dancer and the polished, powerful position “beauty” offered her, she still wrestles with the cultural dynamics of why belly dancers, who speak so often of empowerment, acceptance of difference, and individuality, are so willing to embrace this stereotype.
Thus it can be seen that belly dancers are going through a struggle for indentifying themselves in a patriarchal dominant society. Most of the dancers feel that they are torn between embracing the role as a belly dancer and at the same time avoiding by criticized to self-objectify.
Conclusion
The paper discusses the three main aspects of negotiation of power between female belly dancer and male audience, Female body empowerment through belly dance and Belly dancing as a tool for feminism. The other benefits of the belly dance are also discussed in the research with various research studies similar to belly dancing. The research paper reveals that belly dancing strongly benefits feminist and empowers them. The power status between belly dancing and feminine nature are discussed and it is found that belly dance helps in revealing the feminist power and acts as an important tool for feminism. Belly dance helps in bringing the inner beauty of the women and gives both physical and emotional benefits to the dancer. Overall the paper concludes stating that belly dancing is a feminine aspect empowering the women. The paper explains all the three thesis statements stated in the introduction in a detailed manner and achieves them respectively.
Being a belly dancer is not an easy profession. They are subject to criticism and scrutiny by the society. Not only that they have to face sexual harassment, but at the same time having to stand to their belief on what they are doing is not a passive submission to men. Through this essay, it can be concluded that female dancers are active in constructing to define who they are as an individual, which in turn means that they are. As mentioned, having choice is the main key for women to combat strong patriarchal society today.
Therefore, belly dance can be argued to be a good feminist tool to promote female empowerment. It is a dance that exudes strong feminine essence that represents at least group of women in a diverse society where ‘being a woman’ has no single definition. Hence, it is best to conclude this essay with a view by Gloria Steinam in her self-help book called Revolution from Within where she argues that Women must need equality as women and not try to emulate men in any aspect.
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