Belly Dancing and the Forgotten History of Persian Dance

Title

Belly Dancing and the Forgotten History of Persian Dance

Files

Publication Date

4-2020

Document Type

Presentation

Presentation Type

Individual

Degree Type

Graduate

Department

Theatre and Dance

Mentor

Bruce Burningham

Abstract

This paper will discuss the differences between Belly dancing and Persian dancing while focusing on the particular history of Persian dance. Not only has Persian dance not gotten the same attention as belly dancing, but in some cases the entire style has been mistaken for belly dancing. The paper will begin with a short history of what might have caused the confusion of considering the two dance forms to be the same. It will also examine visual differences such as those related to costuming and technique. Ultimately, the paper will argue that Persian dance is fundamentally different and independent from Belly dancing, and that the absence of available histories of Persian dance has left a vacuum in the documentations on dances of the Middle East, which has led to the belief that Belly dancing is all there is.

Notes

This project has not received IRB approval.

Belly Dancing and the Forgotten History of Persian Dance
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