Folkloric dances of the Middle East are the foundation for the more refined formal dance known as “Bellydance”, the classical women’s dance presented on the stage. The great dancer, Ruth St. Denis, saw in this dance a true art, deserving appreciation as a form of legitimate artistic expression. She and other pioneers of modern dance presented their interpretations of Bellydance to American and European audiences during the period of great Western fascination with Orientalism in the early parts of the 20th Century.

Subsequently, as waves of immigration brought new citizens to the United States from the Middle East and Mediterranean areas, music and dance came with them. American dancers found both good teachers and an audience that recognized and appreciate skillful and authentic dancers.

In the 60’s and 70’s, Belly dancing went mainstream when American women embraced it and made it their own. Bellydance classes and “bellygrams” popped up everywhere as people began to realize this dance’s value as both exercise and entertainment. The new performers of Bellydance in the United States were (and still are) challenged to add enough pizazz to hold the attention of the American audience while still maintaining as much tradition as possible.

In Belly dancing, the dancer ideally becomes an expression of the music. The extraordinary excitement and beauty of the Bellydance executed by a skilled and practiced professional, transcends time and culture. This dance, which originated in the Middle East, is now clearly for women everywhere!

The Karavan Dance Troupe is dedicated to presenting this beautiful dance as an art form.

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