Article from Focus Magazine

BELLY dancing is more than just getting up and wiggling your hips. For the aficionado it is an art form; one that Elaine Armstrong, a secretary who works for the Directorate of Policy Planning in Metropole Building, London, has been studying for seven years

Report: Anthony Stone Pictures: Allan House

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Dancing is in Elaine’s blood. Salsa, ballroom, ballet and tap, every step that has rhythm, she has learnt off pat. So when she heard about a belly dancing class near Tottenham Court Road in London, she thought she would give it a whirl. “All sorts of women turned up, solicitors and shop assistants,” she remembered. It was the start of her introduction to Arabic dance which has seen her progress to become a qualified teacher and perform at nightspots in Turkey.

Contrary to Western stereotypes, belly dancing is not a titillating dance of seduction performed by women for men. This finer point was, however, obviously lost on the dozens of blokes who took to surrounding office roof tops for a cigarette break during the Focus photo shoot.

In the Arab world belly dance is primarily a dance by women for women, handed down from mother to daughter and danced for their own pleasure. Whenever there is a gathering of women (perhaps to celebrate a coming of age, the birth of a baby or just coffee morning) dance is usually on the menu. Elaine said: “The women and girls will dance informally together, maybe taking their solo turn in the centre of the circle and the emphasis will not be on the technical skill of the dancer but on her enjoyment of the dance and a celebration of her sensuality. “I must also say that this dance is not exclusively reserved for women. There are many men who enjoy and perform the dance.” In fact one guy used to make a 50-mile round trip to turn up for Elaine’s classes. “But if guys want to join I always check them out to make sure they are not just coming to leer.”

So why did she take it up? “Well, everyone does tap dancing, but this is different. Obviously someone who is really, really shy probably would not turn up for classes. You start off feeling apprehensive, but as you go along and get more into it you forget your inhibitions. “People quite often turn up and say, I don’t like my belly and cover it up. But six weeks later it’s a different story. They get used to themselves. You don’t have to be skinny to be a belly dancer. In Turkey they tend to be, but in Egypt and other places they don’t.”

The trickiest move to learn is the “camel” or undulation or the belly roll. For this, you suck in your abdominal muscles, stretch them downwards, push them out and then suck them back in again and repeat. It’s very hard, so don’t try it straight after lunch. It takes about a year of hard work to make it look convincing.

So could you do yourself a mischief? “Like any type of exercise, you have to be warmed up properly,” Elaine said. “As far as exercise is concerned the dance is low impact and involves stretching, strengthening and developing the muscles, especially those in the abdomen and thorax and developing good posture.”
Belly dancing can be as vigorous or as gentle as you want to make it, so it is suitable for all age groups. Elaine’s students range from 14 year olds to pensioners.

The music comes from all over the Middle East, but mostly from Egypt, Turkey and Lebanon. “There is quite an art to interpreting and understanding the rhythms and phrasing of dance,” she said. “Each phrase is like a sentence and to create an interesting story the sentences of the dance must fit together in a poetic order. Having said that there is no right or wrong way to interpret the music, individuality and developing your own style is what is needed here.

“I want to teach different Arabic styles: cabaret, folk-loric, veil work as well as giving information about the history of dance and music.
“Belly dancing can be practised by students of any size or shape, it celebrates sensuality, strength and power, it encourages people to have a positive body image and to gain self-confidence in a supportive environment. Above all, belly dancing is fun.”