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By Nancy Arcayna
Star-BulletinRACHAEL Thanem doesn't like Hollywood portrayals of belly dancers as veiled seducers
"The movie industry got hold of (the dance), glamorized it and made it look cheap," says Thanem, a local belly dancer. "It's not really a dance that women do for men. In the Middle East, they dance at family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, and it is a part of their everyday life, much like hula is to the Hawaiians."
On the mainland, belly dancing is a growing trend. Here, Rachael said, "There is a community of belly dancers and I think it will catch on in time. Some students already have the hip movements down from taking hula classes."
Belly dancing has been a part of her family for three generations. "The love of the dance evolved when my Grandpa encouraged my grandmother to take belly dance lessons," Rachael said. "He said Middle Eastern dance was the most beautiful that he had ever seen. So my grandmother, mom and aunts started taking lessons. They liked the gypsy feel of it and used to bring me to class when I was only 3 years old."
The dance continues to be passed along through the generations. The youngest member of the family troupe is 4-year-old Peggy, Rachael's cousin who resides on the Big Island."We have learned other types of dances like hip-hop, jazz and ballet, but we only do belly dancing now. We have been exposed to the dance all of our lives, but have seriously studied it for the past five years," says Gretchen, Rachael's younger sister.
"Gretchen and I are here and the rest of our family comes from the Big Island to participate in El Niñas performances.
During family get-togethers, we all dance, she says, "Even granny, who no longer performs."
The diversity of the dance is what the women like best. "It is so exotic and has a wide variety of movements. The dance keeps changing as it is influenced by other cultures and that only makes it better. We combine various styles but especially like the American-style of belly dance. It is one of the most feminine dances," says Rachael.
Even so, she acknowledges that the fluid movements of belly dancing represents "a culture shock to people who have never seen the dance. There is definitely an issue between eastern dance and western culture."
To Westerners more accustomed to the rigid and controlled movements of ballet, the movements and exposed navel of belly dancing are considered risque.Maybe because they are less self-conscious about their bodies, "Children and senior citizens are the ones who enjoy our performances the most," Rachael said. "The music is lively and the rhythm is appealing. It is fun to watch and the costumes are beautiful. After our public appearances, little girls swarm around us."
"The girls choose their favorite dancer based on our costumes," says Gretchen.
Costumes vary depending on the style of dance. The commonly seen cabaret-style outfit with the beaded bra and skirt that exposes the belly was introduced in the United States. But others have adapted the cabaret-style costume over time, she said. Belly button jewels were another of Hollywood's creations. Dancers in the Middle East do not wear jewels in their navels.
"We make all of our costumes except for the few items, like our belts, that we order from Egypt," says Rachael.
Dancers also use a variety of props, such as the finger cymbals known as zils, which are held with the thumb and middle finger and used to accentuate the rhythm of the dance.
Women began dancing with canes as a means to playfully imitate the men who carried long sticks as weapons and to be used in martial arts.Modern dancers inspired by a painting dating back to the 19th century began balancing swords on their heads. "We balance them on our heads or hips," says Rachael.
Some dancers, following Egyptian folkloric traditions, dance with open pots of fire, or balance candelabras on their heads.
For those who have no desire to perform, belly dancing also is a great way to get in shape, said Rachael. The stretching and breathing exercises are similar to yoga and the entire body gets a low-impact workout.
"It is such a natural way to move. The movements massage certain areas of the body and loosen joints, which provides for a release of tension," she says.
"Anyone can learn the dance. It just takes practice. Learning to move and isolate specific parts of the body can be challenging. But the dance is slow, not vigorous," she said.
"The entire body is used while dancing and the healthy movements strengthen the stomach muscles. It is one of the easiest ways to whittle your waistline."
On stage
What: El Niñas belly dance performance
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