The Birth of Belly Dancing Jewelry

If you are like most people then you probably envision the belly dancer adorned with spectacular jewelry and dressed in flashy clothing. This iconic view of the belly dancer is actually quite misleading. The jewelry commonly associated with belly dancer is a recent occurrence resulting from cultures that don’t traditionally have belly dancing.

The modern image of the belly dancer adorned with expensive belly dancing jewelry has lead to a common misconception. Belly dancers have been associated with fame and wealth. Some believe that belly dancing is the activity for the wealthy. The truth is that is is modern misconception and doesn’t accurately represent belly dancing around the world.

The most prominent piece of belly dancing jewelry is the large jewel on the navel. This history of this actually quite revealing. The jewel on the belly came into existence as a way for producers in Hollywood to get around the Hayes Code which prevented the navel from being completely shown. Belly dancing jewelry provided a very Hollywood solution to this problem.

It was the movie industry that began the association between belly dancing jewelry and belly dancing. The truth is that in the Middle East, belly dancers were often unadorned and only wore a full body dress that kept the dancer’s body modestly hidden away. If you are interested in traditional attire for belly dancing instead of western-influenced attire then you won’t need lots of jewelry.

The Belly Dancing Outfit

Instead of expensive belly dancing jewelry, most traditional belly dancers relied on simple yet beautiful fabric to use while dancing. Fabric was often used as a prop while dancing to compliment the rhythmic movement of the dancer’s body. Clothing and jewelry should not detract from the dance.

Clothing was generally not restricting, and like the fabric used in dancing, often flowed with the movements and complimented the dance. Instead of belly dancing jewelry the traditional attire is almost completely made up various fabrics. Often times the entire body is covered with fabric. This in sharp contrast to the popularized outfit we are most familiar with.

If you decide to where belly dancing jewelry then there are many types to choose from. However, it is good for any belly dancer to understand the history and significance of the jewelry they are wearing. Just because it isn’t traditional doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear it. Many people believe the addition of jewelry and flashy clothing makes the dance all that more attractive.