Orientalism, representations, and created fantasies: The transformation of traditional Middle Eastern dances to belly dance

Belly dancing is often believed to be a traditional Middle Eastern dance. Belly dance, though, developed in America and only recently appeared in the Middle East. The similarities between traditional women's dances in the Middle East and belly dance are minimal, but representations influenced by the concept of Orientalism have affected our perception of what we accept as Middle Eastern traditions. The concept of Orientalism holds that certain items are selectively chosen or formulated to depict Middle Eastern culture. Representations inspired by Orientalism do not rely on unbiased and truthful portrayals, but rather exaggerate or amplify particular cultural aspects to fashion an image of the Middle East that fits with carefully crafted Western expectations, resulting in stereotypes. Within such an environment, the ideas and beliefs that permitted the fantasy of belly dance as a expression of Middle Eastern culture grew and flourished to create the current attitudes about belly dancing.