Middle Eastern dance can probably be traced back to Mesopotamia, based on temple drawings depicting this dance. Similar pictures have been found on Egyptian temples and in Greece dating back to 1,000 B.C. Middle Eastern dance may have begun as part of an ancient fertility and childbirth ritual. Sometime around the birth of Jesus Christ, Greeks wrote of "Nile dancers as rapidly vibrating." Raqs Sharqi (Roks Sharkee), which means "Dance from the East" takes its roots from Middle Eastern fertility ceremonies. The dance is performed by women for women, and was taught to young girls so they could strengthen their abdominal muscles to prepare for eventual childbirth. Middle Eastern dance requires strong muscular control with the smaller movements requiring more control than larger movements.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the major European powers colonized parts of South America and Africa. The white Europeans imposed their value systems, cultures, governments and wills on the colonized countries, forbidding them from having a voice. It was in this climate that the Orientalist art environment was born. Writers and artists were genuinely interested in learning about the art and culture of the southern and Mediterranean countries; others dismissed the art and culture of these countries. The European people hired dancers to perform for them and were said to be "both repelled and fascinated" by the abdominal and hip movements performed by the dancers.
Early in the 20th century, nightclubs were established in Beirut, Lebanon and Cairo, Egypt which catered to Europeans. The entertainment consisted of the local dances even though Islam forbade the women to dance for men who were not family members; dancing for foreign men was even worse. The local people resented the European club owners, feeling offended by the "sleazy" attitudes of the Europeans who visited the clubs. In the 1950s, Egyptian law forbade women from performing floor dances in Oriental dance shows. By the mid-20th century, many middle Eastern and African night clubs offered "belly dancing." This was not the true dance which was originally performed in the women's homes.
In its early forms, the Ghawazee and Gypsy dancers were considered to be uneducated street performers. Early dancers were probably "sacred prostitutes" who performed the dances as they invoked and prayed to their Goddesses. The Awalim were another class of dancers. The Almeh was a woman who had been trained in the art of the music and dance. She would often play the oud and was prepared with a list of poems and songs which she could recite and perform for her clients.
Again, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Europeans imposed their value and belief systems on the Middle Eastern dancers, bringing sex into a dance which was originally meant to celebrate fertility and childbirth. At that time, it was considered risque for a woman to expose her hips. In later years, the influence of Hollywood brought about a big change in the Middle Eastern dancer's costume, exposing the midriff, incorporating a fancy bra with a jeweled belt around her waist. Originally, dancers had worn a long dresses with a piece of cloth tied around their hips.