Belly Dance in the United States: Cultural Productions of Alternative Health Narratives and Practices

摘要

Belly dance, which has predominantly been studied in the context of post-colonialism and Orientalist frameworks, has recently been gathering academic steam as an embodied practice with significant effects on body image. However, it has not previously been investigated as to whether the dance as a cultural form influences or changes ideas of health, nutritional practices, or self-care modalities. Based on participant observation and interviews with professional and semiprofessional dancers, the physical and nutritional self-care practices of American belly dancers are examined as to how these are incorporated into personal regimens as either complementary or alternative narratives to the traditional biomedical model. Results indicate that control of the body frequently acts as an embodying feature of the dance, which has pervasive ramifications for understanding the self and the needs of the body, the acceptability of physicians and biomedicine, conceptions of illness, and systems of healing that are determined to be appropriate.