I'm often asked questions about belly dancing from children and adults, as well as aspiring dancers from throughout the world. Here are my responses to some of the most common and intelligent inquiries. (You'll also find lots of beautiful photos of my friends—some of Colorado's top belly dancers!)
Q: Do you wear a jewel in your belly button?

A: I don't know of any belly dancer who does. However, I heard that this practice was something Hollywood made famous. Back in the 1940's and 50's, it was obscene for an American woman to publicly show her belly button. In light of all the Hollywood harem movies, actresses would either wear costumes that covered their midriffs or a big jewel in their belly buttons. Either way, their navels were covered. In fact, Barbara Eden of the 1960's series "I Dream of Jeannie" stated, during an interview, that the Hollywood censors were critical of her costume and gave her strict rules about how she was not to expose her navel. Ironically, the Egyptian belly dancers during that period were showing their belly buttons!
Q: What is that weird, warbling vocal sound I sometimes hear in Arabic music and that some belly dancers make?

A: That sound is a zaghareet, an ululation. I can best describe it as a sustained sound created by rapidly trilling the tongue (la, la, la, la . . . ) in a loud, high pitch. (If you've ever seen the hit television program, Xena, Warrior Princess, it's Xena's war cry.)

A zaghareet is vocalized mostly by women in the Middle East as well as parts of Africa as a way to express joy, sorrow, and to welcome others. In the case of Arabic dance music, a zaghareet is heard as the audience's exuberance and appreciation of the dancer and is usually accompanied with clapping, whistling, shouting, and singing.

Q: What are those clacker things dancers wear on their fingers and do your hands get tired from playing them?

A: They're finger cymbals or zills (zils), which is the Turkish word for bells or cymbals. In Egypt, they're called sagat, to the Persians, they're referred to as zang, and Indian finger cymbals are manjira. Zills are percussion instruments that have been around for over 2000 years and are in the same instrument family as the large cymbals used by rock and jazz drummers and orchestra percussionists. Belly dancers play them to accompany the music just as you would see flamenco dancers playing castanets when they perform. And no, my hands don't get tired from playing zills!

Q: I've seen belly dancers perform with snakes. What's up with that and aren't snakes slimy?

A: First of all, snakes are reptiles not amphibians, so they're not slimy. As for snake dancing, my friend Eva Cernik pointed out that belly dancers and snakes have something in common: questionable reputations! Both are highly misunderstood.

Snake dancing gets its origins from ancient rituals which also included goddess worship. Christianity may not hold snakes in high regard, but other cultures did—some of which continue to respect and/or worship these fascinating reptiles. In addition to performing the dance as a sort of ritual, belly dancers also admire the undulating movements of a snake—the same movements imitated by the dancer during the slow sections of her dance. Incidently, snake dancing is a specialty dance that is only performed by dancers who are extremely knowledgeable about snakes. And for the record, snake dancing is performed with boas or pythons (constrictors) and not cobras or rattlesnakes!
Q: Why do belly dancers sometimes dance with swords or canes?

A: Swords and canes are usually considered folkloric props, meaning their association with Middle Eastern dance is more related to village dancing. It makes sense that sword and cane dancing came from traditional peasant life and dances. When people migrate to the cities, their own unique traditions and folklore ultimately become an integral part of the larger society's culture.

I've seen video footage of sword dancing performed by men in the Arabian Gulf and of Lebanese female folk dancers. I assume these sword dances were more related to victory dances of long ago since they were not performed in the same manner as a belly dancer would utilize the sword. In contrast, we use it as a way to showcase our balance, isolations, and flexibility.
The cane (assaya) is commonly used in Arab weddings, whereby the dancer performs with it as she leads the wedding procession (called a zeffa). Just envision a sheepherder using a cane or staff to herd the flock or a village celebration where families gather together in song and dance. Additionally, many Egyptian and Lebanese belly dance shows include the dancer performing a folkloric number with a cane, whereby, the dance is flirtatious and performed in a full, simple dress.

In contrast, is the tahtib (a sturdy, rattan stick), the men's version of the cane. What looks like a harmless dance is actually a form of martial arts stick fighting accompanied by earthy drumming.

Performed as a solo or with a sparring partner, the men dance around each other in mock combat to the rhythms of the drums while hitting each other's sticks. Although viewed as a performance, it is not uncommon for the combatants to really go at each other with intended force—a scenario I once witnessed at a festival in Egypt.

Tahtib and assaya dances are important aspects of Egyptian culture. Many of Egypt's professional folkloric dance companies feature these types of dances in their shows as theatrical presentations. Such performances usually include a courtship dance between a man and a woman with the canes or sticks used in a playful manner.