Belly
dancing has long been cast as a less than respectable art form. Not any more.
Not for much longer, anyway. Meher Malik, the best known name in belly dance in
India, is on a mission to change that perception of the dance form, with her
unrelenting efforts at bringing its true beauty and significance to everyone.
“Belly
dancing is believed to have been passed on from mother to daughter to prepare
the womb to give birth”, she says. There does seem to be a rationale to it,
given the fact that belly dancing strengthens and increases flexibility in the
core, pelvic floor and thigh muscles in particular. Interestingly, Meher points
out, that at a time when size zero is the rule, belly dance encourages women of
all sizes to dance. Some of the other associations attached with belly dancing
include “a celebration of Mother Earth and warding off evil spirits”, adds
Meher.
This
is in sharp contrast with the popular image of belly dancing, which, she says
is seen as “just a source of entertainment, which is not supposed to be taken
seriously and which, money could buy. Sadly, it is also seen as synonymous with
vulgarity.” Relatedly, she mentions how
the Bollywood image of belly dance is “highly misconstrued”. “I have been
offered item songs umpteen times, but I haven’t worked so hard to change the
image of belly dance to then succumb to the "item song" opportunities”
she says. Adding, if that is what she really had to do “What am I even fighting
for then?”
