Belly dancing goes Dutch

A popular restaurant in one of Bahrain’s leading hotels has had to go Dutch to find a suitable belly dancer to entertain guests as recruiting performers of the traditional Arabic dance from the Middle East is proving too tough a task.

Nobody knows how, why or exactly where the hip-shimmering dance routine started but many believe it originated in ancient Egypt.

It was popularised in the West during the 18th and 19th centuries, when dancers from Middle Eastern countries began to perform at various world fairs, often drawing crowds in numbers that rivalled those for the science and technology exhibits.

Although danced socially by men and women of all ages in Middle Eastern countries, usually at festive occasions such as weddings, recruiting for public entertaining appears to be frowned upon for cultural reasons.

A regional hotel group source told GulfWeekly that although attempts had been made to recruit dancers from the Middle East often family and peer pressure led to recruits having to give it up, so the search for dancers has widened and now more European dancers are stepping up to the challenge.

Belly dancer Julia van der Scheer, for example, is wiggling her way into the hearts of guests at the Pashawat Restaurant at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa.

The Dutch-born beauty, 29, has immersed herself in Arab culture after spending the last decade perfecting her craft. She is now using her talent to entertain diners at the recently renovated-restaurant accompanied by Lebanese musicians.

Her desire to take up belly dancing came to her after a dream she had while she was studying for her art degree at the Frank Mohr Institute in Holland.

“I had only ever seen belly dancing on TV but one night I had a really random but vivid dream about it. When I woke up I Googled places that gave lessons and that was the beginning of my passion for it,” she said.

After three years of classes with Letty Voz, a renowned instructor in Holland, she had developed such talent that when her teacher’s health declined, she was asked to take over the class, which she did for a year.

With her new-found confidence and passion she spent the next few years travelling around the Middle East, taking part in competitions and perfecting her art.

“When I decided to pursue it full time my family was very supportive, especially my dad. My parents come to my shows whenever the can and they cheer the loudest,” she said.

“It’s such an emotive way to express yourself and everywhere I go I try to introduce something new. I always want to learn and become better.

“I love dancing but the crowds in the Middle East appreciate the art of it more than back in Holland. Perhaps this is because belly dancing is such a big part of the culture here.”

The hotel’s general manager Bert Plas said: “We are delighted to have Julia on board for our unique Arabic Restaurant Pashawat, we are sure that her presence will be an exceptional addition to the restaurant’s entertainment team.”

Belly dancing varies depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style, but with Julia’s wealth of knowledge, she says there is something for everyone to enjoy in her show.

She performs alongside Niveen and Marwan Matar. Marwan is an organist who likes to sing classical and national music from the likes of Abdel Haleem, Melhem Barakat and Fadel Helu while Niveen performs songs from the likes of Um Kulthoum, Warda and Shadia.