Belly dancing is the embodiment of her heritage

Cultural anthropologist was born to practice the art of her Syrian ancestors

Sep, 28-2009 11:54 am

By LORENDA KNISEL Staff Writer

MARGATE – She shimmies, swivels her hips and undulates across the stage, captivating audiences with her charm and exotic beauty.

International belly dance star Soraya El-Khouby has performed at Atlantic City casino concerts, black-tie soirées, weddings and Hollywood parties. The Margate native is the genie in Taj Mahal casino commercials, and has performed for the opening of the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

She even caught the eyes of Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, who asked if they could film a segment of their reality show “The Simple Life” in her home (she graciously declined).

Her most notable achievement has been dancing for King Hassan and the Moroccan royal family at their palace in Casablanca, Morocco.

Soraya El-Khouby, 30, who goes by the stage name Soraya, has been belly dancing since she was 3. Her family is of Middle Eastern descent – hailing from Syria – and dancing is something she grew up doing at family gatherings. She said the dance flows through her veins – literally, because it is part of her heritage.

“Belly dancing has been my calling from as far back as I can remember. It is as natural for me as breathing,” she explained. “I knew that was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. When I first heard the music of the Middle East and Mediterranean region, something very spiritual and deep awoke in my soul and I just knew.”

El-Khouby practices the Egyptian style of dancing. She owns her own entertainment company, Soraya’s Mid-East Dance and Music Productions, a booking agency that provides dancers and a full orchestra for upscale events. She profits from global sales of her belly dance DVDs, and said all of her earnings are donated to charity (it helps being married to a doctor).

El-Khouby is also a cultural anthropologist, a dance instructor, a makeup artist and a vocalist who sings in both English and Arabic.

She received her bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology/sociology with an emphasis in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean studies from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, and gives lectures and writes articles, trying to spread the message of what her art is about.

“Belly dancing celebrates the feminine archetype and the human experience in general,” El-Khouby said, and is not only for women, but for men and even children.

“There are elements celebrating femininity and masculinity, the yin and the yang, the sacred and the profane, and is highly spiritual. It is sensual yet not sexual,” she said.

“Through this dance we become in touch with the earth and with God. We circle back to ourselves, tell a story of the human experience, and reach out to the entire human race as a whole. We express every feeling imaginable and more within this ancient dance craft.”

There is more respect for belly dance in the Middle East, Near East and Mediterranean, El-Khouby said.

“Americans sometimes – not always – think it is a form of stripping or go-go dancing rather than what it really is – a very ancient, cultural art form.”

She is committed to “keeping it real” and trying to change negative misconceptions about belly dance.

“My goals are to continue to knock down cultural barriers, banish any stereotypes and societal ignorances towards my art. I think that my professional belly dancing should have the same respect as other fine forms of dance such as ballet.”

Belly dance, also known as “raks sharki,” or dance of the Orient, had been practiced throughout the world – including Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East – for thousands of years before being brought to Chicago at the World’s Fair in 1893. There is no known date of origin, as it has been practiced since before recorded history. It is believed to have arisen out of a time when there were matriarchal societies that worshipped a goddess.

“My dancing is definitely ritualistic and does celebrate the divine feminine,” El-Khouby said, noting that the dance originated as a birthing ritual to aid women in bringing a child into the world. 

In the 20th century it was studied and performed in modern dance by Martha Graham, and its influence can be felt in hip-hop dance, which also utilizes fluid undulations and isolated movements.

In contemporary culture, belly dance has evolved into tribal fusion and gothic belly dance, and many stars, such as Shakira and Britney Spears, have used its moves in their music videos.

The technique has also been offered at gyms as a way to get in shape.

“I think that anything that gets people moving and off the couch is a good thing,” El-Khouby opined. “However, when this delicate art becomes just another trend it can lose the spiritual sensuality and its soul.

“Too many people think it is just about shaking your body without any rhyme or reason, jumping about to the music, running, enticing men or throwing a veil around. It is so not about old Hollywood or the seven veils. It is about so much more.”

For information or to book an event call Mid-East Dance and Music Productions at (609) 823-2029 or email SorayaEnt@aol.com. To learn about the culture and history of belly dance visit www.bellydancebysoraya.com. For videos of her performances see www.youtube.com/NJBellyDanceEvents.