Homeland of the Turks around two thousands
BC was Central Asia. In general, they were living a nomadic life in
tribes. Dance concept for them was dancing by moving their feet from
right to left creating a harmonic rhythm in a lively manner by forming
a circle with a mixed group of men and women around a fire in
ceremonies of divine services or with great enthusiasm celebrating a
happy event or after a war for the purpose of sharing pleasure and
mirth.
With the establishment of the Great Seljuk state, Turks began to
migrate to the Arabian countries. Seljuks maintained their sovereignty
in Iran for a long period. They adopted the profound culture of the
East during the long time they lived in these lands. Turks became
acquainted with oriental dance in these lands. Turks were greatly
impressed and influenced with this type of dance and the oriental
dance became one of the most popular and fundamental entertainments of
the Seljuk palace life.
In Arabian and Moroccan culture woman performing oriental dance was
called raqs sharqi (oriental dancer). Raqs Sharqi belly dancing
consist of movements that are initiated by the feet and executed
throughout the body. The focus of the dance is the pelvic and hip
area. It is fundamentally, a solo improvisational dance with its own
unique dance vocabulary that is fluidly integrated with the music’s
rhythm. Raqs Sharqi dance expresses the sensuality and power of being
a mature woman and her fertility. In Arabian and Moroccan culture
raks sharqi also meant woman who sings and plays a musical instrument
before performing oriental dance. Turks called this musical instrument
çeng (harp which goes back to primitive times, however it was very
popular among Turks) and the woman who played cenk and danced was
called çengi (public dancing girl).
After adoption of Islam by Turks in 1040, women
dancers started to perform their dances only in harem as a part of
palace life and entertainment. The harem was a part of the palace set
apart for the women only. Therefore belly dance was performed only in
harem or by women for women. This female dancer known as rakkase
hardly ever appeared in public. This type of music and dance was taken
out of the palace life and to the public by male steer entertainers,
the male rakkas dressed in feminine attire. This male rakkas (dancer)
was called KÖÇEK. In the entertainments and festivals in the Seljuk
State horse races, oil wrestling competitions were organized and
public dancing girls (çengi) and male rakkas (köçek) were performing
dances for the entertainment of guests.
In the Ottoman Empire which was established after the demise of the
Seljuk State çengi and köçek and dancers named rakkase (a word derived
from the Arabic language) had become an indispensable part of the
culture.
During the Ottoman Empire period çengi (public dancing girls) and
köçek (male rakkas) had an organization permitted by the approval of
the municipality. A çengi team which was called KOL was composed of a
KOLBAŞI (head of troop) an assistant kolbaşı and a dozen of dancers. A
group of instrument players were also in the group with one violin
player, one çifte nara (rakkase player), two tambourine players and
this group was called ŞIRACI. The house they lived was called MEŞKHANE
(School of Music). Individuals who wished to become a çengi and köçek
were trained with special courses by the Kolbaşı and they started to
live in this house. For special invitations, events and wedding
ceremonies to be held in pavilions and mansions the organizers and
promoters had to talk and agree with the kolbaşı.
Following the French Revolution, woman performing this kind of dance
was started to be called as dans-öz (women dancer) in the Egypt and
the dance performed by women dancers was started to be called as
“oriental dance”. Turks still like this dance as in the first day live
this culture and make this culture live.
