It is not accurately known what the exact origin of Oriental dance is. Some believe that it was introduced into the Middle East via the traders on the silk trail from Afghanistan and India. Another theory is that Muslim Crusaders that Ventured to Spain observed the dancing techniques of street gypsies and involved it into many of the Arabic folk dances creating it as part of their identity. No one can be certain as to how credible these theories are yet it is fair to state that Oriental dancing is one of the oldest of all the dancing genres despite having certain adaptations from other cultural dance movements.

Oriental dancing, as we know it was once performed by Males and Females of all ages for celebrations of kinds without ANY sexual misconception that has now been associated with Middle Eastern Dance. Now days however, Oriental dance is seen as a feminine dance (this may also due to the fact that about 99.98% of all Oriental dancers are Female) however this is utterly untrue. Even though various moves are more feminine inclined, with emphasis on certain muscles in women’s hips and torso, the same can be said with the muscles in the male anatomy which allow males to do movements that women have trouble doing.

During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, strict Islamic law forbade female oriental dancing and instead encouraged males to become the performers, at the same time a similar movement was currently being undertaken in other parts of the Middle east. However at the turn of the centaury when sexual connotations were heavily entangled with the image of the Oriental dancer, laws were past in countries such as Egypt making it Illegal for males to perform, inturn creating a socially intolerant outlook on Male Oriental dancers.
Contemporarily male oriental dancing is beginning to make a Strong come back. Esteemed and established oriental dancers such as Yousry Sharif, Adam Basma, Bert Balladine and Horacio Cifuentes have explored the traditional Arabic roots of Male Dance. This effectively downplaying the perceived promiscuous nature of the dance and have been able to recreate it as the true art that it is.