ABSTRACT
Western imperialism, colonialism, and global markets have great implications for gender performance and relationships today. Western culture has circulated around the world and influences local ideas and definitions of masculinity. This chapter explores how many women use belly dance to construct femininities, while, to varying degrees, male dancers 'do' masculinity. It examines how men perform masculinity within the female-dominated setting of belly dance. Some male dancers argue that various styles of belly dance are more conducive to portraying masculinity. Denny claims that there are different styles that may look better for a male dancer. Dance teachers occasionally use gendered language and instruction to emphasize masculine behavior, such as gestures and movement execution that they believe fall in line with typical notions of masculinity. Some male dancers linguistically separate themselves from female dancers by avoiding the term 'belly dancer'. Dancers play with different styles, costumes, bodily adornments, and movements to demonstrate masculinity and femininity.
