How an Iranian dancer is reclaiming a women’s only art form

Degwekar – whose surname was Sadeghian before marriage– teaches a form of Raqs Sharki, a dance from the Middle East that is popularly known – and stigmatised – as belly dancing. She is a fourth generation Iranian, born and living in Pune. She visits the country of her forebears, where her ancestral home in Yazd is locked and waiting. In Pune, Degwekar is dedicated to smoothing people’s understanding of Iran.

“I am a software engineer and it was a conscious decision to turn into a teacher and talk about the benefits of belly dancing. This is a very beautiful art form. It’s created by women for women. It works on the well-being of the body and the mind and it has the effect of empowering women,” she says.

When she started teaching belly dancing in Pune more than 15 years ago, there were many questions. “You will see in Arabic countries that people have a belly dancer at weddings. In India, sadly, it’s looked down upon,” she says. Degwekar had only two students when she set out. Since then, she has trained more than 2,000.

Dancing is a part of the culture in Iran – but this is not the image that is commonly associated with the country. “Because there’s a lot of oppression in Iran, people have get-together parties if there is an engagement, wedding, Eid or some other festival. That’s where you see women dancing. They never use the word belly dancing; this was a name given by the West. For us, it is simply dancing,” she says.

The only thing that Degwekar does differently in Pune is that she performs belly dancing without showing skin. “I feel that people should be watching my dance with the intention of watching the dance, not a bare belly,” she says. She points out that belly dancing has isolated movements that make a woman aware about her body. “I’ve seen women transform once they learn belly dancing. This is because there are movements where you only move the belly or just jig one shoulder,” she says.

Degwekar has entered the Limca Book of Records and the India Book of Records for creating the largest belly dance flash mob. Thousands of women in Pune, who have attended workshops and regular dance training, have become aware about Raqs Sharki and how it has come down from the Arabs and was embraced by Iran. “We conduct workshops but, mostly, the women opt for regular training,” says Degwekar.

Matters of the Head

Ever since the US-Israel attack on Iran, Degwekar has found herself explaining the real Iran every so often. The hijab comes up in conversations. Degwekar, too, wore a hijab when she was younger. But, there comes a point when a girl, who has been putting on a hijab since childhood, will ask her mother, “Why am I wearing this scarf?” Degwekar’s mother had told her, “You are wearing this scarf because you don’t want men to look at you.” Degwekar had pointed out that she was in Wadia College, studying science. “I told her, ‘Mummy, when I wear this scarf now, more people look at me. I find it very awkward,’” she says.

The conversation ended with Degwekar taking off her hijab, except when she was in front of elders. This was the Iranian way of showing respect for the culture. “I wear my headscarf only when I have to go to the mosque or to my mother’s house. The hijab is a part of our culture, but never forced on us as in Iran,” she says.
One of the most curious people is her husband Tejas Degwekar, who owns a restaurant. “Like many people, I used to mention Iraq and Iran in one breath. It was only after getting married that I realised how vastly different the two countries are,” says Tejas. Their son is learning both cultures. “He says Salaam very cutely and Khuda Hafiz very politely. He knows when to do namaskar. It’s very beautiful to watch him grow,” says Aziza.