Whose Belly Dance is it?

The Vicissitudes of Modern Ethnic Sports

抄録

　　Numerous ethnic sports, which prevailed among specific ethnic groups and geographical locations, are now practiced all over the world. It has been noticed through much scholarship that the representation of modem ethnic sports is becoming more hybridized than ever in the backdrop of globalization. Belly dance, which is adapted from Middle Eastern dances, is currently popular among Taiwanese women. Taking the globalization of belly dance and its localization as an example, this study shows how Taiwanese people diversely fuse their local culture with belly dance, and bridge connections between Taiwanese identity and the imported culture by emphasizing the nurture of homeland. This study also argues that the fluidity of culture in its laundering, imaging and attaching is an appropriate model explaining the diversity and the changing nature of modem ethnic sports.