Ive seen bellydancers perform with snakes. Whats up with that, and aren snakes slimy?
First of all, snakes are reptiles not amphibians, so they’re not slimy. As for snake dancing, bellydancers and snakes have something in common: questionable reputations! Both are highly misunderstood. Snake dancing gets its origins from ancient rituals which also included goddess worship. Christianity may not hold snakes in high regard, but other cultures did – some of which continue to respect and/or worship these fascinating reptiles. In addition to performing the dance as a sort of ritual, bellydancers also admire the undulating movements of a snake – the same movements imitated by the dancer during the slow sections of her dance. Incidentally, snake dancing is a specialty dance only performed by dancers who are extremely knowledgeable about snakes. And for the record, snake dancing is performed with boas or pythons (constrictors) and not cobras or rattlesnakes!
