Follow TV Tropes

Following

Not Tropeworthy: Belly Dancer

Go To

To-do list:

    Original post 

Note: This thread was proposed by Berrenta.

Belly Dancer discusses a type of dancer wearing Arabian style attire and performing a special type of dance. Unfortunately, this has also attracted examples that merely mention their existence, rendering it as People Sit on Chairs.

A check of 50 wicks here has sorted the wicks based on the focus, if any. The results:

  • Fanservice: 5/50 = 10%
  • Dance-specific: 8/50 = 16%
  • Setting-specific: 9/50 = 18%
  • They exist or ZCE = 28/50 = 56%

I also originally had a section in case someone is putting too much detail in the explanation, but none of the wicks checked crossed that line, fortunately.

As for my solution, a merge with "Arabian Nights" Days might work, or we may make it a disambiguation between that and various dancing/fanservice tropes.

Wick check:

A wick check for Belly Dancer

The issue: The trope is about belly dancers being present in a work. As is, that's People Sit on Chairs. This wick check will see if there's anything worth saving.

Wicks checked: 50/50

    Fanservice 
There's enough context that denotes the fanservice aspect.
  1. Token Wholesome: In Fire Emblem, the Dancer class often have the skimpiest outfits out of any other class with the women frequently dressing like belly dancers. The only exceptions to this rule are Ninian in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and Azura in Fire Emblem Fates, who dress like medieval noblewomen.
  2. Film.Theatre Of Death: The cut to the party in Davras' home opens with a close up of the navel of a belly dancer who is performing.
  3. Literature.Eye Of The Dragon: Ms. Fanservice: Pia appears as a good-looking girl with a midriff-baring attire that resembles the one of a Belly Dancer. Subverted by her real self, which is an old hag.
  4. VideoGame.Alchemist Code: The Dancer class, as most of them bare their midriffs and have Arabian-styled clothing.
  5. Music.Eric Prydz: In the video for “Call on Me”, the female dancers have their bellies out and are doing an aerobics class.
    Dance-specific context 
If there's something tropable about the dance itself.
  1. Characters.Bug Fables: Has the appearance of one, and dances to boost Kabbu's stats in battle.
  2. Characters.Das Boot: She dances very suggestively as the party gets wilder... until the second watch officer sprays her panties with a water siphon.
  3. Characters.Rabi Ribi: She utilizes different types of dance in combat to cast powerful spells. Also, when she changes dance styles, her hair colour changes too.
  4. Fanfic.Ranma Club: Stella performs a belly dance as her talent in the Miss Magix EX pageant. She even dances to the theme song of Shantae Half Genie Hero.
  5. KitchenNightmares.Tropes A To D: In one show, Gordon went to a failing establishment where the proprietor saw her restaurant as a vehicle for showing off her belly dancing skills. She was blissfully oblivious to the food being crap, just as long as she could get to dance in front of an appreciative audience. Gordon's initial response was a disbelieving Gordon Bennett! He then had the task of explaining to her that she'd got her priorities wrong and her first concern should be the quality of the food (which was dire). Gordon also did not come over as a great fan of a belly dancing floor show even when the food served was good.
  6. Literature.The Red Tent: When Dinah comes of age, the women celebrate in the Red Tent. In particular, Ahavah (one of her sisters-in-law) is described as dancing with her pregnant belly.
  7. Manga.I Dont Like You At All Big Brother: Ran is a very dedicated cosplayer who adopts the persona of "Princess Leila". In her effort to find a mate, she performs a ritual dance; she performs one for Shusuke in private when she feels he's the one for her.
  8. Manga.The World Is Still Beautiful: In the episode "Wild Waltz", Nike briefly goes through her daily routine for lessons about conduct. One of her dancing lessons involves her trying to mimic the hip movements of a belly dancer.
    Setting-specific context 
Is there plenty of focus on an Arabian setting?
  1. Snakes Are Sexy (description): They might also be decorated with fetishized "exotic" elements of the Middle-Eastern and Indian cultures from which they are appropriated: don't be surprised to see a serpentine seductress wearing a veil and doing a belly dance holding a scimitar.
  2. Anime.Free: "Arabian Nights" Days: The first-season ED sequence of Free! gives us the Iwatobi guys plus Rin dressed in Arabian-styled outfits. Nagisa's in particular makes him look a lot like a Belly Dancer.
  3. Characters.Funbag Fantasy: Bedlah Babe: Basically dresses like a Belly Dancer, or at least a royalty from an "Arabian Nights" Days setting.
  4. OurMissBrooks.Tropes A To I: Belly dancers appear in Miss Brooks' India themed dream in the episode "King and Brooks".
  5. Recap.Sixteen S 2 E 1 Going Underground: Mystical India: Taj Mahome Video, a new video competitor in the mall, is introduced in this episode. Taj Mahome's visual theme goes for a mixture of this, Bollywood and even "Arabian Nights" Days as the male employees are shown wearing turbans, and the opening day celebration has a couple of belly dancers entertaining the new customers.
  6. Series.Chuck: The compound in Morocco in "Chuck Versus the Seduction Impossible" had these. Sometime later, Sarah wears a belly dancing outfit to try to seduce Chuck into eloping with her.
  7. Series.The Bionic Woman: Jaime performs for an Arab sheik in "Jaime and the King".
  8. WesternAnimation.Dumbo: During the Pink Elephants on Parade musical number (easily one of the trippiest and most terrifying sequences in Disney history), the background changes to an Egyptian-like motif where a Pink Elephant easily morphs between a camel, a snake, a bellydancer and finally disappearing into an eyeball.
  9. WesternAnimation.Pacific Heat: In "The Face of Terror", Maddie and V.J. are told about Todd and Zac's secret identities being compromised by Yemenite terrorists. Before they get found out for sure, Maddie and V.J. decide to disguise themselves as dancers in an attempt to get closer to Todd and Zac and warn them of their situation.
    Chairs or ZCE 
"They exist." Also, this will hold other ZCE's.
  1. Bouncer: Some such takes care of the protagonist for getting a little too grabby with the Belly Dancer at the end of the song "Stop! Stop! Stop!" by The Hollies.
  2. Ethnic Scrappy: Azziza got the Belly Dancer gimmick, though she only made an entrance for a match that got changed last minute, and most people don't remember her.
  3. Girly Bruiser: Some Coordinator Contests also require the trainer to dress up: in such cases, May dons a Belly Dancer outfit and Dawn puts on a cute frilly dress... and still direct their Pokémon in battle.
  4. Nerds Are Sexy: Cyrus from Octopath Traveler is a handsome and charming scholar who is also hilariously completely oblivious to the gushing of women around him. He even manages to get Primrose to like him, and seducing people is her entire job.
  5. Animaniacs.Tropes A To I: Shown rather briefly in "Plane Pals".
  6. Anime.Wowser: From "I'll See You In A Dream".
  7. BabylonFive.Tropes A To H: Shown generously throughout the Dark Star club in "The Quality of Mercy".
  8. Characters.Aeterna Roma: What Zuleika is most famous for.
  9. Characters.Etrian Odyssey II: Both of the female Troubadours.
  10. Characters.Impractical Jokers: He got hit with this in the punishment at the end of "Bellydancer."
  11. Characters.Love And Rockets: With a twist: Maria has the celebrated ability to crack walnuts with her abdominal muscles. Shoehorn; no mention of actual belly dances
  12. Characters.Paladins Support: Ying's Legendary emote allows her to dance like this, while her Carnival skin helps her look the part.
  13. Characters.White Noise: A very good one too. She first meets Wren while performing at a carnival.
  14. ComicBook.The Spirit: Plaster of Paris.
  15. DarthWiki.Blue Heaven: Many of the Riff female characters, especially Tiziri.
  16. Film.Carry On Spying (re: Incredibly Conspicuous Drag): Harold tries to pass himself off as a Belly Dancer, despite his obviously male physique.
  17. Film.Head: Featured in the "Can You Dig It?" sequence.
  18. FireEmblemHeroes.Tropes A To E: Returning from Awakening, Olivia joins the roster, offering her dancing skills for players to use in-game. During the Performing Arts event, an alternate dancing outfit for Olivia was revealed, and the game finally introduced a dancing outfit for Inigo, which is fitting considering his future mother is Olivia and decides to take up dancing in her place in-game. Then two years after Heroes' launch, Tethys from Sacred Stones would also become playable, well after Olivia and Inigo.
  19. Music.Rihanna: Rihanna incorporates a few belly-dancing moves, as well as her backup dancers, in a beach at night in the video for If It's Lovin' That You Want.
  20. PhineasAndFerb.Tropes A To C
    • Carl briefly dresses up as one during the "Carl, Incognito" song in "Undercover Carl".
    • Some are featured in Uncle Sabu's “Rubber Bands, Rubber Balls” musical sequence from the “Summer Belongs to You” special.
  21. Recap.Cheers S 5 E 3 Money Dearest: Fanservice Extra: The two belly dancers that Sam hires to entertain at the bachelor party. It turns out to be a bad idea.
  22. Recap.The Wire S 05 E 07 Took: Dukie thinks maybe he could be the male equivalent of this.
  23. Ride.Busch Gardens: Performances can be seen in the Dragon Fire Grill restaurant in the Tampa Bay park.
  24. Theatre.Fantasmic: The 2017 Disneyland retool's Friend Like Me scene has Genie turning Ariel, Cinderella and Belle into belly dancers. However, that soon turns out to be an adult joke, so they got replaced by the dancing camels and monkeys.
  25. VideoGame.Island Saga (in description): Nadia: The Princess of Ruby, an accomplished Belly Dancer who goes to join Protag and Iris for the fun of it all and to be with Protag.
  26. VideoGame.Parodius: Chichibinta Rika (this series's version of the endgame Shadow Dancer robots). You have to fly either between her arms or Between Her Legs to survive.
  27. Webcomic.Suihira: Fictional Holiday: When Nicolai meets Wahida to potentially discuss a marriage between the two, he arrives in time for a festival celebrating the history of the Kingdom of Iona. Using a parade filled with large puppets representing the gods, water dancers and actors, they tell the story of how Zahi the First used the power of Ignis to convince Akia to bring Iona the plentiful water they've enjoyed for generations. As much as Nicolai is amazed by the showing, Wahida is far less than impressed.
  28. WesternAnimation.The Garfield Show: In the episode "Barking Mad", Scheherazade is seen dancing on TV.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Mar 27th 2024 at 8:38:35 AM

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#51: Mar 27th 2024 at 4:51:21 AM

[up]Looks like I messed up when trying to copy and paste. I'll try again.

Edit: OK, I'm not sure if the examples I copied and pasted this time are the same as the ones I got before, but the folder's no longer empty. Thanks for pointing out that the folder accidentally ended up blank, since I probably wouldn't have caught it otherwise.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Mar 27th 2024 at 6:58:26 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#52: Mar 28th 2024 at 12:24:42 AM

OK, the subpages and on-page examples are done, so locking.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Add Post

Trope Repair Shop: Belly Dancer
9th Jan '24 12:53:11 AM

Crown Description:

Consensus was to rename Belly Dancer to more clearly indicate the Fanservice Character aspect. What should the trope's new name be?

Total posts: 52
Top