Zeinab Al-`Alawani, Instructor of Fiqh and Islamic Studies, Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, states the following: “First of all, if we look at the Islamic perspective of entertainment, we would conclude that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged Muslims to entertain themselves in a way that is deemed permissible, under certain conditions for the purpose of maintaining one’s faith. For the issue of dancing, there is a hadtih when Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) allowed the Ahbash to entertain the people on the `Eid and he also asked Aisha upon her arrival from a wedding party if the people had sung and when she said no, he wondered why the people did not sing while the Ansar liked singing and dancing on these occasions. So entertainment in Islam is allowed under certain guidelines.
But with what is happening now, such as women exposing their body and moving their bodies in a seductive way, it makes the issue of dancing forbidden especially if it is done in a way a woman tries to expose herself, even among women, in a way that makes her lose respect among women. In this case dancing is of course unacceptable. The same ruling applies to men especially if they dance in a way that is unacceptable to Islam.
However, if dancing occurs among people of the same gender, and it is done in a way that is nor seductive or shameful, then there is nothing to forbid in Islam.”