This paper explores and makes a definitive connection between European colonial representations of the Middle East and later early 20th century US representations which borrowed heavily from colonialist motifs and yet created a newer, more abstract and undefined "Orient" geared toward consumerism and yet still based on a colonial hierarchy. The paper's specifics rely heavily on the "body" of the belly dancer as an "authentic" representation of Middle Eastern culture on display for consumption by an increasingly mobile and modern US consumer public. By tracing the roots of belly dancing through key historical figures like promoter Sol Bloom and specific US events of the late 19th/early 20th century like the Chicago World's Fair, and the development of the amusement park, the colonial apparatus is clearly visible throughout suggesting a deliberate, public, political and problematic history of misrepresentation.