About belly dance
"Belly dance" is the Western nickname for Raqs Sharqi or "Dance of the Orient", the classical dance that originated in the Middle East and its related styles.
An expressive, elegant and nuanced performance art, Oriental Dance is characterised by movements of the torso, often layered together, by isolation techniques and by emotional response to the music.
Contrary to popular belief belly dance is not, and did not originate as, a dance of seduction! In fact, in the Middle East it was traditionally not considered respectable for women to dance when men were present.
But
in their own quarters women danced together socially, creating this beautiful
and quintessentially feminine style.
The glamorous two piece costume commonly associated with the dance is also a Western invention, having its source in early Hollywood movie presentations of the dance.
Traditionally there was no special costume - mostly women would have danced in their everyday clothes, adding a scarf tied at the hips to accentuate their movements.
Belly dance is now hugely popular all over the world, both as a captivating performance art and as a means of keeping fit while avoiding the gym!