Belly Dance
Belly dance is one of the oldest dance styles that originated in Egypt. Nowadays, the style has many substyles and directions all over the world that vary in moves, steps, and even costumes, but the Egyptian style is still one of the most well-known and popular directions mostly because it was popularized by Egyptian cinema.
The term “belly dance” first appeared in Paris, in 1893, at the Exposition Universelle, where dancers from the Middle East performed. However, in the Middle East itself, the style is known as Raqs Baladi, which translates as “folk dance.” Moreover, in Egypt, belly dance is a national heritage, which is, by the way, an indigenous dance there. At the same time, all the professional belly dance substyles are called Raqs Sharqi, which translates as “Eastern dance.” Apart from being a folk dance, the style is also a social style since it is often performed during various celebrations, social events, and sometimes even family gatherings. However, in more traditional communities, such events are gender segregated.
The belly dance style is mostly performed by women even though there are male dancers too. The style is all about the movements of the chest, belly, and hips, which are considered to be the most seductive parts of a woman’s body. This is why, as a rule, the costumes are designed in a way a dancer’s torso and belly have minimal coverage. Speaking about moves, the style focuses on such moves as percussive (lifts or drops of the hips, hip rocks, shoulder accents, etc.), shimmies and vibrations, as well as fluid moves (hip circles, infinity loops, undulations of the hips and abdomen, etc.). In general, all the moves are very feminine and seductive, which is why many women choose this style to develop their femininity and sexuality.
Nowadays, belly dance is popular all over the world, and there are many classes for both children and adults who want to master this dance style. Moreover, belly dance competitions for professionals are held in many European countries as well as in North and South America.
