The Graceful Art of Belly Dancing

While no one is certain where or when belly dancing originated, it is known that belly dancing history covers many centuries and various places. As far as historians can discern, throughout the years belly dancing was used as for such diverse things as goddess worship, childbirth preparation, celebration, and personal enjoyment. Let's have a look a few of the different forms of belly dancing in order to get a view of the differences of each.

The Arabic Belly Dancing

What we today call as Arabic Belly Dancing, has it came to be known in the late 19th Century for the French qualification Danse du ventre, is referred to in traditional Arabic Language as Raqs Sharqui (Eastern Dance) or Raqs Baladi (Folk Dance). A unique origin for the dance itself would be quasi-impossible to pin down as it is derived from many ritualistic and artistic forms of dancing observed and practiced in many antique civilizations. Parts of it can be traced to the Empire of Alexander the Great, some to ancient Egypt and others even in India.

Practiced began to spread over the western world near the end of the Ottoman Empire, as the 19th Century was bowing to the 20th, where middle-eastern dancers would be invited to exhibit their prowess in various world fairs and important social gatherings. Popularity then increased with famous dancers borrowing from such an art, like the mystique Mata Hari. Inevitably though, moral censorship was quickly applied to the sensuality of Arabic Belly Dancing, which garnered restrictions and banishment in many parts of the world, some for a very long time.

The Unique Turkish Belly Dancing

Turkish belly dancing is an ancient form of dance that traces its roots to Anatolian fertility rites. The sensual movements that celebrate a woman's natural curves and contours are part of an ancient fertility rite. Turkish belly dancing still has some of that mystique and its vibrant routines and costumes reflect its pagan roots.

There are of course other influences on this art form but belly dancing in Turkey has remained distinct from other belly dancing traditions largely due to the fact that it is still very much a part of everyday Turkish life rather then a mere tourist act. it is common to see belly dancing on Turkish television, corporate events, and parties.

Turkish belly dancing has been allowed to evolve, as there have been no restrictions on what can and cannot be performed. This means that belly dancers in Turkey are free to express themselves, and this translates itself into energetic performances that require great flexibility and strength.

The costumes of Turkish belly dancers are also sexier; with more cleavage and leg on display then the relatively demure Egyptian dancers. This style of costume is very popular in the West and the skirts with high slits have made their way to Western belly dancing classes everywhere.

The use of coins in Turkish belly dancing in terms of accessories is not all that common. Instead the costumes rely on intricate beading for drama and flair. Finger cymbals are also unique to this branch of belly dancing. The music in Turkish belly dancing involves the oboe, clarinet, Oud, Kanoon, Ney, and hand drums.

Today's American Belly Dancing

When belly dancing came to the United States, it could only be seen on burlesque or vaudeville stages. This led to people assuming it was risqué or inappropriate. Hollywood added to the disdain for belly dancing by their use of the dancers in film (as damsels in distress or women of ill-repute). Even today, many dancers and instructors fight against this type of stereotyping.

Belly dancing history in America actually started prior to the Chicago World Fair. Its debut was actually in 1876 at the Pennsylvania Centennial. However, it wasn't until the fair in 1893 that it gained popularity. It proceeded to be a popular and profitable act at vaudeville shows.

More current belly dancing history involves its resurgence in the United States. In the 1950's, a number of ethnic clubs in large cities had belly dancers as entertainment. By the late 1960's many of those dancers were offering lessons. While this caused an explosion in the number of dancers, it also had inherent problems. In trying to differentiate their classes from those of other instructors, dancers altered the form in varying ways. As such, belly dancing is finding it difficult to gain footing in the larger dancing world due to the lack of specific accepted choreography and terminology.

Recently, there has been fusion of styles to create what is known as American Tribal Style Belly Dance (ATS). As can clearly be seen, belly dancing history is not stagnant. The dancers and the dance continue to grow and change, and will likely continue to do so as long as people remain interested in the art form.

This ancient dance form can transform an ordinary person into a whirling dervish of flying scarves, shimmying shoulders, and gyrating hips. Taking a belly dancing class to learn basic belly dancing moves will ensure that you learn each move properly, increasing the effectiveness of the move for muscle toning purposes, and reducing the risk of injury.

Here are some of the belly dancing moves your class will teach you.

Snake Arms

Fluid, incessant arm movements are the hallmark of belly dancing. Learn to slither your arms as if they were snakes in your belly dancing class. If you are interested in toning your body while you dance, you will be happy to learn that Snake Arms tones the arms and shoulder muscles.

The Shoulder Shimmy

This classic belly dance movement is used in other genres such as swing and jazz. Shoulders move back and forth in opposite movements. Beginners can learn the shoulder shimmy by slowly moving their shoulders back and forth to music, then bringing the speed up to tempo. The shoulder shimmy engages the muscles of the upper back and shoulders.

The Hip Circle

The hip circle gyration is used in virtually every belly dance. To practice this motion, imagine you have stepped into a waist-high pipe that is a few inches wider around than you are. Circle your hips slowly as if you were polishing the inside of the pipe. Don't forget to add style to your dancing. As you get comfortable with the moves, feel the inhibitions give way to the beat of the music and the sultry, sensual nature of the dance.

The Hip Piston

This move is just what it sounds like: a pumping of the isolated hip muscle. Like the shoulder shimmy, you may need to learn this move slowly at first. Gradually increase the speed until you are moving at full tempo. Above all, belly dancing classes should be fun.

So you have taken the plunge and signed up for belly dancing lessons. Now, if only you knew what to wear! Take heart; you can wear almost any workout wear while you are leaning how to belly dance. However, the lessons will feel more authentic, and you will feel more like a real belly dancer, if your belly dancing clothes resemble the exotic, flowing garb worn by real belly dancers.

Belly Dancing Clothes - Headwear

It is perfectly acceptable to belly dance with a bare head. Loose, flowing hair gives the impression of a veil, so let your long hair move with your dance movements. If you want your headwear to coordinate with the rest of your belly dancing clothes, wear a jeweled headband with tiny tinkling coins attached. A coiled silk headband can be purchased in colors that go with your outfit, and it can be worn solo or pulled on over a veil.

Belly Dancing Clothes - Tops

A choli is an authentic belly dancing cropped top or bra, with or without sleeves. In belly dancing, the midriff is exposed. Look for a brightly colored silk or shiny satin top. Dancers who prefer to cover the midriff can achieve the special look with a shiny, metallic tank or blouse with spaghetti straps. Dress up a plain bra top with a bra cover. These mesh covers, trimmed with tiny bells or coins, make any top a belly dancing blouse.

Belly Dancing Clothes - Pants

The traditional pants for belly dancing are harem pants: sheer, flowing fabric made into loose pants. Often, harem pants are deeply slit all the way around, to allow flashes of skin to peek sexily through the pants during the belly dance. Harem pants should match your choli or bra, and should be trimmed with sparkling lace, tiny bells, coins, or other sparkling, decorative trim.If you prefer to wear ordinary workout pants, you can achieve the look of harem pants by wrapping a brightly colored scarf around your hips.

Belly Dancing Clothes - Footwear

Belly dancers traditionally dance barefoot. If for some reason you cannot dance in bare feet, wear shiny satin or bejeweled ballet slippers. Beaded anklets are a must. A metallic, jeweled ankle bracelet will draw attention to your feet and complement the rest of your belly dancing clothes, giving them a look of authenticity. As much attention is drawn to the hands and feet during belly dancing, a meticulous manicure and pedicure are absolutely required.

If you are looking to start your own collection of belly dancing supplies because you are extremely active in learning it or you are starting your own school on it, there are several things to consider. First, you must really think about how many belly dancing supplies you really need so that you are not going overboard. By making sure that you are getting only the basics of what is needed, you will be sure to save yourself a lot of money. There is no need to have one of everything and in every color.

Knowing Where to go

If you are in need of just a few of the different belly dancing supplies then you could talk with your instructor of purchase some items from them. But, if you are looking for bulk purchases, the absolute best thing that you can do is to purchase your belly dancing supplies from a whole seller.

This means that you will be buying all of your belly dancing supplies in bulk but in the long run, you will save a lot of money this way. Also, some companies add extra discounts if you buy over a certain amount so that is something to look out for. Also, if you feel that you will be buying a lot of a period of time, look for companies that offer discounts to frequent shoppers.

When it comes to belly dancing supplies, you are bound to find everything you need off of the Internet. Whether it is one of something or a lot of something you will find a lot of what you need through web stores or online auction sites.

And do not let the idea of auction sites send you running the other direction, as they do not always just have used items. A lot of stores and retailers are using these sites to help move inventory and you can often times find excellent deals this way. Just keep your eyes open and you will come across everything that you could possibly need.