How to Start Belly Dancing

Belly dance, or Oriental dance as it is properly called, is an art form which has developed through many different cultures. In the United States the most popular dance forms of belly dance have come from the cultures of the Middle East, Egypt, Turkey and Armenia. As belly dance evolves in the U.S. where diversity abounds, it can be difficult to distinguish the lineage of the performance style. In general there are several recognizable styles which can be described as American Restaurant, Egyptian Oriental and U.S. Tribal. The type of style you decide to study depends greatly on your taste, natural movement style and the teachers who are in your area. It's good to do some research about the history and styles of Belly Dance when first getting started. The information you gain will help you get into the flavor of the dance, and understand its cultural significance.

Find the right belly dance style for you. Shira shares her knowledge and insights from her vast experience as a belly dancer, belly dance instructor and researcher of belly dance history and culture.

Learn more about the history of belly dance in the U.S. and the various styles which exist today. This is Shira's web page on belly dance styles. Very interesting.

" If you decide to follow the Belly Dance path with your whole mind/ body/ spirit and heart the life time benefits and experiences are all so wonderful, positive, interesting, educational, very challenging, surprising in the best ways and tons of fun plus of course it's good for you. If anyone has any questions about the Belly Dance path I would be happy to answer them as I wish I had , had someone say that to me. I am no expert but I asked tons of questions along my path, read tons, had many different teachers and I love to share. For your New Year resolution give yourself the gift of dance" - Barbara Direcktor Donahue, The Dancing Spirit Studio, www.thedancingspirit.com