Belly Dance
Origins
The roots of belly dance cannot be certain, but the general consensus is that it originates somewhere within the
fertility dance. Again, there is no concrete proof to pinpoint the origin of the dance (seeing as it began thousands of years ago), but some other theories are:
* Female folk dancing for family and/or social gatherings while men played drums.
* It may have originated in north Africa since similar dancing is seen in that region.
* Gypsies who traveled across Europe, Africa, Mesopotamia, Persia, and India spread the art of belly dance to new regions.
Countries
* Egypt
* Greece
* India
* Lebanon
* Morocco
* Persia / Iran
* Saudi Arabia
* Spain
* Turkey
The Major Ones
Music
Muscle Movement
The isolated muscle movements of belly dancing also attribute to the theory of bellydancing to illustrate the process of childbirth (pushing, contractions, etc.) The movements are an act of exercise on the abdominal area (and legs & arms) and can strengthen one's cardiovascular system. The dance is also characterized by fluid arm movements, curving pelvic patterns, belly undulations, locks, drop, hip skaing and quaking motions.
Costumes
Outfits varypants'>pants,
jewelry, etc. involved. '''Jewelry''' is generally fashioned as silver or gold coins wrapped around the hips, wrists, and/or ankles. '''Skirts '''or '''pants''' can be worn as part of the outfit, but are usually followed by a thin or sheer fabric flowing down towards the knees or ankles. Scarfs are also an option, but dancers do perfectly fine without it.
Modern Belly Dance
Belly Dancing DVDs/Videos
Related Guides
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Drum Sets
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Flutes
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International Foods
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Greek Foods
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Indian Foods
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Middle Eastern Foods
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Jewelry Making
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Musical Instruments
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