Belly dancing: An Introduction
Sunday, February 15th, 2009This is the first in a three part series on Belly dancing.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where Belly dancing began. Some believe it originated in the Middle East and over time evolved as other cultures began to influence the style of dance. And some feel it was simply a dance shared amongst women for centuries. Nowadays it’s more commonly referred to as Middle Eastern Dance or Oriental Dance.
Depending on your source, you will read many interpretations and stories on the background of the dance, but my favorite version of the story is that this dance has always been a dance for women to connect and socialize with each other after a hard days work, or during a celebration. I also like the version of the story where grandmothers passed the skills of the dance to mothers and mothers passed it on to their daughters and it became a female bonding ritual in the family.
Western media is keen to portray belly dancing in it’s most compromised angle, with skimpy costumes and provocative movement. But, the truth is belly dancing is a rather elegant and simple dance that can be enjoyed by almost all women. The movement of the dance that is natural to woman’s body allows women to freely express themselves. Besides that, belly dancing is also a very good exercise, toning and strengthening core muscles while also improving one’s flexibility and balance.
Next week Naziehah shares her story on how she got involved in Middle Eastern Dance.
Naziehah is a Muslim Malaysian Home-based Entrepreneur and Blogger. She teaches Middle Eastern Dance for women. For more on Elwarda Dance click here.
