Tag: belly dance

Belly dance is any solo, improvised dance based on torso articulation originating from the Middle East. Belly dance takes many different forms depending on region, both in costume and dance style, and new styles have evolved in the West as its popularity has spread globally. In the Middle East, belly dance has two functions: as a social dance, it is performed by ordinary men and women of all ages at celebrations and social gatherings, although in more traditional societies such occasions are gender segregated, with separate parties for men and women; as an art, professionals perform it with an emphasis on stagecraft and special costumes designed to show off the movements to best effect, but they are not seen as respectable in the Middle East, with a strong social stigma attached to female dancers in particular, since the display of their bodies in public is considered sinful. (Source: Wikipedia)