Belly dance is a Western term for a traditional Arab dance genre known as raqs sharqi (Arabic: رقص شرقي‎; literally “oriental dance”) or sometimes raqs baladi (Arabic: رقص بلدي‎; literally “dance of country”, or “folk” dance). It is also sometimes called “Middle Eastern Dance” or “Arabic Dance” in the United States, “danse du ventre”, or by the Turkish and Greek term çiftetelli (τσιφτετέλι).

Native to the Middle East, and now popular worldwide, belly dance takes many different regional forms, both in costume and dance style, indicating that belly dance moves may have been transported to these regions and blended with local dance styles.

Today there are many forms of belly dance. Some, such as American Tribal belly dance, are clearly modern evolutions of the original style. However, due to the ancient origins of belly dancing, the authenticity of even “traditional” or “classical” forms of the genre are open to question and often hotly disputed.

There are two basic divisions within “traditional” belly dance. The first, raqs baladi, is danced socially by men and women of all ages in some Middle Eastern countries, usually during festive occasions such as weddings. People learn the steps informally from an early age by imitating their elders during family/community gatherings. The second form, which has become popular in the West, is called raqs sharqi. This is more commonly performed by female dancers but is also sometimes danced by men.

here is a video of Khadejah El Oueslati performing Raqs Sharqi at the Summer Dance Festival of Momo Kadous in Frankfurt, Germany.

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