So, last week I wrote about Zills. Originally I had planned on only doing a three part series with this which would have been done Wed, Thurs, and Fri of last week. After I posted the zills post, and was laying in bed I thought of other ideas. This is where I should have started: What is belly dance?
Belly Dance is the western term for traditional Middle Eastern or Arabic dance. According to my teacher, belly dance is the oldest form of dance. A common belief is that it is only sexual and dirty, when it is not. There are many theories about the origin of belly dance. One, that it was originally danced by women for women, so no sexual connotation to it. Another is that it was a birthing ritual, and used in giving birth.
There are many props used in belly dance, like the zills I talked about last week. Canes, veil, sword, fire sticks, tambourine, fans, and other objects are often used.
Belly dance is not so much about the belly, mainly about isolation of different parts of the body. Such as the shoulders, chest, and hips. So when you’re working your chest, your hips should be still and vice versa.
The culture of belly dance is amazing. I love it. Everybody is beautiful and goddess. No matter how big or small you are, you are gorgeous in the eyes of the community.
