Belly dance is an art form from the Middle East. It has many names: Raqs Sharqi as it is known in Arabic and Oryantal Dansi in Turkish. To the Europeans it translates as Oriental Dance hence the Turkish term. No one knows the true origin of belly dancing. There are ancient Greek and Indian sculptures with similar positions of the Oriental dancer. A woman in a standing position resembling a belly dancer was found in Egyptian tombs dating from 5,000 B.C.
Belly dancing was introduced to the United States in 1893 at the “Streets of Cairo” exhibit of the Chicago World Fair. A dance troupe of Algerian villagers performed a specialty called dance “du ventre”, “dance of the stomach” or “belly dance”. A Mr. Bloom who had seen them perform in Paris, bought the rights to the group and brought them to the fair. He described the dance as “a masterpiece of rhythm and beauty”. This served to stir up interest and crowds of people came to see the dance. The main dancer, “Little Egypt” also known as “Fatima” started the trend in the USA. Today every Middle Eastern country has a different twist of style and costumes.What events are good for a Belly dancer?
Belly dancing is largely used for corporate events, birthday parties, weddings, retirement parties, anniversaries, Arabian Nights, Bar Mitzvahs, Charity Benefits, and especially Restaurants.