Belly dancing is ofen called the Oriental Dance. As much as belly dancing can be generalized in origin to the Middle East, the truth is that it originated in the countries surrounding the sultry Mediterranean, stretching from Turkey to Morroco. There are differences from country to country. The dance experienced a glittering revival as American and European tourists were drawn to the magic of this ancient dance. Anthropologists categorized this dance as "abdominal dancing". As such, it is found in the native dance of several "primitive cultures."

Why the belly? In the first place, the belly is the center of birth, the center of beginnings. And, as musicians and dancers in the Middle East often go on for hours on end, great physical exertioin is required. When the French first saw the dance performed, they named it danse du ventre (dance of the stomach). It was in America that it was translated as belly dance, after Little Egypt presented the form and the flutters for the first time in New York during the 1930s.

The excitement of ethnic music and the sensual response it evokes have been stirring interest at a rising rate in the United States. Many women have come for instructions for many reasons: to get back into shape; to fulfill a secret alter-ego image; to express their total nature; or just to have fun. In the art of belly dancing, women come in all sizes, all shapes, all ages. For whatever reasons the dance is calling you, it will set your body moving in an entirely new way. Every part of you will move on its own, as though detached from the rest. This is what we call isolation, what makes this dance different from any other.

Source: "The Complete Belly Dancer", Mishkin, J. and Schill, M.