belly dance
What we call “belly dance” is known as “Oriental” or “Eastern” dance in Arabic and Turkish (raqs sharqi and Oryantal dans, respectively). It doesn’t accurately describe the dynamism of the dance style.

Belly dance
Belly dance also referred to as Arabic dance (Arabic: رقص شرقي‎, romanized: Raqs sharqi) is an Oriental expressive dance, which emphasizes complex movements of the torso.

Despite Egypt’s location in Africa and contributions from other nations such as France, Turkey and the United States, the term belly dance is usually used today to include all traditional dances of the Middle Eastern region, including those not geographically situated there.

Egyptian raqs sharqi (or raks sharki), also called Egyptian cabaret, has its roots in Egyptian social and folkloric dances but has been influenced by western dance genres.

Dabke is a Levantine folk dance, which means it originated from a region in the Middle East that includes the countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.

Baladi is the most common style of dance in Egypt today and is used to dance to all sorts of music, including Western pop and Al Jeel. Women dance this style at haflas, weddings, at home and in clubs. It is seen on TV and in the theatre.

Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدى [ɾɑʔs bælædi], translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi), is a dance that has its origins in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso.

Egypt
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدى [ɾɑʔs bælædi], translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi), is a dance that has its origins in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso.

Women’s bodies in Islam are not for public display or attention, as described in this verse of the Quran. In a by-the-text interpretation, this would prohibit female dance performances, especially belly dancing which is considered by spectators to be sexually suggestive.

10 Famous Belly Dancers

• Badiaa Masabni was the founder of the ‘Opera Casino’, in Egypt, and the inspiration behind raks sharki or Egyptian cabaret style, as we know it today.
• Tahiya Karioka is one of the dancers of the Golden Age of Egypt and was born between 1915 and 1923 in Ismaileya , Egypt.

This traditional dance of Turkey called Dabke looks fun. It must really be amazing to feel one with others and synchronize each step! Beautiful!

Middle Eastern dance. The traditional dances of the Middle East (also known as oriental dance) span a large variety of folk traditions throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Queen Meresankh III was the daughter of Hetepheres II and Prince Kawab and a granddaughter of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. She was the wife of King Khafre . Her parents were brother and sister.

Her sarcophagus and skeleton are today located in the Cairo Museum; the latter reveals that she was 1.54 metres (5’1″) tall and between 50–55 years at her death. An anthropological study suggested, that she might have suffered from bilateral silent sinus syndrome.

This tomb was originally planned for her mother Hetepheres II, but she instead donated it for her daughter’s use—which suggests that Meresankh’s death was sudden and unexpected. Hetepheres also provided her daughter with a black granite sarcophagus decorated with palace facades for Meresankh’s burial.