The oldest dance form known to man, belly dance or raks (raqs) sharki (also called danse orientale), has a deep history dating back thousands of years in the Middle East.  Belly dance is danced as a dance of celebration and is for women of all shapes and sizes.  It is a dance of beauty and feminitity and embraces and celebrates the true beauty of the woman.  

Although most often characterized by sharp, sensual and isolated movements of the torso and hips, belly dance is performed using every body muscle- including those in the arms and hands.

Not only is belly dance fun to watch and to learn, but it has many health benefits as well.  It has a healing quality (physical and emotional), improves muscle tone and flexibility, promotes healthy weight loss, improves balance and coordination, builds stamina and strength, helps to maintain a healthy metabolism and can help to condition the body for childbirth.    

One of the biggest myths is that belly dance is a dance of seduction performed to and for male audiences.  In fact, bellydance tradition handed down through generations of women states that belly dance originated as a dance to celebrate and promote fertility and healthy childbirths.  It was a dance to celebrate mother earth to many.  It is thought that belly dance aides women in preparing their abdominal muscles for labor.  Even today, in places accross the Middle East and in North Africa, many of these movements are used in birthing rituals.  And in the United States, many couples hire belly dancers to perform at their weddings as it is thought to bless the couple with a future of fertility and healthy babies/children.

Moreover, in the harem sub-culture, it is noted that women would enetertain each other by belly dancing for one another.  Contrary to what many believe, the women in the harems would rarerly even see the king or sultan.

For more reading on this and other belly dance myths vs. fact, check out the link below: