The Art of Belly Dancing: Movement, Femininity and Attire

What comes to mind when you think of belly dancing? Possibly a popular form of dance in which people are entranced by the movement of women's bodies. Belly dancers are often seen performing in beaded bra tops and elaborate skirts that enhance their hip movements. The exact origin of this style of dance is unclear, but its early beginnings can be drawn from the middle east in which it is known as Raqs Sharqi. The style of belly dance has developed over many decades. The dance incorporates poise, grace, flow, shimming and of course body control. It can take a lot of time and practice to develop the skills and technique to belly dance.
The movements involved with belly dancing can be very intricate. It may appear that a belly dancer is not doing much to move her body a certain way, but precise muscle control and contraction is used. One of my personal favorite performers is Shakira, who is a popular singer and has an ethnic background of half Lebanese and half Colombian. It was watching her belly dancing that first got me interested in this exotic dance style. I would practice by watching her videos and eventually became fairly well in this dance. I remember getting my first hip scarf which was purple with gold coins in a shop in Paris. I did however develop pain in my lower back from belly dancing, which many dancers most likely have experienced. I have competed in a talent competition and got second place performing my own belly dance routine. The technique involved with this foreign dance can be quite a workout, so it is not to be underestimated.
Belly dance is a form of art to represent femininity in women. Although it has been practiced by men, its core focus is on the structure of a woman's body. There have been arguments of what is visually more appealing for a belly dancer to present as her image (should they be slender or curvy). Regardless of a woman's body shape, any woman can be a belly dancer as long as she feels confident in her body and portrays that in her dancing. Femininity is a characteristic that can be seen in belly dancers because their body movements are unique to their performance. When belly dancers perform, the audience often expects to be entertained by what they see and become intrigued by the dancer. Belly dance offers women the opportunity to tune into their inner goddess and become more comfortable with themselves.
Belly dancers are most commonly seen performing in beautiful beaded tops with sequins, and long flowing skirts with a hip scarf. This uniform for these alluring dancers has been a result of modern society. I'm sure not many are to complain about the attire of belly dancers. The use of veils and Isis wings are crowd pleasing props that can be implemented in a belly dancer's performance. There are also many instrumental music that is used from slow to fast paced drums. From body rolling, self image, to the perfect costume all of these take factor to bringing the attention on a belly dancer and pleasing the audience.