Orient dance - or as known belly dance - is one of the most ancient dances: it has a 7000 years old history but remained quite the same up to now. Dance used to be not only attendant of exceptional occasions but part of the everyday. It helped people being fit besides entertaining. Belly dance used to be part of productivity rituals. It is traditionally danced barefooted to get more directly contact with earth mother, so its energy can be taken up and transmitted more easily in this way. In many tribes the mother was surrounded by women during childbirth, they danced around her doing movements with their belly to show how the mother should move. Orient dance was developed in North and Middle Africa, Asia and Arabian Peninsula. The wanderings of Gavazis (Gipsies) played an important role in spreading of dance. Gavazis were dancing and playing music in squares of the cities, and people showed their appreciation by throwing money to them. As they didn't have any properties, women sewed the coins on their shawls which they wore on their hip. Belly dance was transferred to Europe and United States at the end of the19th century, where it was combined with ballet and became into a scenic genre.

 

Why it is worth belly dancing?
Let's see some of its beneficial properties:

• It helps you to improve your fitness, endurance
  and the muscular system of your whole body
  and to form your shape.
• It helps you to develop right bearing.
• It slows ageing.
• It increases your energy.
• It helps you to find the harmony of your body
  and soul and gives you confidence.
• It has an effect of solving stress and depression.