Belly Dancing Belts are one of the blames for the less than decent places our minds tend to go when admiring the sultry swerves of the hips that the Belly Dancing Belt rests upon. With the undeniably sexy hip movements, & sexy costumes you could rightly assume that the purpose of this sultry dance stem from attempts to please the male species. Yet a closer look at history will show that this detailed art form along with its lovely movements and Belly Dancing Belts was at first made for females only. You can probably imagine a "No Boys Allowed" post by the the entryway! In fact, the sexes were segregated in the area of the world that birthed belly dancing, so the male species weren't allowed to see the dancing. This is at lease what many believe to be the case as to details of the origin/purpose of Belly Dancing. Other persons ideas as to the purpose of the dance are to make birthing a child easier, to add enjoyment to social gatherings, and for the enjoyment of rich men. Thoughts on the place of origin range between Ancient Babylon in southern Iraq, to Persia, to India, to North Africa. Everyone wants to lay their claim to this exotic dance as its origins are highly disputed. The origin of this dance can probably be claimed by each place. Regardless of the origin of Belly Dancing, we can appreciate the beauty of the dance and being that you are reading this article you want to bring this art form into your life. So continuing on we will now discuss the costumes and introduce Belly Dancing Belts.
Belly Dancing Costumes
There are more than one form of belly dance including American Tribal belly dance which is a modernized version of the older form, and then of course the traditional forms themselves which are split between raqs baladi, & raqs sharqi. Raqs baladi, is more so to be thought of as a dance performed socially, for the purpose of celebration by persons of all ages in some Middle Eastern countries, and is for the most part performed during celebrations like weddings. The second form, raqs sharqi which is more popular in the West is more commonly found being performed by female dancers. Each areas costumes are different as well. In the West, the female dancers outfit associated with belly dance is called "bedleh" which includes a top that is fitted, or a bra, that has a fringe of coins of beads, a Belly Dancing Hip Belt, that is fitted, with a beaded fringe, and harem pants or a skirt. The belt and bra might be richly decorated with sequins, beads, embroidery & braid. Belly Dancing Belts may even be worn separately, or sewn into a skirt. Belly Dancing Belts are broad sheets of fabric that are worn low on the hips. They might be curved and angled, or have a straight edge. Most of the the the bra matches the Belly Dancing Belts & don't resemble lingerie. Traditional harem pants are full and gathers at the ankle, but there are many modifications. Some of the time, a sheer skirt and pants are worn together. Skirts may be flowing creations made of multiple layers and sheer fabric such as chiffon, or figure-hugging Lycra. Now it is more common for Belly Dancers to perform in a 1 piece Lycra gown that is long and that sensually hugs the body. The costume has sexy cut outs and are placed strategically & filled with nude colored fabric. This is because it has been illegal in Egypt Since the 1950s, for dancers to publicly perform with their abdomens uncovered. If a performer wants to wear for her costume a skirt and bra combination, then the Belly Dancing Belt won't be worn and any embellishment will be directly embroidered onto the fitted Lycra skirt, & a see through body stocking Will be worn to cover the belly. Traditional Belly Dancers from Egypt usually do not wear shoes when they dance, but these days you will find some who wear shoes and even high heels. The style in Lebanon tends to be a little more sexy by allowing the stomach to be shown (bedleh style). The skirts are usually more sheer,skimpier, and show more of the dancer's body. A veil that matches is used more & high heels are usually worn. Turkish dancers also wear bedleh style costumes. Bras are plunging, & the skirts are made to show each leg up to the hip..
There are also many more serious Turkish belly dancers who desire to be more respectable & wear more moderate costumes, yet all Turkish belly dancing outfits show the playful, flirty style of Turkish belly dance. With American Belly Dancers costumes, you can find fringed headbands, sheer harem pants/skirts (as opposed to the tight Lycra) and use of coins and metal works to decorate the bra. Also take note that in America, Europe, & Egypt dancers wear full-beaded dresses for the "folkloric" and baladi dances. But normally the costumes vary with he style of the dance. Props are also sometimes used in the performance though most dancers look down on the use of props. Some props used are: Finger cymbals (zills or sagats), Cane (in the Saiidi), Veil, Sword,
Fire sticks, Candelabra headdress, Veil poi, a Fan & Tambourine. Whichever areas customs you prefer you should be able to bring your own uniqueness to your outfit, and if you decide to add the lovely effects that Belly Dancing Belts bring to your costume you have come to the right place!
