Hello everyone!

I hope this week has started out good for you. Mine started with an audition and Iron Man 3. Both were pretty good! :)

This week I thought it'd be a good idea to share the history of Belly Dance with you. Belly Dance has a  long and varied history as much as it's fascinating. Here I will include the first part of my History of Belly Dance series. Comment as you wish! Always good to get feedback. :)

Belly Dance as it's known by most here in the states is exotic and different. Back in their respective native countries Belly Dance (or more accurately Oriental Dance) is a part of the Middle Eastern and Arabic culture.  Whether here or there Belly Dance is a beautiful art form that celebrated happiness and joy of living.  It is a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by all ages for all occasions.

Middle Eastern Dance and Oriental Dance are some of the most common names practitioners of the dance form will use.  It is danced throughout Northern Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.  The history of Belly Dance is long and widespread and cannot be traced back to one absolute origin.  From what is known, the roots of the dance can be traced to the ancient Indian gypsy tribes that traveled west towards the present-day Middle East.  You can still note similarities in the dancer's head slides and arm poses.  It must be observed however that the dance form is not Indian as many assume.

Matriarchal societies ruled the ancient world; women were the leaders, holding positions of power in the temples and as tribal leaders.  There was an understanding that women had an intuitive connection to the earth due to their life-giving ability and the correlation between a female's menstrual cycle and the lunar cycle.  To celebrate this incredible ability, priestesses would gather on full moon nights and conduct fertility rituals.

Many of the dance moves we are familiar with today such as chest circles, undulations, figure 8 hips (also known as infinity hips) and shimmies come from these ritual dances.  The dance emphasized and celebrated the female body's ability to give and nourish life.  Birthing was a vital matter as the mortality rate for both mother and child were high.  This dance was a celebration of life.

The dance moves also accentuated sexual energy necessary to create life. Keep in mind this was during a time where the correlation between sexuality, fertility and menstruation was an everyday part of life and not shameful or shocking.  It was a spiritual dance that gave thanks and praise to the Goddess for the ability to give birth and nurture life.

Next week I will present Part 2, see you then and happy shimmies!