Bellydancing with Katarina - Ethnic Dancer and Musician
| From the folkloric village style presentation to the erotic-exotic showgirl style, bellydance still captures the imagination. - Although in the West we have become accustomed to the misnomer "bellydance" which seems here to stay, the Arabs themselves call it Oriental Dancing or Dance of the East - Raks al Sharki. Many researchers agree that it is one of the oldest forms of dance, originating in pre-Biblical religious rites worshipping motherhood and preparing women for childbirth through its natural movements. |
| In the US we are mostly exposed to some form of cabaret dance as well as the now popular "American tribal" dance form; there is, however, an incredible richness and variety to be found in the countries of North Africa and the Near East. From the fiery dances of the Roma of Turkey and Macedonia, to the complex hipwork of the Egyptian Ghawazi and the trance-oriented dances of Morocco, to the Zambra Mora of the Spanish Gitanos, the Arab influence is felt and links the strong local traditions. |