Raqs Sharqi (pronounced Roks Sharkee) literally translated means 'dance from the East', and has its roots in Middle Eastern fertility ceremonies - a dance performed by women for women. It was originally taught to girls from an early age in order to strengthen their abdominal muscles in preparation for childbirth. The muscle isolation techniques require practice and control, and the smaller the movement, the greater the control and the more the muscle is exercised. It's a fact that exercise mitigates pain. The women of the Middle East knew this, and so the dance was born through abdominal movements like pelvic rocking and belly roll.

The term 'belly dance' is said to come from the French 'danse du ventre' - dance of the stomach - a phrase coined at the turn of the century after the introduction of Raqs Sharqi at the Chicago Exposition in 1893 by a dancer called 'Little Egypt'. Little Egypt danced in less revealing costumes than those worn today, but her performance was too exotic for Victorian morality, and the dancers who followed added much to the negative image of Raqs Sharqi. Even today, the term 'belly dance' is inextricably linked to the kind of sleazy, sexual glamour portrayed in film and fiction.

Arabic dance is characterized by its intricate hip movements, though it incorporates many techniques, from many different parts of the Middle East; Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Morocco to name a few. Each country has its own style.

Khaleeji dance is the dance of the Persian Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. The dancers wear a very full, often highly embroidered caftan called a 'thobe nashal'. Most movements are centred on the shoulders and there is a distinctive hair toss.

Baladi, or folk dance, was developed in rural Egypt where the dancers wear full length robes often with their hair covered as well. The stick dance is based on the Tahtib, a form of self defence practised in Upper Egypt where the young men would prove their manhood using a Shouma, a long, heavy staff.

Classical oriental dance is believed to have emerged as an art form in the courts of the Ottoman Empire. The movements are refined, and characterised by soft, flowing actions of the arms. The music is composed with the dance in mind, and often includes a drum solo.

Egyptian Cabaret is most associated with 'belly dance' and is a very controlled style often including ballet. Muscular control is emphasised, with the movements small and internalized. 'Less is more' seems to be the working philosophy. It is still technically illegal in Egypt for the abdomen to be exposed in public. Therefore, most professional dancers cover their stomachs by wearing body stockings or a 'cholis', a fitted midriff length vest which fastens underneath the bra. Leotards, bodies or teddies can be worn as a substitute.

It is widely believed that the wearing of navel jewellery has its origins in the early film industry days of Hollywood, where exposure of the belly button was considered taboo. A Saudi woman told me that stones are placed in the navels of young girls as they practise the abdominal exercises, the stone being held in place solely by muscle control. As the girl matured and became more adept, so the size of the stone was increased. This seems a more plausible origin for the practice, though purists of Raqs Sharqi may disagree. Uniquely designed for the female body, Raqs Sharqi is an expression of inner awareness. Unlike ballet, which demands certain physical aesthetics, one can be any age, shape or size for Raqs Sharqi. Geraldine Brooks, a Middle Eastern media correspondent, wrote in her book, Nine Parts of Desire,

"Souhair Zaki was the most celebrated dancer in Cairo, but she hadn't seen thirty in a while. Flesh clung heavily to her hips. I had never seen traditional oriental dance before, but I recognized every movement. What she did with her body was what a woman's body did - the natural movements of sex and childbirth. The dance drew the eye to the very centre of the female body's womanliness."

Hijab

Arabic Gestures