“Don’t you need a belly to belly dance?”; “Belly dancing is slutty”; “I could never do belly dancing; it seems too complicated.” These are a few of the responses I have received after telling people that I belly dance. Most people have negative preconceived notions of this style of dance, but not many people know what it entails. While the stereotype of accentuated hip movements as a large part of belly dancing is true, there is more to belly dancing, which makes it powerful.
Many belly dancing moves are unique, requiring lots of practice and control to be performed correctly. Shimmying, a common move, involves fast repetitive motions that cause the dancer to vibrate. There are many different types of shimmies, such as hip-, shoulder- or knee-driven movements. These moves can be layered over simple motions of arm movements to more complex ones, including walking. Building muscle and practicing shimmying allows dancers to maintain their endurance.
Belly dancing can range from graceful fluid motions to sharp accentuated ones. The wide variety of movements have been developed by many different cultures. Originally a Middle Eastern folk dance, it has been adopted globally to where each nation may have their own specific interpretation. As a diverse dance, it is open to people of all backgrounds.
This type of dance is not restricted to only girls. Male belly dancers date back to around the origin of the dance. “To me, it means I can use the dance style to express my feminine side because the dancers in this style are predominately female and I find it healthy to express both sides of one personality,” says Miguel Cruz, a freshman majoring in exploratory studies.
The NC State Bellydance Club encourages all kinds of students to join. When I first started last semester, I had no previous experience with dancing. One thing I enjoy about belly dancing is that you perform routines despite your level of dancing. People with more experience can better show off their wide range of movements. But for beginners, simpler motions can still create an impressive show.
Most female belly dancers perform in outfits with ornately decorated bras while male dancers often wear cropped vests. A common misconception is that belly dancers dress in slutty outfits. This can be compared to claiming swimmers. Because of the motions involved in swimming and the drag resistance of water, normal clothing is not suitable for that activity. Like swimming, covering up the chest area would restrict movements and not allow motions to be viewable by the public.
The NC State Bellydance Club performed Wednesday in Witherspoon in Dancing Around the World, and for students curious about belly dancing, the club meets Wednesdays in Carmichael Recreation Center in Studio B at 9:15 p.m.
