Beginners Shopping Guide

Welcome to the enchanting world of Belly Dancing! If you are new to Belly Dance, you may have lots of questions about the history, styles, stars, teachers, and products associated with this ancient art form. At Bellydance.com, we are committed to helping you get started on your exciting journey!

One aspect of Belly Dance that most newcomers find most overwhelming is the vast array of music, costuming, and even movements that are all encompassed by the broad term of "Belly Dance" or "Belly Dancing." The easiest way to differentiate, and thus to determine where your interest and passion lies, is to understand that there are several types or "styles" of Belly Dance, each with their own music, costuming, and dance vocabulary. Many of the elements cross over between styles, but some elements are unique to that specific sub-genre.

In this Belly Dance Beginner's Shopping Guide, we will help you find the best products to get you headed down the right path. But don't feel limited to only one style - many dancers study and perform multiple styles, and even fuse them together!

Click on a category to learn more about that style and to see the products that we recommend for you to get started:

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Belly Dance Basics for All Styles Click on the picture to see our suggestions for getting started with the very basics of Belly Dance. No matter what style of Belly Dance you prefer, or if you haven't decided which style is your favorite, this is a great place to begin!

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Cabaret Belly Dance When most people think of a Belly Dancer, it is usually this type of Belly Dancing that they are picturing. Also known as American Cabaret Belly Dance, this style was popularized in the 1960s and 1970s by dancers taking the best of all the Middle Eastern Belly Dance movements and developing a rich, lively dance often performed with live music.

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Egyptian Belly Dance Modern Egyptian style Belly Dance (also known as Raks Sharki or Raqs Sharqi), is very popular in the Belly Dance and Middle Eastern communities. With vocabulary that is strongly influenced by Western movement, this style is regarded as elegant and lifted, with lots of glitz and glamour.

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American Tribal Style (ATS) Tribal Style Belly Dance has become its own subculture in the Belly Dance community. The unique group improvisational performance is based on a series of predefined cues. This is a style that welcomes all ages and shapes, and is influenced urban cultures.

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Tribal Fusion This sub-style of Tribal Belly Dance takes the foundation of American Tribal Style (ATS) Belly Dance, and fuses the movements, costuming, and music with other dances and cultures from around the world, including India, Africa and modern American pop, to name a few.

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Gypsy Style Belly Dance This style of Belly Dance is a stylized fantasy version of the "Gypsy" style dancing, and is largely a creation of Hollywood. Based on Turkish and Spanish movement and influenced by the dances of the Romani people, this style is very lively, with large, percussive movements and expressive gestures, as well as colorful layers of costuming.

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Other related areas of interest as you advance in this art form would be Folkloric or Traditional Middle Eastern dances, and fusion with other ethnic dances from around the world, such as Indian, Bollywood, Spanish / Flamenco, Brazilian Samba, African Tribal, and many more. Dancers also incorporate Belly Dance and Middle Eastern dances into their theatrical performances for an exciting new category of Experimental / Fantasy Belly Dance that opens up a whole new world of creativity. This exciting tapestry of world dance coupled with the mystery and sensuality of Belly Dance means there is always room for growth and advancement for the art form and individuals committed to studying and performing the exotic art of Belly Dance!

If you are interested in using Belly Dance as a fun addition to your health and fitness program, check out our section dedicated to Belly Dance for Fitness!