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There’s nothing that says “belly dance” more than finger cymbals! They are something that’s traditional and unique to our art form. Though finger cymbals, also known as zills, aren’t required, if you can really rock out on them, they add a lot to a performance.

The extraordinary history of belly dance in the U.S. began in the 19th Century.  Although there were dancers performing middle eastern stylings at the much smaller 1876 Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia, it was not until the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago that this genre gained national attention..

The following 8 stretches are extremely valuable for any belly dancer, and can be incorporated into your stretching routine. Best results will come if you use them at least three times a week in conjunction with your other exercises and drills.

It’s important to me that I feel the same sense of freedom as I costume myself for Bellydance as I do when I choose my movements for Bellydance. As an improvisational fusion artist, I draw my inspiration for Bellydance movement from deep within an intuitive part of my being. Why not draw my costuming creativity from the same wellspring?

A Brief History of the Belly Dance Costume It would be impossible for one blog post to encapsulate all the information there is to know about belly dance costume history. So instead, in this piece, I’m going to take a more conceptual approach and discuss how our modern belly dance costume, that classic three-piece bedlah ensemble came into being.  

Can I Learn to Belly Dance Online? Sometimes taking that first step into a belly dance class can be the hardest. You don’t know if you’ll be able to keep up in class, find a time that works for your schedule or will you be able to discover

Choosing the right costume can be a stressful event. With performance opportunities few and far between and budgets tighter, making the right choice can feel very daunting. Check out useful bellydancing costuming guidance and tips by Aditi with helpful illustrations.

Let’s review some of the most acclaimed and successful belly dance recordings that continue to inspire the heart of a dancer! Introducing our list of the Top Ten Bellydance Albums Of All Time!

Dance is an effective tool of communication and a healing strategy that rebuilds a bridge of contact and bonds two realities that are seemingly antagonistic. Havana Habibi teaches us that we can have deep and heavy political conversations involving our bodies and our dance.