Egyptian Belly Dance History

Dance is characterized based on the region it comes from and Middle Eastern dance is no exception. Each style has their own unique techniques and characteristics.

• Tanoura is a Turkish style in which the dancer wears a large colorful skirt

• Dabke is a Levantine folk dance that is traditionally performed at celebrations

• Bandari is a style from the Persian Gulf that features delicate hand and arm movements and is sometimes performed in a circle

  Egypt has 3 main styles: Beledi, Ghawazee, and Sa’idi

• Beledi showcases feminine dance moves that has a high rate of improvisation. There is a specific style of dress called a Galaberya

• Ghawazee dance style comes from an ancient people that settled around “Upper Egypt” who danced for money and wore their wares on their bodies. This is where the traditional coin belts came from and features fast and jerky hip and leg movements.

• Sa’idi is a martial arts style that both men and woman dance. The woman dance with a light cane in which the dancer “mimics” the men fighting style