Belly Dancing Costumes

Sorry if you have been checking on this blog regularly for updates only to be disappointed. I have set up a blog to cover all aspects of Belly Dancing now including Belly Dancing Costumes. I'd love you to check it out and add it to your RSS reader if you have one.

As well as costumes you can learn about Belly Dance Legends such as Samia Gamal and Suheir Zaki, view some great Belly Dance videos, and learn all about the world of Belly Dancing. Come on over and add your own comments about what you like (and love) about Belly Dance.

Sexy Exotic Belly Dancing Costumes

Sexy Exotic Belly Dancing Costumes

Traditionally, Belly Dancing Costumes were never designed to be sexy or exotic. Infact, Oriental or Middle Eastern dancers would often wear their everyday clothes for dancing, since dancing was a part of everyday life that would happen in the company of friends and family. It was not supposed to be enticing.

The impression of belly dancing costumes being sexy and exotic came from western impressions of the dance, especially at the end of the 19th century when Little Egypt introduced Oriental Dance at the World Exposition. The dance and costume were so different from anything people had seem before that everything about them was seen as exotic and, unfortunately, risque.

It was western playwrights, writers and artists that created this image of the sexy dancers and the increasingly daring costumes. When tourists demanded "authentic" dance in the hotels and cabarets of Egypt in the early 20th century, it was their Westernised perceptions of the dance they wanted to see, not what was really authentic, which is why costumes became more form-fitting, gauzy and glitzy.

In recent decades Egyptian authorities have tried to play down this sexiness, and insist that cabaret dancers in Egypt abide by strict dress codes. While the costumes are still form-fitting and glamorous, it is not acceptable to show a lot of skin and mesh fabric usually covers any cutouts.

Turkish belly dancing costumes tend to be more revealing and risque and are what most people are thinking of when they think of sexy exotic belly dancing costumes.

Belly Dancing Resources

I'm often asked my recommendations for buying Belly Dancing costumes and accessories (as well as other resources such as gifts and music).

Check out these Belly Dancing Resources at Belly Dancing Secrets for some great recommendations.

Issy