Belly dance or Bellydance is the name commonly used in Western countries to apply to traditional Middle Eastern dance, specifically Egyptian ghawazi dance in the 19th century, and raqs sharqi in the 20th century. The term is sometimes extended to include all traditional Middle Eastern dances. More recently, belly dancing has also been adopted in the West as a fitness program.
The term "belly dance" is a translation of the French danse du ventre which was applied to oriental dance around the Victorian era. The term is somewhat misleading, as belly movements are only a small part of the dance. The most featured part of the body is usually the hips.
Belly dance takes different forms in different regions, both in costume and dance style, and new styles have evolved in the West as its popularity has spread globally.
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