Belly dancing ... the word conjures up images of beautiful women dressed in colourful flowing scarves and veils moving their hips in powerful swings and pelvic thrusts. It's believed by many to be one of the oldest forms of dance, having roots in the ancient cultures of Greece, Persia, Palestine and North Africa, among others. To the Greeks it's known as cifte telli; the Turks call it rakkase; and the Egyptians say it's raks sharki, meaning the 'dance of the east or Oriental dance' in Arabic. Temple priestesses would often perform these erotic dances, but only for women. In most cases, men were banned. Often used in wedding celebrations, the movements of the Persian belly dance had less to do with the act of conception and more to do with the movements of labour during birth. Thus many experts believe these dances to be the deepest source of erotic dance, which blends the celebration of fertility with religious customs.
Not until the age of colonialism was belly dancing discovered by the west. At the Chicago's World Fair in 1893, Americans had their first real look at the erotic rhythms and sensual body movements. Since then, there's been a crosscurrent of influence between the western style of belly dancing and the traditional form.
With the emphasis on the abdominal muscles, hip and chest movements, the Oriental dance - belly dancing is actually the Hollywood or western term - is uniquely designed for the female body. The bone and muscular structure of most (not all) women allows for greater power to come from the torso instead of the feet and legs. Tradition dictates the dancer go bare-footed, making it easier to stay connected and grounded with the earth.
The dance is a sensual pattern of smooth, flowing, and complex movements of the torso, alternating with some shimmy and shaking moves. Music, especially from the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Middle East, plays an essential part. These forms of music are often preferred in belly dancing classes over western music because they're more apt to emphasise continuous flow, allowing the dancer to improvise. According to the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance, belly dancing tends to emphasise the flow and ripple of the belly muscles and the sway of the hips and isn't always based on patterns of steps.
Lam Miu-fong - who performs under the name of Kitty - says this dance pretty much uses all the body muscles. 'It can be a great aerobic workout when danced at speed,' she says. Lam has been teaching the Egyptian style of belly dancing in Hong Kong for nine years. Her typical class lasts one-and-a-half hours and consists of three parts: a warm-up; working on technique and learning new combinations in the choreography; and, finally, the actual choreography. While belly dancing is not easy, Lam maintains it's fun, social and 'very addictive'. It's a good way to exercise safely because it's low impact and no previous dance experience is necessary.
It doesn't matter what shape or size you are and participants can even go on to perform in venues in Hong Kong or Asia. Students are usually women, though some men have ventured in to try a class or two. But they haven't stuck out a 12-week programme.
