"Dance is a living , breathing element of human existence. Like all living things it grows and changes with the world around it. Although it may not seem like it now, the roots of belly dancing are firmly enriched in religious rituals focusing on Goddess worship and/or fertility."-unknown.
The word Belly Dance most likely came from te Frenche translation Danse Du Ventre or dance of the stomach. Which was adapted by the Americans after seeinga risque performance by Little Egypt at the 1893 Chicago Worlds' Fair. Belly dance is called many names around the worlds for examples in arabic it is Raks Sharui, which is used to describe Egyptian Cabaret style of the dance. Belly Dance can be traced back for thousands of years. It may be one of the oldest dance forms: if not the oldest. The movements of belly dance have been translated into other forms of dance such as hip hop, jazz, salsa and hula.
Belly Dance was mostly taken into the streets for the first time as public entertainment by the Gypsies that hailed from India. During the 5th Century A.D. There is much need of work due to the oppression that they were facing. The Gypsies migrated to other parts of the world including Turkey, Afganistan, Persia and even Spain. Belly Dance changed and evolved in each of these countries differently. As the Gypies went into Egypt the dancers were liberated for their audiences. They performed at coffee houses and marketplaces. There are many who sat the origination of the coin belt was in part to the representation of people throwing coins at the Gypsies who would then sew them onto their skirts. Belly Dance was outlawed in Cairo in 1834, due to religious conflictions.
Belly Dance expanded to Europe and AMerican with the great flow of tourists who would visit the Middle East. Dancers were contracted to dance in America and Belly Dance gained great public scrutiny with the introduction of Little Egypt at the World's Fair.-Author Unknown
Some famous belly dancers to look for on youtube are Dina, Randa Kamel, Soheir Zaki, Raqia Hassan, Mona Saiid, Fifi Abdo.