Do you want to learn how to belly dance?
Then this page is for you! Here you’ll find videos to help beginners get started learning belly dance at home. In fact, these basic movement are the foundation of many more complex, beautiful and exciting variations. Once you learn these basics, you can add travelling and layering moves that help us express all the beautiful things we hear in Middle Eastern music.
What about the name “belly dance”?
This term is commonly used in the west and came into use in America as part of a marketing ploy in the late 1890’s. However, this dance, with origins in the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions, goes by other names including Middle Eastern dance, oriental dance, raqs sharqi, raqs beladi and raqs shaabi. Actually, these are all related but not all the same! It can be a little confusing, but also fascinating to learn some of the history.
How to learn with these videos
Each video covers one foundation skill. Our Middle Eastern dance instructor, Mahin breaks down the movement and drills it with music. Following that, she will also give you some ideas on how to practice it or put it together with other movements. It’s dance – it’s supposed to be fun! Let yourself relax and enjoy learning something new!
These videos are a fun way to get started – but the very best way to learn is in person with an experienced instructor that can answer your questions, give you valuable feedback and new challenges when you’ve mastered a move!
