You may have many questions based on conversations or points of contention that you’ve heard here and there – such as whether or not belly dance is performed by men and when did it actually make its way to the United States?

So let’s dispel some of the mystery and explore belly dance history a little more.

The term belly dance was coined as a literal translation of the French term “danse du ventre” which was originally used to describe the dance in the Victorian era.  It seems slightly misconstrued, though, because the dance truly uses every part of the body.  Swinging of the hips is the most prominent part of belly dance, so in a sense, the name seems logical although not entirely descriptive.  There are so many forms of belly dance performed throughout history and to this day, but it remains a popular social dance in the Middle East including Egypt and Turkey.  In these eastern countries, both men and women learn the dance at a young age by imitating the older generation and then perfecting their technique as they grow older.

As with many aspects of various cultures, the ability to travel from land to land allows people to share with one another and offers others a chance to enjoy things like belly dance.  It is said that belly dance began to gain popularity when dancers would perform at the World’s Fairs in the late 1800s, drawing crowds of curious onlookers and daring experimenters who would try to imitate the dancers and learn belly dance for themselves. And, in fact, Americans created what is known as American Tribal Style Belly Dance in 1987 and continues to enjoy this style of dance which takes cues from dances originally performed in North India, the Middle East and Africa.

No one can definitively pinpoint the exact origin of the enchanting belly dance, but it can be traced back to early Egypt and is thought to have been performed by temple priestesses.  Many also believe that belly dance was part of a birthing ritual practiced in the Middle East where it originated.  But the theory that most historians subscribe to, claims the dance descended from a religious ritual and most research a person conducts on the topic will yield this theory.  No matter which doctrine you accept, there is no denying that the popularity of this seductive and often misunderstood dance has increased through the years.  Knowledge of the dance spread rapidly after it was performed at the World’s Fairs in the late 1800s.  At that point in history, Victorians were appalled by the scantily clad seductive dancers, yet Americans were entranced and soon belly dance was seen in various forms of entertainment including on stage and in movies across the US.

The costumes

It’s true, the costumes these talented performers wear are certainly revealing and they only add to the mystique.  We have grown to know and love the bedlah, or uniform, adorned by belly dancers around the world in modern day.  But the current dress is actually stemmed from the Hollywood depiction of belly dancer attire in movies and on stage which was adapted from outfits typically worn by the harem girls in men’s fantasies.  This form of dress became popular in Egypt in the 1930s and leaves a women’s midriff bare, showing the navel and drawing attention to her hips which is the part of the body used the most in a belly dance.  Incidentally, this is likely the reason the dance is referred to as belly dance.  In actuality, a woman’s entire body is used when performing belly dance.

So what is it really?

The belly dance is actually a stream of fluid movements that are designed to show an interpretation of the music.  It also involves emotional expression and presentation.  Some of the typical dance moves you will find in belly dance consist of a belly roll, kneeling and standing back bends, and shimmy movements in a side-to-side direction or front-to-back motions.  The dances will also include a walking shimmy and expressive arm motions that serve to incorporate the entire body into the dance.

More than just a dance, a fun exercise!

Belly dance offers a wonderful option for women to exercise and work various muscles, especially abdominal muscles and has become very popular as part of an overall exercise routine in many communities.

Do da stanky legg, do da stanky leg,do da stanky legg
When I hit da dance floor I be
Doin’ da stanky legg, do da stanky legg, do da stanky legg

The Stanky Leg is a popular hip-hop dance that exploded in 2009. Although many years have gone by the Stankey Leg is still a popular dance. If you came here looking to learn how to do this dance move please watch the instructional video below; it contains everything you need to know.

To start things off visit Google maps.

Next type “dance Lessons” + wherever you’d like to take them. I currently reside in Wisconsin so I’m going to type “Dance Lessons in Wisconsin”.

A list of dance studios will pop up on the left. Now this is where the work comes in. The majority of dance studios are not going to just say they offer wedding dance lessons, so you need to know which style of dance you’d like to learn and whether they offer adult lessons. Try visiting the website of the selected dance studio first to see if they offer lessons for adults, if you don’t see anything, give them a call. Hopefully once you’ve done this you’ll find one dance studio that will be able to help you learn to dance for your wedding.

If you are not comfortable with taking dance lessons at a studio (or can’t find one that offers lessons for you) then browse our website for “how to” videos and articles. If this is still not enough check out YouTube for videos of others weddings to get ideas.

Here’s a video of a father daughter dance which starts out normal but has a little surprise in-between.

Here is one that is not silly, but more emotional and traditional.

Here is our list of the top 15 songs to line dance to!

15. Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
14. Chatahoochie – Alan Jackson
13. Save a Horse – Big and Rich
12. Footloose – Blake Shelton
11. Baby Likes To Rock It – The Tractors
10. Book Docks – Little Big Town
9. Backwoods – Justin Moore
8. Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
7. Cotton-Eye Joe – Rednex
6. Fishing In The Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk – Trace Adkins
4. Good Time – Alan Jackson
3. Country Girl (Shake It for Me) – Luke Bryan
2. Watermelon Crawl – Tracy Byrd
1. Boot Scootin’ Boogie – Brooks & Dunn

Have any other line dance songs you’d like to name? Post a comment below and let us know!

How to do the 1,2 Step:
The 1,2 Step is one of the funniest hip-hop dance steps to learn, is also happens to be one of the easier dance steps.

To learn to do the 1, 2 step watch this video featuring Queen Ciara:

Mr. Collipark
Umph,oh,umph, Ah Ah, Umph,oh,umph Ah Ah
All The Shawtys In The Club
(let Me See You Chest)
Back It Up, Drop It Down
(let Me See You Chest)
Get Low N Scrub The Ground
(let Me See You Chest)
Push It Up, Push It Up
(let Me See You Chest)

To get the whole idea of the song and how to wobble check this video out:

Now you know how to do the wobble!

There are tons of videos of booty twerking online but none that actually break it down. This twerk tutorial was created to solve this.

To start it off I’d like to clear some common misconceptions up.
1. You don’t need a big rear-end in order to twerk (it certainty helps thought).
2. Yes white girls can twerk
3. You don’t need to be grinding against someone to be twerking.

Now let’s get into the actual twerking tutorial!
How to twerk:
There are various parts of twerking, but only two basic parts you need to know in order to twerk.

1. Popping your butt:
To do this, simply start with your back arched so your butt is sticking out. Now move your butt forward (try not to move your back) once you move a bit, pop it back out.

2. Control your butt with your thighs.
This is the most important part of twerking; it’s also the hardest to describe which is why you rarely see actual tutorials on twerking.
By vibrating your thighs your butt will also vibrate (this is where a big butt comes in helpful, but not needed). Moving your thighs in different ways also makes your booty move in different ways. The best way to get what I’m talking about is by watching the video below by the twerk team:

While watching this video pay attention to their lower half and how they jump, use their heels, legs and thighs to control their booty. Try to replicate different motions with your thighs based on this video and you should have twerking down in no time.
Other twerking terms: Jersey turnpike, booty shake, jerking.