Belly Costumes

Belly dancing, or oriental dancing which is often considered a more literal definition, is native to the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt are two countries where belly dancing has played an extremely important role. While it is often thought of as a dance only performed by women, it is also a dance for men. There are two types of Belly Dancing; raqs baladi celebratory, social dance and raqs sharqi, the more common type in America, which is the more theatrical style. Part of the reason raqs sharqi is more popular in the United States is because there are limited venues or occasions for belly dancing to take place. As our population continues to embrace and welcome Middle Easterners and their culture this may change but for now belly dancing is primarily found in nightclubs and restaurants as a means of entertainment.

While the actual dancing is usually the first draw to belly dancing, the costumes are likely a very close second. Historically, the costume or attire worn during belling dancing has varied based on where the dancing is happening. Belly dancers in Egypt wear the most modest costumes as it has been illegal to dance with an uncovered stomach. This does not, however, mean that these costumes are not beautiful. In fact they are glamorous, lavish, feminine costumes made of beautiful fabrics that are adorned with jewels, beads and fringe. Additionally, the dancers usually wear jewelry such as bracelets, earrings and necklaces.

Lebanese dancers wear much more revealing, even sexy, costumes. They are able to reveal their abdomens, and do so as they wear two-piece costumes made up of a decorative bra and skirt. They even wear high heels while they dance!

Of all the styles of costumes, those worn by Turkish dancers are the most sexy and revealing. While they consist of, like those from Lebanon, a decorative bra and skirt they show much more of the dancer’s body. These dancers also enhance their attire with headpieces, necklaces, and other jewelry.

Belly dancers in America wear costumes that are a combination of the other three styles. They usually are two-piece and are, of course, made of lavish beautiful fabrics, beads, and other embellishments. Sometimes pants are worn in place of the skirt but they are no less glamorous.

There is a wide variety of brands and shops available from which to purchase belly dancing costume pieces. Topkapi Designs, Ltd is a wholesale and retail company selling "authentic Turkish belly dancing costumes and supplies. They may be visited in New York or online at http://www.topkapidesigns.com/

All of the various styles and pieces from the different types and regions from which belly dancing originates are readily available here in the US. While specific belly dance brick and mortar shops seem to be a bit difficult to find, there is a plethora of belly dance specific websites. Some of those include:

The Website http://www.bellydancestore.biz/ sells designers such as Eman Zaki, Sahar Okasha, and Aziz. This site offers a variety of pieces of all price levels. Full costumes can be purchased for $200 to $600, bras sell at the mid-$150, hip scarves begin at $35 and skirts/pants sell for $55 to $75. They also sell children's and plus-sized costumes.

Another Website http://www.missbellydance.com also sells a variety of belly dancing attire. Their full costumes begin at $79 and go up to nearly $400. They also sell tops at a very reasonable price, ranging from under $20 to $35. This site is also a great resource for other costume pieces, accessories, and music.