The dance form we call "belly dancing" is derived from
traditional women's dances of the Middle East and
North Africa. Women have always belly danced, at
parties, at family gatherings, and during rites of passage.
A woman's social dancing eventually evolved
into belly dancing as entertainment ("Dans Oryantal " in
Turkish and "Raqs Sharqi" in Arabic). Although the history
of belly dancing is clouded prior to the late 1800s,
many experts believe its roots go back to the temple
rites of India. Probably the greatest misconception
about belly dance is that it is intended to entertain men.
Because segregation of the sexes was common in the
part of the world that produced belly dancing, men often
were not allowed to be present
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