Belly dance is a Western term for traditional Middle Eastern dance styles, especially raqs sharqi. It is sometimes called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Turkish term çiftetelli
The term “Belly dance” is a misnomer as all parts of the body are involved in the dance; the most featured body part in raqs sharqi being the hips. Belly dance takes many different forms depending on country and region, both in costume and dance style;; and new styles have been invented in the West as its popularity has spread globally.
