What is bellydance: Naughty or Nice? : )

Ahh, that famous age-old tabu of female sensuality definitely plays itself out in the world of bellydance. We as dancers often encounter raised eyebrows or the suggestive "Ohhhh" when we tell people what we do. I, for one, am a little tired of the insinsuation that we are doing something sexually deviant or risqué just because we choose to express ourselves through this beautiful art form. The last time that I encountered such a response from someone, it led me to thinking about how exactly bellydance is perceived versus what we actually know it to be.

Many people look upon bellydance as a form of sensual, and even sexual, expression. However, very little of what we do comes from the physical. Sure, the moves themselves require our bodily movement, but the physical aspect of the art ends there. Most of what we express in performance comes from the inside: our hearts, spirits, and minds. The energy and essence of the dance is emotionally driven, not physically. This is what the audience responds to when they watch us perform, but the effect is so often misinterpreted as being sexual rather than intellectual and feeling-based.