Types of Belly Dance

Because belly dance came from so many different origins, there are many different styles and forms of the dance. The most commonly seen are Egyptian and Turkish styles. The Egyptian style dance is characterized by precise movements and more cabaret style costumes. Most Egyptian dances also do not include floorwork, however it is very popular in Turkish belly dance. Other characteristics of Turkish bellydancing includes more fluid movements and the more commonly seen half-top and skirt costume. Another more recent style of belly dance is known as Tribal Fusion which is a darker variation of the dance including both sharp and fluid movements. It does not look like any one style but instead fuses together several different styles to make something new. Below are some examples of the different styles of belly dance. 

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1) Example of Turkish style belly dance. You can see the characteristic floorwork, costuming, and fluid movements.  

2) Example of Egyptian style belly dance. You can see the characteristic costuming and precise movements, most above the hips and rib cage. 
3) Example of the Americanize Tribal Fusion style of belly dance. This particular clip works very well because we see the dancer combine both the fluid and precise movements along with fusing together two styles of music to match her different styles of dance.