1.  FUN- No explanation needed!

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   2. The costumes! - It’s really amazing how good they make you feel when you put them on. And if you are

       a crafty type, you will enjoy making them a lot too!

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   3.  Friends & community – It’s so easy to meet supportive women in this community and make friends.

       I believe this is one important factor that makes people stay in this community and keep dancing.

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   4.  Empowering – I don’t even remember what my instructor taught in my very first belly dance lessons, but

       I remember feeling good about myself after each class. The snake-like movements are so smooth and

       feminine, yet not overly sexy.  Goddess-like. Learning these movements makes you look good, feel good,

       and be empowered.

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   5.  For every shape and size – It’s one of the most accommodating forms of dancing when it comes to 

        shapes and sizes.  Extra jiggles?  Lucky you! A shortie? So what - it doesn’t matter & you often get to

        dance in the middle or front.

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   6.  The music! – The subject of Middle Eastern music is so deep and complex. Do you think Western music

        is complex enough? Well, Middle Eastern music has more notes than Western music, called quartertones,

        which can be found in between E and E flat, for example. And they have some funky rhythms, and time

        signatures like 9/8 and 10/8. It’s fun.  There is always more to learn.

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   7.  Worldwide popularity – You can find a belly dancer pretty much anywhere in the world nowadays. You

        can find instructors pretty much anywhere. If you can’t find one in your city, there are lots of online

        resources and you can ask questions at a belly dance forum.

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   8.  For every personality – just because the form of dance is so feminine and flowy, it doesn’t mean all belly

       dancers are super feminine women. In fact, I feel half the belly dancers that I’ve met have tough, tomboy-

       like personalities and may start their sentences with words like “dude” and may drop an f-bomb once in a

       while. You can find all types of personality in this community.

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   9.  No need to show your tummy (unless you want to!) – I was quite hesitant to show my belly until about 3

       years after I started belly dancing. Once I overcame the hesitation, it was so liberating! But really, I had no

       problem whatsoever without revealing my midriff.

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 10.  You can lose weight – Yes, you can! Belly dancing can definitely help tone your abs.

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 11.  Stay young – Okay, there is no scientific proof behind this, but I’ve observed belly dancers for the last 5

       years, and I can say this: generally speaking, women who regularly belly dance look 5-15 years younger

       than they are! When I hear these ladies’ ages, my common (and honest!) reaction is “Whaaat!?” and drop

       whatever I’m holding at that moment.

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 12.  Become photogenic – Once you start performing, you get lots of practice looking good in photos.

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 13.  More excuses to play with makeup! – Halloween and a few girls nights are the only excuses for you to put

       on big makeup? Start belly dancing, and for each performance you do, you get to wear big, shiny makeup

       complete with the longest false lashes you can find!

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 14.  Satisfaction of group choreography – When was the last time you danced a choreographed piece with a

       whole bunch of other people? One of my favorite things about belly dancing is dancing with other dancers.

       If you take belly dance lessons, most likely your instructor will teach you a choreographed piece. And

       learning it with other dancers and performing it with them is such a satisfying experience. The whole

       process of practicing and making it better with other dancers gives you many learning opportunities. That

       powerful energy and absolute beauty of group choreography always gets me excited. When people with

       the same passion come together, we can make some magical things.

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 15.  Time for yourself – As an adult, you wear many hats – worker, student, mother, girlfriend, daughter,

        friend, neighbor.  Life gets busy, and if you don’t take time for yourself, that’s when you may break down

        or overeat/drink or spend too much money. Yup, I’ve been there. Once you decide you take belly dance

        lessons, that’s your time. Making your time physically away from home or your office and make it a

        routine helps you make sure you get your time.

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 16.  Your new identity – You’ll discover your new identity. You will no longer be just a marketing assistant to

        some company or researcher at a lab. You can be a working professional whom some people also know

        you as a belly dancer. Maybe you enjoy being called a belly dancer. Maybe your belly dancing photos get

        tagged on Facebook, and you get 60 likes. Maybe your friends will join you in your next class.

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 17.  Adrenaline Rush – Do you remember what it felt like when you were a child and got the first prize in a

        game or a race, or when you did a really good job playing a role in a school play? And your parents and

         friends are cheering you and so proud of you? You felt so excited and wanted to run around and scream.

        Your hands were shaky, and you could almost feel your heartbeat. That was the feeling I got from my first

        performance. I still do, a little more tamed though, as I became a bit more critical of my dancing, but I still

        feel a great sense of accomplishment, which I couldn’t get much from other parts of my life.

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 18.  Develop your core strength, stability, flexibility, and hand-eye coordination – If you think belly dancing is

        just jiggling your belly, you should try it and see if it’s true. Belly dancing actually requires a lot of core

        strength and flexibility, and this is why a lot of belly dancers combine yoga with their core development

        exercises. Needless to say, it is a fun way of developing your muscles without having to do weight lifting in

        a sweaty gym.

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 19.  Happier you – Regular exercise, especially rhythmical ones, produces endorphins in your brain, and

        endorphins are the happy chemical. Got a stressful job? Maybe regular dancing will help you relax.

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 20.  Help unveil the prejudice towards people of Middle Eastern descent; awareness and knowledge can go a

        long way. Belly dancing makes you feel good and feel good about being a woman. It lets you embrace who

       you are and how you look. Have fun and share your happiness!