Discover the World of Belly Dance
The global encyclopedia and network for dancers, instructors, organizers and everyone who loves this art form.
The Atlas Journal
Trending news and stories
Features · 22 October 2026
The Folklore Label: How to Tell Egyptian Community Dance from Stage Adaptation
A cane, a village dress or a regional rhythm can tell us something about a performance - but never the whole story. This guide offers dancers a practical way to distinguish living community traditions from theatrical adaptations without dismissing either.
By Raqs Atlas team
Music Reviews · 21 October 2026
Alf Leila wa Leila: The Umm Kulthum Recording That Teaches Dancers to Wait
“Alf Leila wa Leila” is one of the great tests of a dancer’s musical patience. This review looks at how Umm Kulthum, Baligh Hamdi and Morsi Gamil Aziz build anticipation - and what raqs sharqi dancers can learn from letting music arrive before answering it.
By Raqs Atlas team
Features · 3 October 2026
Maqam for Dancers: How to Hear the Melody Without Turning Music Into a Scale Test
You do not need perfect pitch or a conservatory education to become more responsive to Arabic melody. Start by hearing phrases, returns, tension and release - then let maqam deepen your dancing instead of turning it into an exam.
By Raqs Atlas team
Calendar
Upcoming festivals and events
Glostrup, Denmark · 22-25 October 2026
Danish Open Bellydance
Danish Open Bellydance is an established international Oriental dance festival and educational event in Denmark, founded in 2012 by sisters Noura and Merrild. Originally held in Roskilde, the festival moved to Glostrup…
3 artists from the directory in the line-up →
Dunkirk / Petite-Synthe, France · 29 October – 1 November 2026
Oriental Origins Festival
International Oriental dance festival in northern France featuring workshops, competition, open stage and a professional international show.
View festival →
Rýmařov, Czechia · 30 October – 1 November 2026
Festival Habibi
International multi-generational dance festival with a supportive competition for solos and groups across ages, levels and styles, plus workshops with judges and an international show.
1 artist from the directory in the line-up →
- 6 December 2026Golden Era Study CircleOnline
Directory
Featured dancers and instructors
Montpellier, France · Japan
Ribo
Ribo is a Japanese Oriental dance artist, professional performer, and certified instructor based in Montpellier, southern France. Her artistic journey began at the age of three with classical ballet, followed by training in modern jazz, contemporary dance…
Buenos Aires · Argentina
Leandro Ferreyra
Leandro Ferreyra is an internationally acclaimed Argentine Oriental dance performer, choreographer, artistic director, and master instructor with more than two decades of experience. He trained at the Amir Thaleb Arabic Dance School and completed postgraduate…
Helsinki · Finland
Laura Zaray
Laura Zaray is an internationally recognized Finnish Oriental dance artist, choreographer, instructor, and cultural event producer based in Helsinki. With more than two decades of experience, she has developed an artistic career combining Egyptian Oriental…
Nicosia · Cyprus
Mary Vatyliotou
Mary Vatyliotou is a Cypriot belly dancer, choreographer, instructor and dance-school director based in Nicosia. She began dancing at the age of five and trained across a broad range of movement disciplines, including ballet, contemporary dance, belly dance…
Encyclopedia spotlight
Learn the art form
United States
Tribal Fusion
Tribal Fusion is a modern belly dance style that evolved from American Tribal Style and blends belly dance technique with elements from contemporary dance, hip-hop, popping, flamenco, Indian dance, jazz, and other movement traditions. It is known for strong muscular control, precise isolations, layered movement, dramatic musical interpretation, and a highly individual artistic aesthetic. Unlike group improvisational ATS, Tribal Fusion is often choreographed and performed solo, although group work is also common.
United States
Belly Dance Fusion
Belly Dance Fusion is a contemporary approach to belly dance that combines the movement vocabulary of oriental dance with elements from other dance styles, such as contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, flamenco, hip-hop, Indian dance, theatrical movement, or experimental performance. Rather than following one fixed technique or cultural tradition, fusion is defined by the intentional blending of styles. The result can range from soft and lyrical to dramatic, athletic, theatrical, or highly stylized.
Turkey
Turkish Oriental
The Turkish branch of the dance: faster, bolder, with Romani influence, 9/8 karşılama rhythms, floor work and zil (finger cymbal) virtuosity.
Legend · Canada
Hadia — Jocelyn Chouinard
Hadia, born Jocelyn Chouinard, was a Canadian performer and educator whose career spanned almost four decades. She began dancing as a teenager and eventually entered professional nightclub performance in Vancouver before expanding her studies internationally…
Legend · United States
Bert Balladine
Bert Balladine was one of the most influential male figures in the early development of belly dance in the United States. His background included circus, ballet and theatrical performance before he encountered Middle Eastern dance during travels that included…
Legend · Egypt
Hoda Shams El Din
Hoda Shams El Din was an Egyptian dancer and actress of Armenian heritage who became part of the country's Golden Era entertainment scene. She studied at an Armenian school in Cairo before entering the professional performing world. Director Niazi Mustafa…
Music
Songs and rhythms
Scene in focus
Belly dance in Egypt
The historical heart of raqs sharqi. From the Cairo nightclubs of the 1920s and the Golden Era film studios to today's Nile-side stages, Egypt shaped the vocabulary, music and star system of the dance.
Schools
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