<p>Belly dancing has caught the fancy of many. For ordinary people, belly dancing is just about sensuality — but it is no cakewalk for the dancers who practice for hours to get their steps right. It is a rigorous and difficult dance form. <br /><br /> “Before belly dancing became a dance form, it was used as a measure to prepare women for childbirth in the Middle Eastern countries,” explains Minoti, a dancer who teaches at the Lourd Vijay dance studio.<br /><br />Belly dancers are mostly dressed in short blouses with harem pants or a skirt. <br />They wear shimmering pieces of cloth around their hips. Metrolife speaks to a few youngsters to find out what they think about the popularity of the dance — despite a few social restrictions.</p>.<p><br />Payal Gupta started learning belly dancing after her mom saw a performance on television. <br /><br /> Apart from contemporary and Bollywood dance styles, Payal has excelled in belly dance and conducts classes in her dance studio.<br /><br />“Belly dancing looks simple but it is very difficult; it is very technique-oriented, feminine and appealing,” explains Payal, who holds a record in the Indian Book of Records for belly dancing while balancing a cane on her head.<br /><br />“This dance is not restricted to pubs or bars and definitely doesn’t serve as entertainment for men. It is a form of art and people should look at it as just another dance performance instead of judging dancers for what they wear,” she adds.<br />A few girls mentioned that they were lucky their families didn’t restrict them from learning belly dance only because some people feel it’s taboo.<br /><br />Meenakshi Panchal expresses her passion for dance and says, “It’s about time people stopped talking about what belly dancers wear and started noticing the tricky steps.”<br /><br />Some youngsters mentioned that their parents were quite apprehensive in the beginning but appreciated the exotic and mysterious dance after watching it for themselves.<br /><br />“Initially, my parents were very concerned but after watching my dance shows, they were pleased,” admits Meghana B S, a degree student. She confesses that she was shy when she started learning and declares, “People do talk about what we wear but I have so much fun while dancing that I forget about the costume and focus on the steps.”<br /><br />Deepashri L considers belly dance to be the most powerful dance form and believes that it teaches every woman grace and elegance. <br /><br />She declares, “I was a very shy person, but belly dancing has made me feel confident. Yes, it is a sensual dance form and is all about how you carrying yourself. The perception depends on how judgemental a person is. If one sees it as a dance, they will find it very beautiful.” <br /></p>
<p>Belly dancing has caught the fancy of many. For ordinary people, belly dancing is just about sensuality — but it is no cakewalk for the dancers who practice for hours to get their steps right. It is a rigorous and difficult dance form. <br /><br /> “Before belly dancing became a dance form, it was used as a measure to prepare women for childbirth in the Middle Eastern countries,” explains Minoti, a dancer who teaches at the Lourd Vijay dance studio.<br /><br />Belly dancers are mostly dressed in short blouses with harem pants or a skirt. <br />They wear shimmering pieces of cloth around their hips. Metrolife speaks to a few youngsters to find out what they think about the popularity of the dance — despite a few social restrictions.</p>.<p><br />Payal Gupta started learning belly dancing after her mom saw a performance on television. <br /><br /> Apart from contemporary and Bollywood dance styles, Payal has excelled in belly dance and conducts classes in her dance studio.<br /><br />“Belly dancing looks simple but it is very difficult; it is very technique-oriented, feminine and appealing,” explains Payal, who holds a record in the Indian Book of Records for belly dancing while balancing a cane on her head.<br /><br />“This dance is not restricted to pubs or bars and definitely doesn’t serve as entertainment for men. It is a form of art and people should look at it as just another dance performance instead of judging dancers for what they wear,” she adds.<br />A few girls mentioned that they were lucky their families didn’t restrict them from learning belly dance only because some people feel it’s taboo.<br /><br />Meenakshi Panchal expresses her passion for dance and says, “It’s about time people stopped talking about what belly dancers wear and started noticing the tricky steps.”<br /><br />Some youngsters mentioned that their parents were quite apprehensive in the beginning but appreciated the exotic and mysterious dance after watching it for themselves.<br /><br />“Initially, my parents were very concerned but after watching my dance shows, they were pleased,” admits Meghana B S, a degree student. She confesses that she was shy when she started learning and declares, “People do talk about what we wear but I have so much fun while dancing that I forget about the costume and focus on the steps.”<br /><br />Deepashri L considers belly dance to be the most powerful dance form and believes that it teaches every woman grace and elegance. <br /><br />She declares, “I was a very shy person, but belly dancing has made me feel confident. Yes, it is a sensual dance form and is all about how you carrying yourself. The perception depends on how judgemental a person is. If one sees it as a dance, they will find it very beautiful.” <br /></p>