Most people believe that belly dancing involves lots of flashy jewelry. The truth is quite the opposite. If you are like most westerners you no doubt have an image of a belly dancer adorned with a flashy jewel in her stomach and dangling ornaments around her waste.

Although many people associate belly dancing with the rich and famous because of the glamorous jewels and quantity of belly dancing jewelry, this is a very western view of the activity. In fact, before westerners influenced belly dancing, the use of belly dancing jewelry was quite rare. However, it much more common due to the influence of western cultures.

The most prominent piece of belly dancing jewelry is the large jewel on the navel. This history of this actually quite revealing. The jewel on the belly came into existence as a way for producers in Hollywood to get around the Hayes Code which prevented the navel from being completely shown. Belly dancing jewelry provided a very Hollywood solution to this problem.

It was the movie industry that began the association between belly dancing jewelry and belly dancing. The truth is that in the Middle East, belly dancers were often unadorned and only wore a full body dress that kept the dancer's body modestly hidden away. If you are interested in traditional attire for belly dancing instead of western-influenced attire then you won't need lots of jewelry.

Belly Dancing Clothing

For those interested in more traditional belly dancing jewelry and clothing, the use of swirling fabric is closer to reality. Bright fabric was often used along with the undulating body movements of belly dancing to create an aesthetically appealing dance.

Clothing should be comfortable and should not hinder the movement of a dancer. This is important because belly dancing is all about the movement of the body and much less about the clothing and belly dancing jewelry. It is also not necessary to expose a large amount of your body, although depending on where you are in the world, this is often done.

If you decide to where belly dancing jewelry then there are many types to choose from. However, it is good for any belly dancer to understand the history and significance of the jewelry they are wearing. Just because it isn't traditional doesn't mean you shouldn't wear it. Many people believe the addition of jewelry and flashy clothing makes the dance all that more attractive.