Belly Dance Basics for All Styles

Belly Dance student/class attire is similar for most Belly Dance classes and largely depends on your personal preference. The student ensemble usually consists of a choli or half top, yoga or harem pants, and a hip scarf at minimum. Many students like to layer their hip scarves to include a long fringe shawl with a coin hip scarf on top.

Veils are used in nearly all styles of Belly Dance, but most predominantly for Cabaret style. The fabric for a Belly Dancing veil is usually chiffon or silk, and comes in rectangle or semi-circle and half-circle shapes. Finger cymbals (also known as zills [zils] or sagat) are used mostly in Cabaret style Belly Dance, but Egyptian style and Tribal style, especially American Tribal Style (ATS), dancers may also use finger cymbals. Other props, such as Isis Wings, canes, swords, etc., are also frequently incorporated into modern Belly Dance performances, but these props are usually reserved for more experienced dancers.

The following products have been hand-picked by our staff for anyone who is new to Belly Dancing. These selections will help you get started with a solid foundation in Belly Dance, whether you prefer to dance Cabaret, Egyptian, Tribal, or Gypsy style. These products are essentially universal and will benefit the beginning belly dancer.

Continue to: Cabaret Style | Egyptian Style | American Tribal Style | Tribal Fusion | Gypsy Style | Theatrical/Fantasy | Folkloric Middle Eastern