What to wear for Bellydancing?

I know a lot of people who are enchanted by the graceful and different moves in Belly Dance. It has a lot of health benefits as coordination, tonification of the body, a way to burn many calories, etc. It also helps to bring self-confidence, body awareness and a sense of femininity. This post is about those people who want to start it but don't feel comfortable about what to wear for a class. 

         The most important accessory: the hip scarf.

The hip scarf is an enhancer. It will bring all your movements to life by making the hips stand out. Be careful with coin belts (not all teachers are keen on them) because of the noise they make  you can't really hear the music properly. And not everybody enjoys the "ding ding". I know they are cute, but they can also leave traces, little coins or beads, on the floor.

What else to wear? Should I show my belly? Simple. Wear what you feel comfortable in. Tops will make your dance become real, as you need your belly exposed to make Belly Dance happen. But if you are not confident with it, just wear a t-shirt and you should be fine. I prefer black leggings, so I can contrast them with a coloured hip scarf to show my hip movements and flats, like the picture below.

Should Bellydancers be barefoot?
Not necessarily. Think of it. I just mentioned about beads and coins falling off from your pretty class clothes. It can be very unpleasant to step on something unexpected on the floor, as well as dangerous. So if you are barefoot, make sure you know the floor you are dancing on and feel confident about it. Some bellydancers also wear heels when performing, which can be very elegant depending on the occasion. 

Some little tips:
- I don't recommend wearing short skirts to practise. The whole point is to focus on hips and belly, not the legs.

- Wearing nice clothes and accessories for the class, I mean the more you invest in yourself, will raise your confidence in the class. Feel good.

- The proper Belly Dance costume is meant just for performances. They are too much for a class. You need to feel as much comfortable as possible. 

Is there anything you would like to know about dancing? Any doubts? Please leave a comment. I will be very happy to answer, or maybe create a post just about it. So let's put hip scarves on and happy shimmies everyone!