Bright and colourful, decorated with beads or coins, the silk fabric creates an aura of expectation. They slowly start moving, and a leg appears out of the opening of the skirt. Following the soft rhythm of the tam-tam, their waist drags right, helped by their hips while the vibrant navel seems to be the point of gravity. The skin transforms under the waves, like a snake. The fluid silhouette, so similar to that of a siren, dances with her hands, her arms, her hair and eyes. Her whole body shakes! You’ve just been bewitched by an oriental belly dancer, and this is only the beginning.

belly-dancing-marrakech

Probably you think immediately of figures like Beyonce or Shakira, whose bodies capture all attention thanks to their sensual curves. Neither of them are Arab, but their skin seems to adapt to the rhythm of Raqs al Sharqi or Oryantal Dansi. The French were the first to gaze open-mouthed at the sensuality of this dance, when Napoleon’s troops arrived in Egypt. At the sights of these half-naked girls moving their belly and hips in front of the soldiers, they thought they were prostitutes, which, by the way has nothing to do with this type of dance. Oriental dance has an aphrodisiac power, it’s exciting and leaves no one indifferent, it increases your desire and if you dare to dance, you’ll be the centre of everyone’s attention.

“A woman is an idea, the strongest in nature, but it’s an idea that’s dancing” said the French poet Jacques Prévert. The comparison between a woman and a dance is one of the most beautiful figures, but belly dancing was more of a ceremony, a ritual for a god or a dance by and for women. The history of the dance is just as rich as that of Marrakech, pearl of the south also called the red city of Morocco. There you can discover the biggest traditional markets of the country – zocos – and the Djemaa el Fna Squire, one of the busiest in the world. At night the acrobats come out along with the musicians, storytellers and dancers. This is the universe in which belly dancing was born, one with a backdrop of mosques, beautiful gardens and palaces of Marrakech.

Cha-cha-cha, Salsa, Rock, Hip-Hop, Flamenco, Charleston, Tango, Zouk, Rumba, Boogie-Woogie, what’s you style? Why not start with some belly dancing whilst on your trip in Marrakech. Watch an after dinner show or even take some classes. Rent apartments in Marrakech and let yourself be carried away by the sensual rhythms of Raqs al Sharqi.