Hello, I'm Bridget Poulter and welcome to my Egyptian dance website.

Raqs Sharqi simply means 'oriental dance' but is usually reserved for the dance style seen in Egypt.

Oriental dance is often called bellydance; this term derives from 'danse du ventre', a phase coined by 19th century French travellers to describe the intricate torso and hip movements.

Today, 'bellydance' usually describes the cabaret form with dancers dressed in a beaded 'bedlah' and maybe a bare midriff. But the differences between the two styles are subtle - the most obvious being that we are more covered up.

Both forms share the same heritage and it's only since the Egyptian film industry
hey-day with its Hollywood ideas of glamour that this divergence has occurred.

Click on the menu to find out more about the background to the dance, my classes, and details on dance events and performances.