The traditional dances of the Middle East span a large variety of folk traditions throughout North Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, the Balkans and South Asia. Middle Eastern Dance, also called Belly Dance, is a style developed for professional performance in cabarets and early Egyptian film based on traditional Egyptian dance. The term "Belly dance" is something of a misnomer as every part of the body is involved in the dance; the most featured body part usually is the hips. Our Middle Eastern Dance class, under the direction of Gia Kashla, will perform as we will learn about the history of this art form and the different uses of the veil.