Did you know belly dance is the dance of fertility? Rooted in the cultures of the Middle East, home of the ancient and revered fertile crescent, women danced in crop fields beneath the moon to induce a better yield. The sacred ritual was performed by women, for women. Girls were initiated as a rite of passage upon their first menstrual cycle as both a celebration of this significant shift and as a practical tool to assist the body in this new stage of physical demands. The movements serve to ease cramps, regulate bleeding, reduce stagnation in the uterus, drop the hips, and widen the pelvic bowl to prepare for carrying more weight while pregnant. The rhythmic fluctuations generate more elasticity in the tummy, and the controlled undulations help in labor...