Cabaret became very popular in Egypt in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and that age was called the golden era of belly dancing. The costume was very much influenced by Hollywood. It had a costume of a bra and a low slung skirt with side slits. The dancers in Western society bared their midriffs which in Egypt was forbidden and is still forbidden today. Back at the Castle Hill Centre, I was slowly beginning to get into the movements and move my hips and chest, with a little more ease than I began with.
Arabic dance is all about isolating different parts of the body.
When your hips are moving your upper torso is still. Traditionally, Middle Eastern children learned Arabic dance by copying their mothers. Mrs Watts however, learned her skills six years ago after first being taught by another teacher in Maidenhead. And she developed her dancing skills through visits to workshops led by women who had lived in Egypt. However, she said she has never visited the country.