It is known in the Middle East as" raqs sharqui”, literally, dance of the East" or "oriental dance"..

Aside from the joy inherent in learning a beautiful dance art, enthusiasts report a wide variety of benefits gained from the practice of Middle Eastern dancing:
  Satisfaction from achieving new levels of physical mastery
  A feeling of comradeship, community, making new friends
  Strengthening, reshaping and renewed acceptance of one's body
  Greater freedom and range of self-expression
  Fun, Fun, Fun!

But originally, Belly dance was a kind of mixture of rites between fertility and eroticism: an indispensable feature at weddings in many countries, for the purpose of getting the bride into the mood, blessing the fertility of the couple, and providing entertainment for the guests.