Diana: Hi! My name is Diana. I am a Middle Eastern Dance Instructor and Performer and I work in the Northern Virginia area. I've been doing this beautiful ancient art form for the last ten years and I am here today to share some of the knowledge of belly dancing that I have accumulated over these years with you.

With any exercise it's important that you consult your doctor first and check that you are physically able to do this, and the other thing is that any of these movements when you are doing them nothing should really hit, and should feel good. If something is hitting then it means you are doing it wrong.

The other thing I want to emphasize is there is no substitute for a good teacher or a coach and in this country there are many wonderful teachers and coaches and I want to urge you to go out and find someone who can help you and critique you and check that you are doing the dance movements correctly.

Belly dance is a wonderful ancient art form that's been going on for many centuries, and been passed through many generations and it's a wonderful way of keeping fit, keeping your mind healthy. Belly dance is all about isolating different parts of your body and expressing yourself through movement.