Khaleegy (dance)
Khaleegy' or Khaliji (from Arabic خليج) is a mixture of modern style and traditional folkloric dance from the Persian Gulf countries of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The name of the dance literally means "gulf" in Arabic and it is performed by women at weddings and other social events. Over time it gained popularity among belly dancers. This dance entails rows of women in close proximity to one another who move in a slow, shuffling fashion while rhythmically swaying their hair. Women's hips mainly remain stationary while performing this dance. The costume is an important aspect of this dance; it is associated mostly with colorful embroidered garments. Many regional variations of this dance are practised. Khaliji music, which accommodates the dance, has roots going back more than 1,000 years, to the Islamic period, under the Umayyads. Costume The traditional costume for khaleegy is composed of two pieces or dresses. The bottom or shift dress is molded to the figure and is made of a sturdier fabric than the top dress. It is usually not adorned or embroidered and when it is, the ornaments are very simple. The colors often contrast with the ones