Belly Types

Athletic
This type of belly has a lot of muscle definition. It is very firm and the abdominal muscles are very clearly defined (what is generally called a six pack). This belly type is not very common amongst belly dancers due to its firmness which restricts the motion of the belly.

Example: Viktoria

Flat
As the name suggest the belly is flat from the side and has little to no muscular definition. This belly type is accompanied by smooth, tight skin (altho looser than an athletic belly). This belly is generally associated with being healthy to underweight in some cases. This belly is good for belly dancing as it allows dancers to have a lot of motion in the belly, without compromising the hips and waist. Hence many belly dancers have this belly.

Example:

Toned
This belly type is pretty similar to a flat belly, except there is more muscular definition and hence the belly sticks out a little. There is still little to no fat associated with this belly. Many belly dancers share this belly as it is very good for belly motions as the muscle work can be clearly seen but is not overdone by excess muscle, allowing a more fluid motionExample:

Average
This type of belly has a slightly higher fat content and hence it sticks out a little from the side, there is a little bit of a bulge. However this belly type is firm and has tight skin, allowing for a very smooth skin that makes the belly look extremely attractive. This is also relatively common amounts belly dancers and is in the middle ground, so any type of belly moves can be done with this type of belly.

Example:

Loose
This belly type is the same as average but with a very slight increase in belly fat. However a loose belly has this fat distributed very evenly and hence has a flat appearance while resting but is very loose and very fluid while dancing. This fluidity makes moves like belly rolls, flutters and shimmies appear much more amazing, as the belly tends to jiggle a lot but can still be controlled to be firm and flat at times, with that said it has become the optimal belly type for belly dancing. This belly type is not as common as the rest but is still fairly common amongst professional dancers.

Example:

Chubby (Rounded)
This belly type has a quite high fat content and hence sticks out a lot, forming what is called a muffin top. This type of belly actually has 2 forms, 1st it is very loose and baggy, and very fluid. 2nd is that it can be very smooth and plump but still fluid enough. Historically this would have been the optimal standard for belly dancing in places like the middle east and Egypt. It is still a very good belly to have and makes shimmies look amazing but at the same time takes away from belly rolls and such. Many dancers still share this type of belly.

Example: