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Glite Dictionary
danse du ventre

danse du ventre

9.9
A Middle Eastern dance with hip and stomach movements
  • noun
  • /dɑːns duː ˈvɑːntrə/
translation icon : danza del vientre
  • During the festival, an instructor offered a workshop on danse du ventre techniques.

Examples

  • She learned the danse du ventre while traveling in Egypt.

  • The performance featured a traditional danse du ventre with colorful costumes and lively music.

  • She loves to perform danse du ventre at local festivals.

  • The danse du ventre showcases beautiful hip movements.

  • The audience was mesmerized as the dancer gracefully performed the danse du ventre at the festival.

  • She took lessons to master the danse du ventre, excited to showcase her new skills at the cultural event.

  • At the party, guests were invited to join in the danse du ventre to celebrate the vibrant traditions of the Middle East.

Synonyms

belly dancing
vsdanse du ventre
1 3.7

A dance from the Middle East where a dancer moves the hips and stomach in soft flowing movements

is the foreign language term referring to the same movement tradition
belly dance
vsdanse du ventre
3.4

A Middle Eastern dance with smooth hip and stomach movements

is the foreign language name for the same sensuous hip and abdomen performance

Surface Forms

danse du ventre singular
danses du ventre plural

Morphology

danse + du + ventre

The phrase literally combines 'danse' (dance) + 'du' (of the) + 'ventre' (belly), so the meaning 'dance of the belly' directly corresponds to 'belly dance'. This is a compositional, cross-linguistically common structure, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Danse du ventre literally means 'dance of the belly' in French, with danse meaning 'dance' and ventre meaning 'belly'. Travelers from Europe gave this name because the dance shows strong hip and stomach movements, so the phrase came to mean the Middle Eastern 'belly dance' we know today.