By Vera Penêda

Each night at the end of her shift at a Xinjiang cuisine restaurant, Golebostan swaps her apron for a sparkling, sequined outfit and delicately applies dark eyeliner. As Arabian music plays in the background, the 25-year-old Uyghur woman swirls and shimmies to the rhythm. Her pulsating pelvic moves awe cheering diners at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Sanlitun, even if they aren't as warmly welcomed by conservative Muslims in her home of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

"When I belly-dance, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world," said Golebostan, who doesn't have a surname.

Belly-dancing boom

Allured by the sensual and exotic flair of belly-dancing, known in Chinese as dupiwu, a growing number of people in Beijing have signed up to learn the style of dance. Performances and competitions have boosted the popularity of the art form, along with the demand for belly-dancing teachers. Even men, pregnant women and toddlers are among those rolling up their tops to expose their midriffs and learn the sensual form of dance.

"Roll, roll," 29-year-old belly-dancing instructor Zhu Cheng commands, gesturing for students to place a hand over their stomachs to feel the vibrations. Rows of dancers, predominantly women clad in tank tops and cotton sweatpants, follow her instructions at a Dawanglu gym in the CBD.

"Lean the chest like this to the right to counterbalance the left hip," booms Zhu, as her waist belts packed with coins jingles to the sound of upbeat remixes of Arabian songs. Most of those learning to dance are in their 20s and 30s, gazing at their reflections in the mirror as they sway their hips.

"I first saw belly-dancing at my gym in 2007," said Zhu, who originally hails from East China's Shandong Province. "I was enchanted by the graceful moves, exotic music and passionate feel," added the instructor, who combines teaching belly-dancing at three different gyms with her day job as a travel agent.

Zhu teaches a couple of hours daily to classes of around 20 students, all of whom are Chinese. "More and more young women in Beijing are discovering that belly-dancing is a joyful way to keep fit and shape their body," said Zhu, explaining how it helps tone the arms, hips, buttocks and, naturally, the belly.

"It's also a great way to release stress and improve posture. Most of my students have a higher disposable income and are willing to try new things," she added, saying how the majority of her pupils were introduced to belly-dancing after seeing it on TV or hearing about it from friends.

A former ballet and modern dance student, Zhu honed her belly-dancing skills with Chinese instructors and at workshops run by Egyptian teachers visiting China. "Chinese teachers often combine belly-dancing with traditional Chinese dance moves because most Chinese women have slim body shapes," said Zhu, conceding that a slightly prominent belly is actually favorable.

Not just for women

Often considered a feminine art form, the dance of Eastern Mediterranean origin isn't exclusively for the fairer sex.

"More men have joined the studio to be trained as belly-dancing instructors," said Zhou Xinyu, 23, winner of Beijing's inaugural belly-dancing competition at Zeta Bar last year. "Last year, we had about seven male students among 20 females per class. Currently, there are 10 men per class. Many want to become instructors because it's easier than working a white-collar job."

Zhou, a professional belly-dancing instructor, teaches people aged between 6 and 50. "Belly-dancing requires practice, grace and attitude, but you don't need to have formal ballet training to learn it," she explained. "A man in his 40s entered the competition last year and he danced with more passion than some of the girls."

One of China's pelvic pioneers for male belly-dancing is 22-year-old Guo Wei, who took up the dance form a decade ago. The physical education graduate studied his craft in Egypt and today teaches over 5,000 eager students, even though around only 1 percent are male.

"I wanted to learn something different because nobody was doing it in China," he said. "Men have a different body structure and sense of movement. I teach the basics of belly-dancing that are the same for men and women, but there are male styles of the dance."

One of the biggest misconceptions is that men who belly-dance are gay, Guo pointed out. "This prejudice exists because, unlike girls, men aren't culturally educated to be graceful," he explained. "Most men prefer to devote their time to sports that will make them stronger and muscled, rather than gracious."

'Empowering' dance style

As a Muslim, Golebostan acknowledges she isn't able to perform in her oasis hometown of Hotan.

"It'd be impossible for me to perform to an audience in Xinjiang. People there believe that belly dancers are prostitutes," said Golebostan, who graduated from the University of Urumqi with a degree in traditional dance.

"My father is fine with the dancing, but he disapproves of the clothing. In Beijing, belly-dancing is a show. People come for the entertainment and beauty of the dance; they don't necessarily think dancers are sex workers," said Golebostan.

"The money comes in handy, but first and foremost I do it for the pure pleasure of dancing," she added.

Having attended last year's World Belly Dance Festival in Cairo, Egypt, Zhou is thankful she's based in Beijing.

"Although Egypt is the birthplace of belly-dancing, women are forbidden to perform in public places unless it's their job because of Islam's principles and tradition," she lamented, noting belly-dancing was actually "empowering" for women.

"Although China still lags behind Japan and South Korea in belly-dancing, Chinese people are diligent in learning and they appreciate it more as an artistic performance," Zhou said.

Founder and instructor at the China Belly Dance Academy, Wen Kexin, stresses "soul" and "spirit" are the most important attributes for people looking to get involved.

"Belly-dancing stands apart from other dance styles by using the torso more than the legs. It highlights bodily features and is liberating," said Wen. 

Chen Ya'nan and Wu Kameng contributed to this story