In a fitness studio in Saudi Arabia, dozens of women sway to Arabic music as they practise belly dancing -- an activity that many feel compelled to keep secret.

Despite their enthusiasm, none of them would give their real name or show their faces on camera, underlining the stigma and cultural prejudices surrounding the ancient dance.

In Arab communities, belly dancing has played many roles. It is a form of artistic expression, popular entertainment and a staple of classic Egyptian cinema.

More recently, many women around the world have taken it up as a group fitness routine and form of empowering self-expression.

But in Saudi Arabia, even closed-door all-female sessions remain taboo.

"We're a conservative society," one participant said. "Belly dancing is seen as something sexy, and no family or husband would accept that men see you like that."

It took AFP months to gain access to the class in Riyadh, a fiercely private affair where identities were strictly guarded.

Most of the participants said they feared how........

© Al Monitor