Belly Dancing the New Marketing Trend

Miles Copeland is capitalizing on America's lust for the bare belly and a lust we don't even know we have yet - Arabic music. He has launched two troupes of Arabic-style belly dancers, Belly Dance Superstars and Desert Roses, and has, naturally, offered up the troupes for advertiser sponsorship. Motorola, Capezio and Estee Lauder jumped on board when the troupes appeared at Lollapalooza last Summer. The troupes will begin again this February with a 54-city tour along with a documentary. Copeland hopes interest gains momentum and would like the troupes to tour continuously saying, "It definitely has an exotic flavor, but it's not a girlie show. It's a lifestyle." Lust for bare bellys and undulating booty is, apparently, not the draw.