NORTH BEND - A Middle Eastern art form takes center stage at the Mill Casino over the weekend, as dancers from all over the country compete for the title of top belly dancer.

From teenagers to 60-year-olds, more than 100 dancers of all levels took part in the 26th Annual Belly Dancer USA competition for a number of trophies and prizes.

Sponsored by Mezdulene and Mystical Oasis Dance Company, it featured nine different categories, including an alternative music category, which allowed dancers to get creative and branch out from
traditional music.

Started in 1983, the competition originated in the Bay Area as the Coos Bay Belly Dancer Classic and then become a national competition in 1993.

Owner Mezdulene says, they started it to showcase the various style of Middle Eastern dance and to allow their dancers to get feedback from professional judges.

She adds, it's typically held at Seven Feathers Casino, but this year, they decided to bring it back to Coos Bay.

At the end of the competition, a dancer named Sedona from Portland took the top honor of Belly Dancer USA 2008.