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Belly Dancing Sites

BELLY DANCING DATES BACK TO PRE-BIBLICAL TIMES, WHEN IT WAS performed as a fertility cult. In ancient Arab tribes, midwives assisted women in labor by dancing around them, rolling their stomachs to imitate the contraction of the uterus. It was also performed as entertainment throughout the Orient by and for women who stayed home while their husbands were out. In addition to being a great physical workout, modern belly dancing is a way to bond with other women and get in touch with your earthy self.

Belly dance communities can be found in every corner of the United States. Performances are generally participatory events: when a dancer does a sensual move, join the crowd in making a snakelike noise, “Sssssss.” A complicated move, meanwhile, should be cheered with a hearty (Greek), “Opa!” When she takes her final bow, let out a zaghareet—pressing your hand against your upper lip, cry out “yalalalalalalalalah!” Most shows culminate in an open dance. If you feel inhibited, down a glass of wine (the best hip lubricant around!) before kicking off your shoes and joining in.

The following are dance communities of note:

• The belly dancing capital of the Southwest—Austin, Texas—features shows nearly every night of the week; check in with the Austin Belly Dance Association for the schedule. (Note: a performance by Z-Helene is not to be missed!) If in town on a full moon, call Lucila Dance Productions and ask if she’s hosting a Hafla that night. Held outside of her studio in the heart of Texas Hill Country, Lucila’s Haflas are an eclectic gathering of dancers and drummers who snack on hummus and grape leaves as they dance barefoot beneath the moon and stars.

• San Francisco, California is home to Fat Chance Belly Dance, one of the most renowned tribal dance troupes in the country. Take a class and load up on their instructional videos, booklets, CDs, costumes, and accessories at their studio and resource center at 670 South Van Ness Avenue.

• With its vibrant Middle Eastern and artistic and dance communities, New York City offers myriad performances, seminars, and events. Take a class with legendary teacher and scholar, Morocco, of the Casbah Dance Experience, or tribal specialist, Sarah Johansson Locke, of Alchemy Performance. Then catch a show by Kaeshi and Amar Gamal of Belly Queen.

• For complicated social and economic reasons, it is difficult to find quality shows or teachers in the birthplace of the dance, the Middle East, on your own nowadays. In Istanbul, Turkey, the Orient House at Tiyatro Caddesi 27 near the Grand Bazaar hosts a good—albeit touristy—show. Your best bet is joining Morocco of New York City on one of her dancing tours to the Middle East.

RECOMMENDED READING

Belly Dancing: The Sensual Art of Energy and Spirit by Pina Colucia, Anette Paffratha, and Jean Pütz