Articles

Learning to live in a body that's a year older than it was last year primarily means eating less and exercising more. No surprise there, right? Since I like chocolate and don't intend to give it up, I have to keep moving in order to keep it from sticking. The umm... bottom... line with diet is that we can eat whatever we want to carry around, as in "You are what you eat." The bottom line with exercise is that the common American ifestyle doesn't support it -- it in fact actively thwarts a healthful lifestyle. So in order to stay healthy, we must intentionally take on being and doing good health. Intentionality includes having it be fun, because if it isn't fun, we won't stay with it. I've come to believe that fun is sacred, and seeing that in print makes me wonder why I haven't always believed that.

Some troupes require their members to have an additional form of exercise, which is worth considering. You might find something almost as enjoyable as bellydance! So try other activities, even those you may have tried before. Bellydance is certainly a pleasure, and it's for everybody. Every Body. I've heard it called an entry-level dance, because anyone can do it. It's based on folkdance and as such is accessible to everybody. Every Body.

Bellydance is not about performing, great fun though it is for some of us. Bellydance is about people enjoying each other's company and dancing for the love of the dance. Sometimes that leads to performance as a means of sharing something wonderful: Belly Revelations members have performed in various venues -- libraries and bookstores, formal stages, restaurants, the Lebanese Festival, the Festival for the Eno, bridal & baby showers and other family parties. The performance is a means of bringing joy and connectedness to the audience, and often ends by being a teaching/learning opportunity.

One of the other things that keeps bellydance pleasurable is being responsible for our own bodies, minds, and spirits. There's nothing inherently dangerous about folkdance or belydance, and being intentional about it keeps us safe and joyful. Critically important parts of bellydance, or any exercise, are everyday stance and sitting posture, as well as "Warm-Ups & Cool-Downs," a subtle hint there.

How are you sitting now? Believe it or not, this affects your dance and vice versa. We didn't evolve to sit at a desk all day, but here we are. Stand up and practice your best bellydance stance (feet firmly planted on Mother Earth, knees soft, hips tucked, abs lifted, shoulders rolled back, ribs lifted, head level, heart and eyes smiling). Then as you sit again, be mindful of that. Every time you think of it, stand and practice intentionally, then sit intentionally, in your flexible, lifted body.

My favorite part of teaching is watching women who may dislike their bodies find that their bodies are just fine the way they are, that they are beautiful and they function just exactly the way a feminine body should. It's the "aha!" moment that every teacher lives for.

So keep this in mind:
You are the Queen of the World and the Empress of Everything.
You have a lot to offer the world and it needs your flexible, loving, vibrant energy.

Bellydance is blossoming, and blossoming profusely, here in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and several other towns). There are many teachers now, but when I arrived in this area six years ago, they were few and far between. What is warmly wonderful about our area is the sense of community. We are very fortunate to be a well-connected and affectionate community of women. (Mostly women so far, guys, but your time is coming.) We use our complementary skills and talents, both individually and as troupes, to make a space for the influx of newcomers as well as for each other.

We support each others' efforts in a sisterly manner by attending classes, workshops, and performances as often as possible. We refer our students to each other, particularly when another's area of expertise is requested. We let our students know that the more teachers you can learn from, the better your dance will be. It is the same as in any area of life -- knowledge is power.

In the short history of our troupe, Belly Revelations, we have presented three weekend workshops and a one-day workshop featuring Aneena, Kajira Djoumahna, Donna Thornberry & Asim. We are now working on our Fourth Annual Early Spring Workshop and Performance for February 22-23, 2003, featuring internationally recognized Amaya of New Mexico. [http://www.BellyRevelations.com for information]

Belly Revs' first paying gig was at the opening of a new art gallery. Fortunately for us it was summer, because the gallery was very open: no floor, as in dirt and construction debris; no windows, as in reaching out to shake hands; and no roof, as in open to the heavens. It was hot, too -- North Carolina August hot. But, hey, it was exposure (to the elements, anyway). Since then we've danced at parties, festivals, wedding receptions and showers, and two book-signing events for Snake Hips. I even danced at the pre-ordination party for a new minister!

Our regular monthly presence is at Silk Road Tea House in Chapel Hill, which is a bellydancer's dream -- a laid-back non-yuppy ambience, friends and bellydance groupies, good food and drink. We just celebrated our third anniversary dancing there and despite the fact that we work for tips, we love it. Silk Road is an exception to many rules, and waiving our standard fee is one of those exceptions. In every other case, we either dance for love (charities and some festivals) or we charge the going rate in our community. At Silk Road, we pass the basket after each set, which is part of the fun and performance, then we invite the audience to dance with us. That's great fun as well as a wonderful way to introduce hesitant people to the dance.

I teach at the YWCA in Raleigh. I didn't know when I asked to teach there that the mission of the YWCA is "the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism by any means necessary." It was one of those "ding!" moments when an angel presents you with an opportunity and you are actually paying attention. Bellydance is my means, and it is necessary . My sentiment about bellydance is that it is the perfect vehicle for encouraging an aura of "strong women in community," as well as a respect for other cultures, most especially for the Rom (Gypsy) people who are primarily responsible for spreading this art form world wide.

My original teacher, Betsy Bickel, offered bellydance to us as a means of empowerment, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to pass it along to an ever-widening circle of women (and by March 22, 2003, men also). I teach only beginners, as I see myself as doing outreach into the community. One of my students explained:

I just need to share with you a couple of things that I got out of the experience. First off, I found that I LOVE this dance and all of the components of it, the music, the dance, the rhythm, the spirit; and a big part was being with a group of women sharing our talents, our spirit, and our beauty with each other. And finally, one thing that I really got out of this experience was a sense of a comfort with who I am and with my body. I was never really comfortable with myself, especially my body and outward appearance. But this experience gave me a sense of pride or satisfaction of who I am inside and out, which has certainly been a long-term struggle. Thank you for EVERYTHING, I am so glad that I got to know you and share dancing with you and learn from you!

Having spent nearly 20 years teaching middle school, I can safely say that getting a thank you like that is the reason that teachers of any subject get out of bed in the morning.

Blue Moon Belly Dance is our newest troupe, and has already made a name for itself as our local authority on World Fusion Tribal. They are much in demand for their distinctive classes and workshops. They presented their first hafla last October and received rave reviews for atmosphere, quality of performance (both dancers and musicians), and just plain fun.

A few months ago, Blue Moon asked us -- us, not the management of Silk Road Tea House -- about the possibility of their dancing at Silk Road. How sisterly can you be? We set up an evening in which Belly Revelations danced one set and Blue Moon danced the second set. They were very well received and it was rockin' good fun, leading to a bi-monthly performance of their own. Meet them at their website ~ http://www.bluemoonbellydance.com

Moondulations is a Raleigh group, also lucky enough to have musicians, who meet to dance "just for fun." They are the essence of earth mother-ness and captivate their viewers with their joyful expression of connectedness with each other, with their musicians, and with their audience.

Orientale Expressions is a troupe with a long and colorful presence in the Triangle. Among them, they know a few dozen styles and can perform, fully costumed, in any of those styles at the drop of a hat, or veil, or just about any conceivable prop. They are also well known for their light-hearted and occasionally very humorous use of bellydance when it's "just us dancers." They are at http://www.Orientaleexpressions.com

Shahzaadee, of Colorful Waves Bazaar and Eternal Oasis dance troupe, has been in the Triangle for only a few years, but she is respected for her depth of knowledge of many international dance styles. She is the owner of Colorful Waves and brings us many lovely wares from Turkey, among other places. Gozde is the other half of Eternal Oasis, and together they present beautifully artistic renditions of their own choreography, both here in the Triangle and in the larger bellydance community as well. Write to Shahzaadee at shahzaadee@yahoo.com

Aziza Fadwa is another longstanding (or dancing) presence in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Also a teacher and performer of many styles, Aziza recently established a new troupe, Flowers of the Desert, of which she is the director and choreographer. Visit her at http://azizafadwa.com

There are student troupelets now and then, too, who come to haflas and surprise us with the choreography they've been working on. They are another part of the community spirit very much in evidence here, a spirit which adds dimension to an art form already conducive to community building.

Each dancer and troupe has found a way to add to our savory stew without losing individual identities or being locked into any particular way of being. It is an exciting time to be part of the bellydance community, and the Triangle area of North Carolina is a particularly magical place to be a part of it. If you'd like to know more about us, write to me at qadria@mindspring.com or visit our website (click on " Qadria's site" for my student-oriented website). Belly Rev troupe sister Haala is webmistress of http://www.ncbellydance.org, which posts listings for the Triangle and also for most of North Carolina. We're well connected, and we invite you to connect with us, too. Namaste.

Belly dancing a great exercise for all levels

BY AL CARSON : The Herald-Sun
acarson@heraldsun.com
Oct 19, 2004 : 9:37 am ET
DURHAM -- As patrons of Blue Mountain Catering Co. stop in for lunch Tuesdays, most have little idea what's happening just a few feet away.

But as downtown workers munch on sandwiches, a woman has quietly slipped into Wellness Partners in the Arts next door on West Main Street. Middle Eastern music soon flows from a small boom box, and a group of women begin gyrating behind windows covered in opaque paper.

Linda Stratford, wife of a senior software engineer, enjoys gardening and sailing on Kerr Lake. But her alter ego, Qadria, pursues a more exotic pastime: belly dancing. She has been dancing for seven years and teaching the past five. This lunchtime class is one of six she offers.

"This is a second career," she said and giggled. "It's not middle school math." That's for sure. "I don't do that any more," she said. "I loved it when I was doing it.

"Now, teaching belly dance is like what they say about being a grandparent. If I had known it was this much fun I would have done this first. But I couldn't have done this without all those years of teaching. It wouldn't be the same."

Stratford was facing empty nest syndrome when she turned to dance. Her children had grown up and she suddenly had time to do all the things she'd always wanted to do. "The first person I came across was a belly dance teacher and I thought what everybody thought, but ..." she broke into laughter.

Belly buttons
Belly dancing does not hold true to stereotypes. The whole idea of skimpy costumes and lots of skin is a Western interpretation. A bejeweled belly button is a Las Vegas incarnation. In reality, belly dancing can be a social event, recreation and/or exercise, said Stratford, who explained her alias, Qadria, as being a harmless affectation. "Some people pick a name and some people like the name they are born with," she said with a sweet smile. "Qadria is my husband's niece."

As for the dancing itself, "Belly dancing is an American expression," she said. "They just call it dance in the Middle East," where everyone dances -- men, women and children."

Barbara Cole of Durham was one of the noontime dancers at Wellness Partners. "I always liked dancing and belly dancing was one where I didn't need a partner," she said with a laugh. "And I like the Middle Eastern music." While the lunchtime class was planned as an introduction for beginners, Cole has been around belly dancing for nearly 30 years, first experimenting with other kinds of dance in New York and then coming back to it through the '80s and '90s. Sometimes Cole dresses for the lunchtime class, and sometimes she just puts a hip belt on over her regular clothes. "People come dressed any way," she said. "Lots of people like to dress up like they are going to perform. Me, I can dance in my jeans or bicycle shorts or whatever."

The classes are open to folks who just want to socialize and get some exercise, or those who want to go whole hog and deck themselves out in all the regalia. "I think of it as a gentle, low impact exercise," Cole said. "Someone who likes yoga, and I do, would like it." When she finishes a class, Cole is relaxed and feels flexible. "Oh, it feels good," said Cole, who also walks for exercise and plans to start water aerobics when her daughter begins swimming lessons. "I think it is a good exercise for anybody at any level," she said. "You can put in as much as you want or as little as you want and still enjoy it. I think it is a wonderful outlet for people."

Good for pregnancy
Belly dancing is also a good activity for pregnant women, Cole said. "I was dancing when I was pregnant," she said. "It massages the belly."

Heather Russell of Cary, assistant director at Wellness Partners, is seven months pregnant, so she really puts her belly in the dance. She was working at SAS about four years ago when she was introduced to belly dancing at the gym and work. "I have a belly dancing during pregnancy videotape, and it says the babies love the circular hip movements," said Russell, who plans to dance "up until, and during, labor." The videotape talks about movements to use during labor, to help it on. "They speculate that belly dance originated as a preparation for childbirth, because traditionally it is only done at women's parties, for women," said Russell, who was instrumental in Qadria coming to teach at WPA.

The class starts with warm-up exercises to loosen the arms and shoulders, then the hands and fingers. Students begin gently moving the hips left and right, then flexing the knees. Laughter fills the room as the tempo increases, diaphanous skirts flowing. The dancers wear coin hip scarves, which shake and rattle as hips are rolled. The hip scarves evolved from attire made with real gold coins, Stratford said. "In the old country, women would wear the family wealth," she explained.

Free parking
The idea for the class was to have people who work nearby come take it, but there is also free one-hour parking on the street. The Wellness Partners studio is about 25 feet wide and 60-plus feet deep, with plenty of room for movement. It has a typical dance studio feel, without the mirrored walls and barres. There are pillows on tables and a rack with pamphlets on yoga and belly dancing.

"We call this an entry-level dance, because it is based on folk dance and everyone can do it," said Stratford, a member of Belly Revelations, a troupe of five members that performs at rest homes and nursing homes. "There is something for everybody," she said. "In the Triangle there is a little girl troupe and there are older people, too. I've actually taught people in wheelchairs. As long as you have some functioning body parts you can participate on some level.

"It's just for fun," she said. "It's fun for me and that's the way I teach it."

Stratford would like more beginners to take classes. A six-class package costs $60 and missed classes can be rescheduled. For more information, call Belly Revelations at 786-9895 or Wellness Partners at 680-2562.

http://www.herald-sun.com/features/ ~~~~~~ http://www.herald-sun.com/features/54-534576.html

There are people who find their dance calling at a young age, starting with the typical tap, ballet and jazz classes, eventually discovering Middle Eastern dance as part of a natural progression in their art. There are others who stumble onto Middle Eastern dance as it were through a variety of circumstances, perhaps as a way to get more physically fit or in tune with their own bodies. Then there are others who almost seem to be led by divine intervention to this delightful art form. Qadria of Belly Revelations is one of these truly fortunate people, and her self-proclaimed “dance priestess” was Betsy Bickel. Through the introduction of an old and mutual friend, Betsy became Qadria’s “hero- my inspiration. (Betsy was) an empowering woman (who) changed my life dramatically.” The heretofore Linda Stratford discovered Middle Eastern dance and her newfound persona at the age of 47, becoming Qadria, and serving as an inspiration for women of all ages. As she so emphatically states, “You are not too old to belly dance. I don’t want to hear about it!”

It wasn’t long before Qadria started to perform and teach, sharing her love of the dance with the community at large. Teaching was a natural extension of the 20 years she spent as a middle school math and social studies teacher, while performing allowed her to showcase her innately outgoing and playful personality to its best. Qadria loves to have fun in whatever endeavor she pursues. As she says so succinctly, “This is the way to live, folks!” But underneath the poise and playfulness lies the heart of a woman with a mission: to help women of all ages and sizes to develop a positive self-image, and to have belly dancing accepted as part of the mainstream dance community. As regards the latter, her “vision for Raleigh is that by the year 2005, readers of the Raleigh News and Observer will find belly dance listed between ballet and clogging in the publication’s Friday ‘What’s Up’ section.” And as regards the former, one of Qadria’s favorite teaching moments is when women become more comfortable in their own skin, letting go of societal notions of women’s beauty, and reveling in the power and grace of themselves and the dance, something she terms an “ah ha moment”.

Qadria believes strongly in her ability to “do it all” in life as well as in dance. About four years ago, she became a founding member of Belly Revelations, a troupe that allows plenty of room for solo expression as well. While Qadria feels that “belly dancing is supposed to be about the community of women.... (there is also) nothing wrong with a kick-ass solo.plenty of room for solos.” Among her many interests, Qadria choreographs and performs tribal, candle dancing, sword dancing, veil work, and cane dancing. Her “technical goal for the year 2002 is to masterlearn Turkish,” and to that end she has been personally invited by Artemis Mourat to participate in an invitation-only advanced level workshop. Along with the rest of Belly Revelations, Qadria has sponsored workshops by Aneena (twice) and Kajira Djoumahna, and has another planned for September 14, 2002 featuring Donna and Asim. She has also been invited to present a belly dance workshop for Arts Together on September 28, 2002. And next February 22 & 23, 2003, Amaya will be teaching a workshop in Raleigh. Additionally, Qadria teaches regular classes at the YWCA in Raleigh, culminating each series with the most relaxed, nurturing, and just plain fun student haflas around.

Despite her busy schedule, Qadria remains seemingly calm and collected regardless of the situation at hand. Part of this poise she attributes to her nature, but much of it she credits to a life-changing workshop she participated in several years ago- Landmark Education. This program involves attendance at a weekend retreat during which participants “make a quick break from the past, put a future out in front of themselves, and (then) live it.” It also involves an ongoing process of “recognizing the baggage from the past”, but consciously choosing to put it behind- “clearing space in your life... imagining and living endless possibilities... like cleaning out your attic”; in other words, taking what is serviceable and keeping it, but getting rid of the rest of the unnecessary clutter. Qadria attributes Landmark Education with giving her the tools with which to achieve the many goals she has since set forth for herself. “Without Landmark Education, I wouldn’t be here today, performing, teaching and networking for change” in the belly dance community and beyond.

Qadria chose her stage name for a variety of reasons, including the fact that “Q is a rare letter, it is the beginning of ‘questioning’, and because I am a Trekkie who loves (the character) Q!” It is fascinating how people’s dance names reveal so much about them; Qadria is no exception. She has a rare gift that combines questioning the status quo while reaching for the stars- both for herself and those around her. One of Qadria’s hallmark sayings is a quote borrowed from Gandhi, “We must be the change we wish to see.” **** Without a doubt, Qadria certainly lives that ideal to the fullest, enacting changes that make the world much better in the process. Qadria wants to do it all; one can only imagine the great changes she will make as she seeks to fulfill her dreams.

About the author: Sashi (aka Patti Beaman) is a member of Blue Moon Belly Dance, and lives in Apex with her wonderfully supportive and loving family: husband Brian, daughters Sara and Emily, and her dog Casey. Sashi has been studying belly dance for two years, but wishes it had been two decades instead.