Belly dancing offers freedom of expression

By Debby Abe

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

Nearly all wore a hip scarf embellished with coin-shaped metal pieces that flashed and jingled with their every move. Yet while a few donned jewel-colored skirts and long-sleeved tops, others favored comfy cotton pants and tank tops.

Wrong.

In ancient times, Arabic women danced with, and for, each other — not for public shows and not with men, a practice that continues in many Arabic countries, several Shahdaroba troupe members said.

Meanwhile, American performers typically combine movements, music and outfits from multiple Middle Eastern cultures. Anderson, for instance, choreographs numbers for Shahdaroba and her classes, using Middle Eastern music ranging from modern Egyptian pop to traditional Arabic music.

"There are certain universal steps that have been around forever, but you have great freedom to put together your own choreography," Anderson said. "It's not like ballet or folk dances with certain steps you have to do."

For Anderson, that's the attraction. "You have freedom of expression because you're dancing to what you hear in the music."

No one knows why it's called "belly dancing," but it's close to "beledi," an Arabic term for folk dancing. Anderson likes the theory that European travelers saw a dance and mistakenly thought they heard people saying "belly" dance.

Troupe dancers stress their performances are family friendly, with no lewd moves or bare midriffs allowed. Some costumes give the illusion of skin through flesh-colored "power net" covering tummies.

It also has health benefits.

Chiropractors sometimes advise patients to take up belly dance. It's a low-impact activity that improves posture. Moves are performed with bent knees, and take pressure off the lower back, Anderson said.

The pre-dance Jensen wore a size 4X and weighed 300 pounds. Three years after starting Anderson's belly dance classes, plus changing her eating habits, the 5-foot-7 Jensen is a svelt 120 pounds.

"I've been through a lot of hell medically, physically, spiritually, financially. My marriage fell apart," the 42-year-old said. "When I had this, I had something to look forward to. The food wasn't my happiness. These ladies were my happiness."

Many dancers spoke of the camaraderie and joy of dance they share.

Their expressions were a study in concentration, as they listened to Anderson calling out the steps: "Five, six, seven, eight. Egyptian basic forward. And step, hip. Step, hip. ... Back, side, front, switch. Egyptian basic, back, and Suzie-Q, hip. Suzie-Q, stop."

Occasionally, someone flubbed up or bumped into another dancer. It was no big deal. They laughed and kept going.