Swaying hips, undulating tummies

by Neha Govil

Women of every shape and size gyrate to the sound of drum, flute and cymbal. Their hips sway and stomachs undulate as they move fluidly through the steps of an ancient social ritual.

Say belly dancing and the words “exotic” and “sexy” spring to mind. “You will wipe the floor at Harris. Mouths will drop when they see you move those hips” said Shannon Boyle ’05. “Not only is the dance exotic but the movements help you control you body more and become a better [overall] dancer.”

Emma Griffin ’03 first offered belly dancing as an ExCo class in 2001. There are now 48 students enrolled. At 10:30 p.m. on Monday Dec. 8, a dozen dancers from the group will perform at the Harris Ccenter.

Electra Allen-Tonar ’05.5 expressed hope for an enthusiastic audience. “Bring pillows and blankets,” she said, “It’s going to have a Persian theme.”

Molly Obsatz ‘05 provided insight into belly as a form of dance and its cultural aspects and said, “The reason why we’re performing on the floor instead of a stage is belly is an interactive dance. The entire community used to gather as a group and dance. It’s supposed to be loud and inclusive.” Obsatz said that during their recent performance at Bob’s, “The audience was so passive and respectful. When the audience makes noise, the dancers know they’re enjoying themselves. So it’s okay to make noise and be loud.”

The class is also designed to provide a creative and nurturing environment for the dancers. “I’m mostly a shy and quiet person— not at all an exhibitionist. But this class has given me the opportunity to create something artistic and different” said Obsatz.

“I thought that I’d be too shy,” said Katie Kiskaddon ’05, “But I decided to try it anyway.”

Molly Riley ’06 added, “It’s all about the attitude.”

“It’s given me a chance to experiment and perform; it’s not at all intimidating” said Boyle.

Dancers admit that movements including hip shimmies and “figure eights” are favorites of theirs. “They make you feel sexy, no matter what your body type may be,” said Obsatz. Many dancers said they joined the class for precisely this reason.

The performance on Monday will involve a total of eight dances: two group, one duet and five solos. The first group dance is choreographed by Griffin, who is now a guest choreographer. The second is a veil dance that is choreographed by Allen-Tonar. The duet is choreographed jointly by Obsatz and Boyle. “It sort of has a story. It’s breaking the boundaries of traditional belly dancing which is normally very individual,” said Boyle.

“Shannon does modern and I do belly, so this is like a fusion of the two styles. It’s also a lot more emotional dance,” said Obsatz, adding, “You can belly dance to anything.” To demonstrate this, she will be performing a solo to DJ Rap. “Another solo to look out for is Electra’s which is slower with a nice drum beat,” said Obsatz, “It’s a beautiful dance.”

For more information on how to join this class (which will also be open next semester), contact Obsatz, Kiskaddon or Allen -Tonar.