La danse du ventre

I adore the French name for Raks.  "La danse du ventre".  The dance of the stomach.  Hmmm.  Sounds a lot better in French.

Yes folks, Raks Sharqui, La Danse Du Ventre, Middle Eastern Danse, Belly Dance ... one of my passions.

I was introduced to Belly Dance (Raks) by a dear friend who is also a retired martial artist and forester.  She had a back injury at work, and her physiotherapist suggested an 8 week belly dancing course as a form of rehab.  She fell in love, and eventually talked me into trying a seminar.  The rest is a very happy history.

One of the absolute best parties I ever went to was a  Lebanese-Hungarian wedding with a Jamaican DJ - good lord I danced all night.  Dancing with a crowd of Lebanese men (maybe all Middle Eastern Cultures, I don't have experience with any others) is an amazing, empowering experience.  I do not consider myself to be a particular skilled dancer.  But the men in this crowd appreciated your spirit, your joy in movement, and were very open about their appreciation.  Not in a demeaning way, or a way that made you feel like a sex object, but in a way that made it seem like they were honestly happy that you were happy.

Hmmm ... I think that needs follow up some day down the road ... being honestly happy for someone else who is happy, without comparing yourself to them ... another relationship goal?

Back to dance ...

What else do I love about belly dance?  A friend of mine, who is 5 inches shorter than me and a few pounds heavier, recently got turned down for a troupe because she is "too skinny".  She was sad about not getting a place, but is having a perfectly lovely time telling everyone that she was "too skinny".

In my short Raks career, I have met an incredible diversity of women (and some men) who dance.  In a studio you will see a number of people who, if passing on the street, might not have even stopped to give each other the time of day.  But the shared love for the art gives people a common ground, and a common communication, which breaks down barriers based on physical appearance, culture, and attitude.

I don't mean to make the Raks community seem like a uptopia; there is as much politics and crap here as anywhere else. 

There are any number of good resources on the internet on Raks, and I am not going to duplicate them here.  If you want to know more, I encourage you to do some reading, watch some videos on you tube, and try a class at your local community centre. 

One thing I hear a lot of about Raks is it is about "celebrating woman-ness and the inner goddess".  What about the outer goddess??  Doesn't she deserve a bit of celebrating too??  ;-)

And lastly, advice, for those of you that partake: do not dance while driving.

Shimmy responsibly.