Yareah Magazine

Zahara

How long have you been dancing? I have always danced from my earliest days with ballet and modern ballet, latin social dances such as Salsa, Bachata etc, and more recently Argentine Tango. I started belly dancing about 8 years ago and fell in love with it for the moves and the music.

-Why "belly dance" instead of a Western dance? The whole ethos surrounding Egyptian belly dancing fascinates me because it works on so many levels, the different dance styles, the music, the costumes, even the interaction with an audience. There is still a mystery that surrounds it whilst still being one of the oldest dance forms in the world.

-Which are the main difficulties to practise this kind of dance? It actually becomes harder the more you become interested in the dance. At first it might just seem like 'wiggling' about but on closer inspection it is a series of complex muscular moves that make the dance so beautiful and compelling. It is constant repetition that allows the body to become accustomed to the various moves.

-Can you tell us something about its origin and meaning? Belly dance is one of the oldest forms of dance and was not always called belly dance. Its original name is Raks Shaqi, quite literally Dance of the East. The name belly dance was coined by an American Sol Bloom who presented it at the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890's.

-Is it good for health? It is an excellent for health and fitness, for flexibility of joints and muscles, to help back pain etc. All the moves are gentle and allow the body to move and stretch whilst exercising the muscles and even massaging internal organs for digestion, lymph draining and circulation. It is even said that shimmying is the best way to get rid of cellulite!

-Do you know men who practice it? There are some very accomplished male dancers in the world of belly dance although in the UK almost all classes are for women.

-Which are the countries fonder on it? Belly dance has recently gained in popularity all over the world in Australia, Europe and especially America.

-Do you see some relationship between belly dance and flamenco? Belly dancing is starting to incorporate many different dance influences as its popularity spreads across the world. There is a style of belly dance
that incorporates floreos as hand and arm movements. Spanish influenced music is becoming more widely used too.

-What is your opinion about "One Thousand and One Nights"? The sense of oriental mystique that the book evokes is part of the enduring myths that surround belly dancing and other eastern forms of dance. It is a great story which has captured the imagination and inspired many other stories, books and films over the years.

	Zahara http://www.zaharabellydance.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Henrietta has danced from an early age but came to Egyptian Belly Dancing about 8 years ago. Having had a successful 20+ years working in the City in the financial world, she has now had a complete change of career as a dancer, performer and teacher of Belly Dance. This was not a conscious decision but evolved through her love of this beautiful dance form. Henrietta dances as Zahara when she performs in public.