Belly dance performance!

Katie D.

June 20, 2010 - 8:40 PM

This afternoon I had the very special privilege of witnessing two of my best friends performing belly dance with a group of local belly dance professionals and student groups. Leah and Maddy have been belly dancing with Lindsey Tandingan since January. Lindsay also teaches our Zumba dance classes.

Their performance was incredible. I took video of their two songs of American Tribal Style belly dance, which is a group-based dance that is not choreographed-the leader of the group decides the moves as the song plays.

Please see the two videos of their performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Zu95ro3c0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-nrFFgsoBI&feature=channel

The style is described on the website of the dance company that trained Lindsey, Fat Chance Belly Dance. They write:

"Tribal Style Bellydance is both a celebration of the female spirit and a physical display of the strength and beauty of women. It's roots can be traced back to the rituals of past matriarchal cultures and to the secular entertainments evolved as the gypsies traveled through India, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain.

What distinguishes Tribal from other styles of bellydance is the way in which steps, movements, gestures, even costume, are redesigned to suit the common denominator of a group dancing together. The music is selected for it's clarity, the steps for their universal application and yet, whether performed as choreography or improvisation the result is one of simple elegance and rhythmic style."

I wanted to share these links for several reasons. The first is that these are two of my best friends, and I was incredibly impressed by their dance skills and poise on stage. They've come a long way in a few months, and have really enjoyed the experience of learning basic belly dance. But beyond the desire to show off my friends' talents, I also wanted to celebrate the event itself. Who would have thought there were so many belly dancers in Eugene? I watched more than thirty women perform various styles and ability levels of belly dance today. It was incredible to watch as women of all ages performed beautifully, either in groups or as solo acts, to the group of invited friends and family. I loved the costumes and the music, the cultural blurbs announced to the audience, and the vibe in the theater. We were all so excited to be there, so proud of the dancers, so taken in by the way they moved.

My roommate says she's starting lessons right away. I'm considering it myself. I'd love to be able to move that way on stage, with the grace and courage that Maddy and Leah showed-the confidence and control over their bodies. And I want to go see more dance performances, use the time this summer to explore the parts of Eugene I sometimes forget when mired in course requirements. This is an incredible community of activists, neighbors, artists, and dancers. It's a fabulous place to be a member of an audience. A place to sit back and notice what's happening, and how lucky we are to share this beautiful place.

A cheer for Maddy and Leah on their first belly dancing performance. May it be the first of many successes. And a reminder to us all to step out and do something new, whether that be as a bedecked dancer on the stage, or as a member of an admiring audience.