Southwestern Virginia Middle Eastern Dance Assocation Home Page

Southwestern Virginia Middle Eastern Dance Association

Home | Calendar | Links | Press Coverage | Find a Teacher : Roanoke / Blacksburg / Galax/Mt. Airy / Floyd / Central VA / WV

About Middle Eastern Dance or "Belly Dance"

"The 'belly' is as much a part of this dance as the feet, the arms, the head--you get the idea. Oriental Dance uses the whole body in the most controlled, fluid, beautiful way one can imagine. Since the abdominal area is the center of balance in the body it is a central point, not just in this dance but all the time. The abdomen is featured in undulations, but so are the arms, the hands and the whole torso. Those who embrace the term 'Belly Dance' as the legitimate name for this dance do so as way to honor the feminine power of giving life." -- Samra (Galax, VA)

"Belly Dancing facilitates an intimate connection for graceful movement, balance, poise, etc., which in turn facilitate enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence. Every Belly Dancer becomes a beautiful woman able to love her body. Age, figure, weight, ability, etc., become unimportant when learning the Joy of Belly Dancing." -- Amira (Roanoke, VA)

"Belly Dancing is a Middle Eastern style of dance for women that supports strength, rhythm, and coordination. It is a great way to exercise and have fun" -- Donna (Blacksburg, VA)

May our dance always be a bridge to understanding, a celebration of diversity, and an instrument of peace.--Laurel Victoria Gray

About Us

Southwestern Virginia Middle Eastern Dance Association is an informal group of students, teachers, and performers of Middle Eastern Dance (belly dance/raqs sharqi/raks sharki/Oriental Dance/Danse Orientale) and American Tribal Style Belly Dance in and around Southwestern Virginia. We are committed to supporting each other in a spirit of friendship and to sharing information to educate both dancers and the general public about Middle Eastern and American Tribal Style Belly Dance. Our purposes are:

To build community and promote Middle Eastern Dance and American Tribal Style locally and regionally.
To provide opportunities for networking, communication, and interaction, and developing unity among area Middle Eastern and American Tribal Style Dancers of all interest and skill levels.
To organize, sponsor, support, and promote Middle Eastern and American Tribal Style dance-related events such as classes, lectures, workshops, performances, and haflas in and around our area.
To encourage the development of venues for dancers to perform, teach, and share with the public the rich variety of ethnic and theatrical dances from the Middle East and surrounding regions.

Check out our calendar of local classes and events.

Click on the map below to find a teacher in Southwestern Virginia
Clickable image map; text links below

In addition to this website, we have an e-mail discussion group for local dancers to talk about dance-related subjects, announce events, etc.

| Link to this page.

This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit
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This RingSurf Mahaila's Belly Dancing Net Ring
owned by Southwestern Virginia Middle Eastern Dance Association.

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