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Oriental dance offers exercise, fun
By Shannon H. Dalton
On Tuesday afternoons, a small group of women of all shapes and sizes, all ages and walks of life, gathers at the Center Street Arts building to laugh, talk, and dance together.
Sounds of rhythmic Middle Eastern music fill the small dance studio as the women practice traditional Oriental dance steps, each one a precise movement based on bits and pieces of Middle Eastern folklore.
Not everyone is good at the dance steps--some stumble over more complicated foot movements, some stop to laugh at their attempts to perfect hip movements.
But the dancers at Center Street Arts are not there to be perfect. They come to exercise, learn new skills, and enjoy themselves.
Oriental dance, often called belly dancing in the U.S., is a social dance meant for everyone--men and women--from beginners to experts.
It is traditionally performed by groups of dancers at weddings, parties, and other celebrations, says instructor Iara Kendrick.
"It is definitely for everyone," said Kendrick. "I have dancers in my classes from age 10 to 73. Many of my friends have continued to dance into their 80s."
Oriental dance is a way to stay healthy and feel young, she said.
"Unlike other dance forms that restrict age, body type, gender, and other factors, Oriental dance allows anyone to participate and enjoy it at various levels f commitment and skills," said Kendrick.
Kendrick wants people to understand Oriental dancing as a form of cultural expression far from the tawdry images of belly dancers in old Hollywood movies.
Oriental dance is a broad term that includes folk dances from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Dancers often use props--swords, candles, water jugs, and musical instruments--to tell stories as they dance.
Kendrick spends hours each week teaching workshops to school children, nursing home and hospital patients, and teaching students in her classes that focus on the history of Oriental dance and demonstrate the actual dance steps.
In addition to classes at Center Street Arts, Kendrick teaches at New River Community College and recently started a class in Mount Airy, NC, with more than 30 students.
She is planning a workshop at Twin County Regional Healthcare's Wellness Center that will focus on stretching, muscle toning, and other health benefits of Oriental dance.
"From corporate banquets to nursing homes, I experience a great joy in sharing my love for this beautiful art," she said. "It's nice to go to the nursing homes and see the ladies, even in wheelchairs, take the veils and participate in dances. It's a wonderful way to maintain health and flexibility for the rest of their life."
Kendrick became interested in Oriental dance after listening to Middle Eastern music with her sister-in-law from Syria.
"Listening to the music was a source of inspiration," she said.
She was also looking for a new way to exercise and overcome her extreme shyness.
"I was so weak in personality, it was an uphill battle for me," she said. "The first time I tried to perform, I burst into tears and hid in the bathroom."
Learning not only the movements of Oriental dance, but also the history, has helped to make Kendrick stronger.
"I am no longer shy when it comes to speaking," she said. "Now I feel that everyone is their own person."
Kendrick says she understands that many people have a negative image of Oriental dance, but she hopes that will continue to change. "It's something families can even do together," she said. "Grandparents and grandchildren can dance together, mothers and daughters."
Three mother-daughter pairs have enrolled in the Mount Airy class.
Oriental dance, Kendrick says, "allows for grace and self-expression. You can express feelings of joy and sadness."
Kendrick's love of dance is contagious.
Even as students in her Tuesday night class struggle to learn a new routine, smiles replace looks of deep concentration as they listen to Kendrick talk about the music and the meaning of the dance steps. "It is a beautiful and healthy dance," said Kendrick. "Anyone should try it before saying they can't, or they don't like it."
This article originally appeared in the (Galax VA) Gazette, Monday/Tuesday February 25-26, 2002. Reprinted by permission of the author.
