As a dance that was created by women of color, is amenable to a wide diversity of bodies, and is often described by its disciples as "empowering" and "liberating" one would think that "belly dance" is ...

Sciatica drove Bettye Ames to belly dancing. Beset with back problems, and at the behest of a friend, the Dayton resident took up the ancient art 10 years ago to strengthen her abdominal muscles. The ...

SEQUIM — Laura Samperi-Ferdig has been studying belly dance since she was 8 and teaching since she was 16. “Belly dance is one of the oldest known art forms,” she said. “Its true name is Raks Sharki ...

Get those hips swinging, because Saturday, May 10, marks this year’s World Belly Dance Day. The website Days of the Year attributes World Belly Dance Day to the World Belly Dance Alliance, but other ...

CHICO — Devin “Kaira” McBain was still learning to walk when she started belly dancing in her mother’s footsteps. Now a mother and professional dancer and teacher herself, McBain is also a Belly Dance ...

Even in my wildest dreams I never thought that I'd shake my curves in public. Before that night, I’d only ever seen belly dancing in movies. In my wildest dreams I never thought I’d sign up to a class ...

There were no hand cymbals or sequined harem pants, and no Middle Eastern music was playing in the background. And yet the rhythmic, wavy movements of an Iraqi woman's abdominal wall muscles resembled ...

Raphael Simon here — Rafi, as you may remember me. We last saw each other in 1982 at a magnet school in Los Angeles, where I was your student. You were a terrific teacher, Mr. H — smart, witty, ...

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Dorothy Hannisian has always had a sense of adventure, riding motorcycles, snowmobiling, and traveling across the country. “Just live,” said Hannisian. “Don’t be afraid to live.” ...

When former East Texas congressman Charlie Wilson approached Carol Shannon about performing a belly dance for Field Marshal Mohammed Abu Ghazala, the defense minister of Egypt, she had no idea of the ...