You are about to embark on a fabulous, exotic journey. Your guides along this path are movement and music that have been shared among dancing women and men throughout time and across continents.

The purposes of belly dancing are as varied as the women that practice it. Certain forms have been used in ritual or temple dancing, for child birthing practice, community celebrations, intimate celebrations of women in seclusion, for public entertainments, to build a stronger physical body, to explore feminine artistic expression, for the sheer joy of moving through space to ancient rhythms.

Contemporary American Belly Dance is a hybrid of Egyptian, Turkish, Arabic, North African, even Flamenco, Polynesian and East Asian dance forms. Ours is a "global village" and we are free to gather to us the forms we find most pleasing. We make up our own moves. This is a great strength of American belly dance.

Despite American cultural bias, there is no ideal age or body type for belly dance. Life experiences (both joy and sorrow) add depth and soul to movement. We combine in our dance training for posture, body strength, balance, grace in movement, brilliant costuming, and the fun and fellowship of our sister dancers.

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• While visiting Cairo, Egypt, Melinda fell in love with the Art of Middle Eastern Dance.  Taking her first lessons there, in the Egyptian Cabaret style, she still remembers the thrill of her first shimmy!  Over the years, she has studied both Cabaret and Tribal Styles of dancing.  Aziza, along with Jillina, Rachel Brice, and Sonya of the Bellydance Superstars have influenced her the most. 

• Melinda teaches her classes with a mixture of Egyptian Cabaret, American Bellydance, American Tribal Bellydance, East Indian, Turkish, & Greek Folk dances, to give a unique blend of styles that she calls "American Tribaret". 

• Students of any level of fitness or Bellydance (aka "Middle Eastern Dance", "Raqs Sharqi", and "Oriental Dance) background can learn with her simple but effective way of teaching! 

• Private & Semi-Private Lessons available, too! 

• Bellydance Parties for women only. (Sorry Guys!)  Great idea for Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, Teen Parties, Sweet Sixteen Parties, and Bacherlorette Parties!  Includes performance by Melinda and 30-45 minutes of Bellydance instruction.  Please email for Party pricing.  info@bluekarmastudio.com