{ MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT }
FREE YOUR SPIRIT BELLY DANCE! BY ALANA CAHOON
Dubai was a beautiful land nestled along the rim of the Persian Gulf lined with sand & palm trees. Although there was a strict dress code to be adhered to when I lived there, many long & flowing silk-skirted women were seen walking to and from the souks. I was not one of them. Having just moved there from NYC as a singer/ songwriter/actress, wearing modest clothing was not my strong suit. That hidden reserve from Catholic School days was brought back into my wardrobe.
You can find it right here whether that’s Upstate NY or Upstate Nevada. Meet MARY MONROE, Queen Goddess of Belly Dance You may know Mary as the Multitalented musician, strumming her harp or singing sweet vocals with her partner and band on stage. Or you may have studied any of the following instruments with her: harp, guitar,
and bellydance to her musical stage performances with Nate & Mary’s World Music Quartet. Opportunities to teach began to show up effortlessly. “People in the audience would light up! Women were inspired to dance themselves. Three women approached me and asked if I would teach them.” That’s how it began. But her love for dance started much earlier in life. Mary’s first passion in life was not music but dance. She started ballet at the age of seven with the dream of becoming a ballerina some day. Eventually she shifted her focus to modern dance, then ballroom and latin dance, salsa being her favorite.
I did, however acquire a beautiful silk sari & choli top, the traditional clothing of India. The only time I’ve had the opportunity to wear it was at a halloween party! Similar to the Indian sari is the Arabic costume of the belly dancer. The bedia is a fitted top and belt both decorated in beads or sequins with a flowing skirt or harem pants. The fabric is often made of mesh or sheer material in every color of the rainbow. Belly Dance (Oriental Dance or Raqs Sharqi) or is an appreciated art form that visitors can admire at the many 5 star hotels and restaurants in Dubai. But wait! You don’t have to travel across the continent to experience the exotic beauty of not only the flowing garments but of the classic moves of the dance, and of course, the bellydancer herself. 386
ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : AUGUST EDITION 2021
“There are a few myths about bellydance. One is that it is a sexual dance. This myth needs to be
piano, ukulele, voice, violin.
debunked.”
Or you just may have learned how to bellydance from her.
Admittedly it appears sexual with strong and deliberate movements of the hips and torso. But sensual is a more accurate description.
Mary admits that bellydancing is a new form of art for her but one that the Universe has clearly guided her to lead. “During the pandemic I began to study bellydance online. I immersed myself in it. I loved the way it made me feel.” Once the world began to open up, Mary added a combination of salsa
“It is a kind of dance that tells a story between the drummer and the dancer. Often, you improv according to the rhythm.” “It’s such a spiritual form of dance. It’s freeing, not restrictive as compared to ballet.”
