Belly dance is a Western name coined for a style of dance developed in the Middle
East and other Arabic-influenced areas. In Arabic language it is known as Raqs
Sharqi or in Turkish as Oryantal dansi, translated as "Dance of the East".
For Europeans, this translation sounded perfectly fit, hence it was also known
as "Oriental dance", "Exotic oriental dance", "Oriental
belly dance" and the likes. The term "Raqs Sharqi" is claimed to
be originated in Egypt.
BELLY DANCING - The Art of Middle Eastern Dance Maureen Drury (a.k.a. The MahaReenie) is a Teacher and Performer of Raks Sharki, Middle Eastern Dance. She has studied dance styles from Egypt, North African (including Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco), Gypsy Roma, Turkey and Persia. Maureen also has a background in American Dance; such as Ballet, Jazz, Tap an d Modern. |
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"As an artist of the Dance and a visual artist, I am a firm believer in constantly fine tuning my base skills. From there I have the ability to move in any direction with confidence and I enjoy passing this along to my students", says Maureen. Once students gain confidence with their basic movements, they relax and feel themselves in the moment. This knowledge will help them to use Dance as a medium to let their full, beautiful personalities develop and shine. When asked why she is an artist, "like a bee to a flower, I just can't help myself." Classes Offered: Mondays On-Going 7-8 p.m. |