"Bellydancing? Isn't that like stripping?" The association between bellydance and stripping comes from the fact that in 1893 Algerian dancers (who did not bare their midriff) performed at the World's Fair with a flexibility that was shocking to Victorian America whose women walked stiffly around in corsets. It was so scandalous that vaudeville owners added "hoochy koochy" dancers to their shows, cashing in on the scandal. These dancers were rarely, if ever, from the Middle East or knew anything of the dance form. As America grew more liberal the dancers had to go farther to shock in order to pull in the crowds. This was the birth of the modern burlesque dancer or stripper, being called "burlesque" dancers because they were a main inclusion in burlesque variety shows.

"Will it help me loose weight?" Like any form of exercise it depends on how often you do it. One class a week might help you get a bit more tone in your muscles but it won't help you burn many calories. If you practice often during the week you will not only burn more calories but you will be way more prepared for class next week too!

"I have never taken any form of dance before, I am worried that I will not be able to catch on?" Ziah has been teaching full time since 1998. During that time hundreds of women have passed through her door, some have taken bellydance for only a short while and think of it as nothing more than a fun exercise class they once took, others have pursued bellydance as a life long career and are touring on national stages. Very few of them had ever studied bellydance before. You will probably find yourself somewhere in the middle, pleasantly surprised by its exercise value, by the joy you find in the music and the friends you have in class and may even want to take it further, staying on into the Intermediate and Advanced classes. Don't worry that you are going to feel awkward in class, you are there with a whole room full of people that are going through the same thing as you.

"I have been studying bellydance for awhile, which class should I start with now that I am studying with Awalim?" Awalim uses a certain language when teaching dance in order to have a cohesiveness when creating group dances. Intermediate and Advanced classes go a bit like this "Starting with left foor on one, do an Arabic 2, a Fish and then end with an Egyptian grapevine. Start with Egyptian style arms down and end in Tribal Gate." Basics class is where we teach this language.

"Wasn't bellydancing used as a dance of seduction? I want to learn to dance for my husband." In the Middle East, women mostly dance for other women--for their friends, neighbors, aunts, mothers, and cousins. They use it to celebrate happy family occasions such as weddings and even today in some parts of the Middle East the men's celebrations are in a separate room from those of the women. If you are just learning this to entertain your husband he will actually get more out of it by the fact you are in a good mood when you come home from class, that you are feeling more fit and more self confident.

"I want to dance like a gypsy under the stars!" Life was very hard for the Roma (the name many Gypsies prefer that people use for their race). Gypsies endured many hardships, and even today in Europe the homes of Gypsies are burned down and Gypsies are driven out of communities while the local authorities either help with the persecution or look the other way. If Gypsies camped out under the stars, it was often due to being driven from their homes or having to travel to find seasonal work. There is no romance in such a hard life. Yes they enjoy music and dance, but there is a culture that doesn't.

"What is your day job?" This is Ziah's day job, she is the agent, costumer and director for a full professional dance company, teaches 5 weekly classes and performs and teaches around the Southeast and greater US at workshops most weekends. She spends her week teaching, rehearsing, performing, typing, sewing, making phone calls, returning e-mails, updating the web site and handouts, networking, writing articles, etc... It is more than a full time job :-)