The Dance the World series at the Egg in Albany has featured flamenco dancers and Celtic tap dancers. Troupes have come from Canada, Spain and the Netherlands to perform as part of the Egg’s mission to showcase dance forms from around the globe.
But one style of dance that has never taken center stage at the Egg is belly dancing.
Peter Lesser, the Egg’s executive director, said he’s wanted to include belly dancing in the lineup; he knows it’s popular locally, with at least 10 Capital District dance schools offering belly dancing classes.
The problem was finding a touring belly dancing group.
Enter the Bellydance Superstars. The group launched at the Lollapolooza music festival in 2003 as something of a lark, according to Lesser. But it proved so popular that the Bellydance Superstars are now touted as the only full-time, professional touring belly dancing troupe in the world.
They are THE belly dancing group, Lesser said.
Area residents will have a chance to check out the Bellydance Superstars themselves when the group comes to the Egg on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for children.
`Everyone should be exposed to belly dancing at least once in their life, and this would be the show to see,` said Beatriz Arencibia, who dances under the name Bozenka. `It’s an experience filled with color, expression and creativity.`
It’s also one with a long history. Belly dancing is thought to have originated in the Middle East hundreds of years ago, a mix of both strong and fluid movements. The Bellydance Superstars wear elaborate costumes, hairpieces and jewelry that harkens back to ancient times.
They see their craft as more than just a hobby or interest; it’s a way of life.
Arencibia, for example, has been belly dancing for a decade. She has her own `belly dance academy` in Miami Beach and says she belly dances `24/7.` It’s the form of dance she’s most comfortable with and one that she feels `defines` her.
Ansuya Monroe can relate. She learned to dance when she was just 4 from her mother, Jenaeni, who was a well-known dancer in Los Angeles and New York in the ’60s and ’70s. She said she’s `proud` to be a belly dancer — that the dance style `gives you a glimpse into the mysterious world of the Middle East on several levels.`
`One is by feasting your eyes on the elaborate and ornate costuming that combines jewelry, fabrics and make up from all over this diverse land,` Monroe said.
Belly dancing also lets the audience feel the emotions of people in the Mideast through their music — both their voices and their instruments, she said.
Belly dancers connect with that music, Monroe said, combining it with dance to `portray the drama, sensuality, conflict and joys of life.`
It’s something women have been doing for ages, Monroe said, and modern-day belly dancing is `an example of a bridge between cultures, uniting us through our common understanding and appreciation of feminine strength.`
It may sound a little New Age, but Lesser thinks the show will keep people’s interests even if they’re not quite as immersed in belly dancing. There will be a lot of modern music and energetic movement, he said.
Arencibia noted that one of the numbers involves `cane dancing,` which is just what it sounds like: dancing with canes. She has a solo and promised lots of spins and turns.“