Fully-clothed men and women dancing, moving, flowing, and undulating their hips, chest, and arms in ancient movements to the rhythms of hand drums and rolling songs. Belly Dance. And no, “fully-clothed” wasn’t a typo. The dance form started in other cultures as a fully-clothed type of dance, said Neferet owner of Tara’s Grace in Topeka.

Although it may have started with covered stomachs and arms, the women and men who participate wear your typical exercise clothing, while Neferet, their instructor, wears a flowing pant and shirt set that does show her midriff. Inside the studio with hardwood floors and flowing curtains, everyone is full of smiles and confidence. One student, Sara Patry, has practiced other forms of dance over the years and realized there was a big difference between the two.

“I don’t feel as self-conscious here as I do in other classes,” said Patry.

Neferet makes sure every student learns the very basic moves and practices them regularly in order to protect their bodies. Once students have the foundation, they can take it to the level in a full expression of art and freedom, but even during an introductory class, students come away empowered. Tania Hickman of Topeka said of her first class, “It’s nothing like I expected. Here it’s so free and open.”

Belly dancing, like the backgrounds of those who participate, is wide and varied. It contains a sense of empowerment, celebration, culture, costuming, spirituality and artistic expression. It’s difficult to discuss belly dancing without delving into its rich history and the many contributing traditions that fuse together in the art form.

Researching the term “belly dance” brings up all sorts of information on birthing, fertility, and coming-of-age rituals, said Neferet.

“What we are not sure of is whether the belly dance came first or the rituals came first.”

But this is not only a dance for women.

“My group, Tara’s Grace, has two men and about five or six women,” said Neferet.

There are two main styles of belly dance, Tribal Style and American Cabaret Style. The style most of us think of when it comes to belly dance is American Cabaret Style, a derivative of the American film industry’s glamorized version of the dance.

A woman named Little Egypt, said Nefert, brought the dance to America and called it the Dance of the Orient. It was picked up by the film industry and that fantasy took hold and other cultures absorbed it back into their own.

“The costumes that we see now in other cultures, the two piece top and skirt set and the richly decorated belt and bra top, come from the American Film industry,” said Neferet.

“For tribal style,” she continued, “the movements are more geared toward dance for the self, it’s more grounded, it’s more earthy. The tribal style, in and of itself, deals more with organic materials. The costumes are made probably from more every day type of materials rather than Las Vegas costume materials.”

No matter what your preference for style, belly dance can offer a lot to the community and the individual.

“My personal push for belly dance is that it’s a healing dance,” said Neferet. “In our everyday American lives, we usually just go for the linear, back and forth movement. We don’t think about side to side movements. We don’t think about circular movements. Belly dance brings us back to utilizing our core muscular structure, our skeletal system, our ligaments and our tendons—everything—for what they’re meant to be used for, and that’s artistic expression and spiritual expression.”

It’s a healing and beauty Neferet’s students pick up on right away.

“If belly dancing makes you this happy, I want it for the rest of my life,” said Katrina Frederiksen of Mayetta, KS. “This is the happiest hour of my day.”

The art form is mesmerizing to audiences.

Neferet quoted one of her favorite instructors: “Belly dance is not only healing for the dancers, but also for those who watch the dance.”

Tara’s Grace is located at 1005 SW 10th Ave in Topeka. A new session of class will start in early August. You can learn more by calling Neferet at 816.288.4635 or visiting them online at www.tarasgrace.org

[ seveneightfive July 15 – Aug 31, 2010 | by Macie Smith | photos by Colin MacMillan / Nathan Ham Photography]