I have to purchase this actual photo :)

Ok here are some more pixes of the show. A friend's Dad took these pixes so they are a bit blurry. Our REAL photographer apparently did not do a good job and all of the pixes are way too dark. Another dancer is trying to fix them since she does video work. :/

So enjoy, even though they are blurry.

The first photo is of a song called BARRA BARRA

Me and Annie doing Mata Hari.

ATS (American Tribal Style).

Me and Shirin

Group ATS

Japanese guys looking to fight fat are getting into belly dancing, according to Shukan Bunshun,

Read asinine article here.

Never have liked male belly dancers, never will. Find your own damn thing to do and stop trying to be a woman.

Ok ok, why African American braids? Let alone Micro Minis? WHY NOT? THEY ARE HOT!

All I have to say is that all of the ladies in the salon thought I was 'da bomb' with them (being the only Caucasian girl there), and actually pull the look off rather well. I am "exotic". I was actually asked if I was part African- American (no...), was I Indian(noo...). I am part Italian, does that help? It's close to those countries? YES YES!! That must be it.

I personally thank my self-tanner.

Like I said, nearly impossible lighting.

Vintage Belly Dance

Yes, that is the start of a full back layout.

Betcha ya can't pick me out of the group!

Yep, yours truly is dancing with a 15 pound brass food tray complete with grapes on her head!

Olivia decided that she needed to be a belly dancer like her Mom tonight. So we got her costume out and put a DVD in for her. Note the hands!! She is copying the DVD! I am so proud!!

One of my tribal costumes.

Mark gets a shimmying no-prize for bringing us the "straight dope" on the origin of a well-known "exotic" song and its relationship to belly dancing's introduction to the United States. As with most songs which seem to have been around forever, the actual origin is hard to pin down, but there are a few good candidates.

I'm in the blue skirt. We were asked to help out with a B-Day party (b-day boy in the scarf on the right) since we were doing ATS formations.

It is just their second class, but the Unity College students who signed up to learn belly dancing are finding more fun, and pain, than they had bargained for.

Read more here. I found it boring, but hey, got to archive!

I got inked again today! Hopefully this whole piece will be complete before June. It will be a mirror image on both sides.

My little girl wants to be ME!

My new tea tray! And NO, the cups and pot are NOT glued down!

Cute video!

Last night I performed at Tribal Pura in VA with the Troupe I belong to. Here is one of the photos. Yes, yes, thats Pokey and Cornbread.

No camel, no ride.

Here are a few pixes from my solo at my recital last night. All went well. I got 4 applauses during my performance. I was the only one that got applauded during their performance too. Enjoy!

Sword balancing

Belly flutters and rolls with sword.

I danced to Godsmack's VOODOO. Made it through several sound problems, never dropped the sword, had bitchin' makeup and costume. I just have BLURRY pixes!

Me on the left 2 years ago.

Me on the right now. I like me on the right better.

Carrie gets a leather-spiked no-prize for bringing the Metal Goddesses to our attention. Looks like they combine belly dancing with hard rock, which is one helluva combination. Considering Ellen's choice of dance music, I wonder if they have an opening?

Interesting belly dancer meets goth crowd type story.

I cannot wait for the comments!

Probably the best site right now to check out free downloadable zill patterns.

You can even get the CD and instruction book! Here's the link to the homepage.

Here's a site that breaks it down per finger.

Check them out!

I totally forgot to post this back in December. I misplaced my issue of The City Morgue magazine for the weblink.

Of course I'm all for local B-dancing groups. So go check out Martiya Possession's site. Lots of pixes and bios!

~Enjoy!

CAIRO (Reuters) - A Cairo court has rejected an appeal by Russian and Australian belly dancers against a ban on working in the country they consider the home of the dance.

Oriental dancing is big business at Cairo night spots, from four-star hotels for tourists to cheap smoke-filled bars in the seedier parts of the city.

Weird!

Her creator, Jimmy Or of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, said he gained inspiration watching Lucy Liu sashay her stomach in the film Charlie's Angels. The sight prompted him to sign up for dance lessons of his own.

Watching his instructor bend and sway, Or was struck by her similarity to his other object of affection, the lamprey - a primitive eel-like creature that scythes through water like a snake. "I decided to combine the fields and work on my idea secretly," he says.

Read entire article here.

I normally don't make New Years Resoloutions, mainly due to the fact they tend to last only a little longer than Olivia's diapers. But this time around I felt I was going to do something for myself for once and stick to it. It's not dieting.

Well, ok it is dieting. Well, it's supposed to be dieting. But it's dancing too! Belly dancing!

I found a new teacher in our new neighborhood and began my classes more than 2 weeks ago. Turns out having a cannon ball strapped to your belly for four months actually doesn't give you "muscle memory amnesia." Good thing too... can't look like a dolt on the first day. Well not much of one.

My new belly dance teacher is named Bambi. No, really! I'm not making this up! She even made a joke in class... "Follow the bouncing Bambi" (ok, so having a cute name doesn't necessarily mean you can tell a joke... work with me here.) All I can say is she is a nice teacher, super enthusiastic and always on 'fast foward.' She also has a huge dance background in ballet and other dance techniques.

First class was fun, I met 6 other new people, and I'm the only one who's taken belly dance before. Go me! No more belly dance equivalent of "twinkle twinkle little star"!

I remember shimmies, singles, doubles, triples, and some traveling movements. Bambi makes it lots of fun. I don't think I've ever caught on to traveling movements so fast.

Third week begins Monday, and I find myself obsessing over class. Sometimes it's the only thing I can think of all day. Yeah, I know, but belly dancing doesn't sit on my couch, drink beer, and stick its hands down its pants. Neither does it wake me up at three in the morning with an empty stomach and a full diaper. Belly dancing is civilized. I want to pop in a cd and practice till I puke.

One day when I grow up I'll make sure I get to call myself a professional.

Recently I recieved an email from Michelle of this group saying how much she enjoyed the site, to which we really appreciate those kind of comments.

Being the belly dance fan I am, you all need to go check out Farfesha and see what they are about.

Not only is it a site about them, but you get awsome and useful articles, as well as a bazaar and neat links.

So what are you waiting for? Go check them out!

CAIRO (Reuters) - Foreign belly dancers are appealing to the Egyptian courts to overturn a decree that stops them working in the country they consider the home of the dance, a performer and her lawyer said Thursday.

Tickets fetch 200 Egyptian pounds ($35.52) for performances by top dancers in Cairo's luxury hotels, where the mixed-sex audiences often throw generous tips onto the dance floor.

One thing I cannot wait to do after I have the baby is to start exercising like I normally did again.

Hopefully that may include going back to belly dance class on one evening a week.

One of the great things about going to dance class is that you DO meet great people, have fun and actually get out on your own for a bit.

Another 8 weeks of dance class is comming up! Guess what! I still suck! -well not as much.

I still can't do hand circles right holding my egg, it feels funny! AARRGHH! I suppose I'm not one of those right side of the brain ppl that tend to be artistic. Or is that left? I dunno. *laughs*

Graceful? whats that? I trip over carpet on a regular basis. Last week I tripped over the sidewalk and nothing was there to trip over. Turning is also a NO NO for me. I get dizzy.

At least I have a good time. I get out of the house. Meet nice people. Learn somthing new. *I have kept up with my New Year's Resoloution*

I know... practice, practice, practice.

*My mind sees one thing, my body does another- too bad it doesn't do it right!*

DOH!!!!!

Middle Eastern Dance Reflections: A Bridge Across Time and Place
by Bonita Oteri, M.A. International Relations

As our world struggles to evolve into a truly international community, rewards as well as challenges present themselves along the road to peace. Committed governments and national leaders strive bravely to make this dream a reality, often at the risk of severe political censure in their own countries. If this dream is ever to manifest as reality, we all must play a role in pushing aside road blocks, burying prejudice and sharing the common, shining spirit of humanity that has the power to transcend cultural differences.

Middle Eastern Dance, born of ancient traditions, presents a bridge across generations and cultures. My personal experience is a case in point. How did an Italian girl from Boston becomes a professional Middle Eastern Dancer? What fabulous cultural islands do I visit during my ongoing Odyssey? What does Middle Eastern Dance bring to the diverse cultures I briefly visit on my journey with what gifts of wisdom do I sail away? The answers to these questions, woven like colorful threads bind the Middle Eastern Dancer and the audience into a rich tapestry. Middle Eastern Dance affords us a trans-cultural bridge between our two worlds. The key to how this mystery happens, lies somewhere in the rich beauty, grace and rhythms of Middle Eastern Dance that captured my heart from the first, and has the power to call equally to international audiences, regardless of cultural origins.

The true spirit of the dance is to be found in traditional family celebrations, villages and cities throughout the Middle East. In America, this spirit thrives at places from New Jersey wedding receptions to the family partys in California. The dancing at these family festivities, joined by everyone from toddlers to grandparents, expresses that spirit of pure joy that all races and cultures instinctively know. This expression is a soul deep knowledge that in spite of life?s problems and tragedies there is something wonderful and magical about the love, light and laughter God has gifted us with this on the Earth.

Embracing that joyful spirit, I try always to carry it to my audiences. While living in Europe I studied with teachers of many cultures, including Arabs and Europeans. Europe also affords the opportunity to perform for many cultures. The German audiences studied the dance with the deep seriousness of classroom students. Their respect for the dance was evident although I often felt like a university professor and almost expected them to take notes! Danish audiences, melted the bitter coldness of northern nights with their immediate acceptance and the warmth of their laughter. My fellow Italians, of course never need an excuse to be a loud, happy and enthusiastic audience. Spaniards, intensely passionate, related easily to the dance and music, perhaps due to the influence of Moorish-occupied Spain, and its echoes across the centuries still found in fiery, vibrant Flamenco music and dance.

I returned to America, fearful of American audiences and their preconceived notions of Middle Eastern Dance. I knew it would be challenging for a simple, ancient dance of happiness to capture the fleeting, complex attentions of stressed out business executives, soccer Moms and a generation raised on MacDonald's and MTV. However, even in this ultra-modern society, the trans-cultural bridge of Middle Eastern Dance served to cut across misconceptions.

In America, I have danced for elementary school students through senior citizens. The children saw a twirling cane dance as fun as their afternoon play in the snow. As I looked into their eyes, I saw that the senior citizens shared with the children the same light-hearted eternal youth that Middle Eastern Dance can bring out in all ages. The United States also presented opportunities to dance for Arab-American audiences for the first time. From Henna parties to New Year?s Eve celebrations, it is a delight for the dancer to fly on the enthusiasm of parents teaching their children to clap out the correct rhythm and enjoy the music. Like Middle Easterners, Indians have an ancient tradition of dance. These audiences were initially reserved and sometimes concerned that Grandma might not approve of Middle Eastern dancing. But again the dance bridged cultural communication gaps as a baby broke the ice by laughing uproariously when I played my zils under his nose. Cuter than the baby was little, Grandma, who having enjoyed the performance more than anyone, gave me a big hug at the end of the show. Conversely, Korean audiences had no such concerns of restraint. The men charged up to dance with me punctuating the rhythm with Tae Kwan Do chops and martial arts grunts. As I said Good Night the traditionally-dressed, embarrassed hostess confided, "These people are normally very shy, you know."

Finally, I must end the brief highlights of my continuing adventures with a special thanks to the Arab-Americans who brought this tremendous gift from the old world to the new. Whether Middle Eastern Dance is performed professionally or by the happy people I have seen at local family and church festivals, its inherent healing laughter and joy will long continue to be a bridge across time and place.

-- Bonita Oteri is a professional belly dancer and instructor in the Washington D.C. Metro area.

OK! Its here! I want ALL the names of the girls eventually on the site, but hey, if you want to remain annonymous thats cool.

Bonita's Belly Dance Extravaganza

Please let me know if there are any mistakes and whether or not you want your photo taken down.

One reason I had Scott create the site was for everyone to be able to share it all with your family! ENJOY!

OK! Finally go