When i first became interested in belly dance, I wondered how I could connect with other dancers who were Black/African American like me. I didn't understand why, in one class I took, I was the only brown face in the room. I know many Black women who are dancers, and i found it hard to believe that none of them had ventured into the arena of belly dance. Surely there are other women like me who are interested in this beautiful art form...
I discovered that a woman I met at an event is a belly dancer. I looked at her facebook friends list and saw other beautiful Black belly dancers such as herself. I reached out to these women online, and had the opportunity to meet them on my birthday. It was such an inspiring experience to be around them. That night was evidence to me that Black belly dancers do exist, it just took some networking for me to find them. Now that I have these connections and resources, I want to share them with you.
I want for other Black women who are interested in belly dance to have a place to come to where they can see Black women who have embraced and studied this beautiful dance. On this blog I will not only chronicle my belly dance journey, I will feature beautiful Black belly dancers who have inspired me. They are proof that belly dance includes a diverse range of people...it is a multifaceted community that Black women are a part of. I will also include information about belly dance resources such as classes, websites, and merchandise. Since I am in Atlanta, a lot of the information I provide will be specific to ATL, but I will mention other places as well.
I hope that this blog can be a resource for you, and I hope it inspires you to take a belly dance class (or shimmy at home!) Belly dance can be very rewarding, not just for Black women, but for everyone!
Feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions.
Welcome to Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Girl!
No comments:
Post a Comment