The same old song and dance - with a twist

(Note: This story was written by Kristin Holtz, a staff writer at the Litchfield Independent Review, where the story first appeared.)

In a classroom with no mirrors, local belly dancers sway their hips to the sound of music from the Middle East radiating off the walls.

They roll their shoulders and feel the dance floor with their bare feet. They’re getting in touch with their bodies.

Local yoga instructor Alisha Stallsworth is bringing the exotic dance form to Central Minnesota and encouraging local men and women to get in shape by shaking their hips.

“It’s really good exercise. It’s really fun, so you don’t realize how much you sweat,” she said.

Stallsworth, who taught English at Litchfield High School last year, was introduced to belly dancing in college. Having used yoga as a stress reliever for years, the jump to belly dancing wasn’t much of a leap, she said.

In June, Stallsworth was teaching yoga classes at Birdwing Spa when she suggested the spa offer belly dancing for a fitness class. Birdwing manager Linda Jaquith said the class has been a hit with guests. Stallsworth teaches regular yoga and belly dancing classes at Genesis Spa in Hutchinson, too.

“I have always liked teaching people, watching other people through their self-discovery of themselves,” Stallsworth said.

Belly dancing is much more than the flirty, cabaret dance most people conjure. Officially known as “oriental dance,” belly dancing has a history as a folk or social dance performed by people of all ages and both sexes during festive occasions, such as weddings and the birth of a child.

Every Middle Eastern country has its own style, she said. Stallsworth’s favorite style of belly dancing is American Tribal Style belly dance because it is all improvisation. It is mainly performed by women and requires the dancer to listen to the rhythm of the music.