What style of belly dancing do you do?

The Middle East consists of many different cultures, so Patti’s choreography is a blend, borrowed from here and there, with her own combinations and polishes. She finds a piece of music and lets the rhythm inspire the movement. Patti teaches a variety of techniques including undulations, shimmies, and basic steps with emphasis on isolation and poise.

Is it difficult to learn the techniques?

One of our sayings in the troupe is, “We have hips and we know how to use them!” If you can walk, you can dance. Patti teaches with patience and an open mind, and encourages dancers to treat themselves the same way. If you are typical, chances are you have picked up dance skills just by being part of our musical culture. You know more than you might think!

Will it hurt?

People from all levels of fitness come to class. Patti always starts class with a good stretching, and warms us up as the hour continues. The basic moves are more energetic than walking, but very grounded and low impact. Abdominal moves tone those muscles, so legs and torso get a work out. A portion of class is always dedicated to veil work, so arms play a key role here. Participants are encouraged to do what they can. .

Do I have to perform?

Early dancers are often intimidated by the idea of performing. As dancers acquire a bank of skills and confidence, Patti will offer performance opportunities for those interested. There is nothing like the anticipation of a public event to help dancers fine-tune their techniques. Many dancers elect not to perform, enjoying the classes and never moving beyond; others can hardly wait for the chance to show what they know. Dancers who have a flair for the stage often become the new members of the troupe.

What should I wear to class?

Most dancers start out in clothes that allow movement. Comfortable foot wear is important, although we are lucky to have a room with beautiful wood floors for those who wish to be barefoot. There are always women, including Patti, who use class as a chance to wear their finest or newest or zaniest costumes. Catalogs and clothes get passed around, so those who attend regularly soon find themselves going beyond casual workout wear. A coin-embellished, colorful hip scarf is often the first purchase. Veils or harem pants quickly follow, and before you know it, dancers have planned their ensembles head to toe!

Where do you get your beautiful costumes?

It doesn’t take much to awaken the imagination, since we love to “play dress up.” Seeing color combinations from nature or even movies, browsing catalog or web images, walking through fabric stores, can all inspire new ideas. The troupe can thank Lori, who literally dreams up our next costume, then puts needle to fabric, adds adornments and some final touches, and voila! debuts the prototype. At this point each troupe member can anticipate several hours of web searching, spending a chunk of cash, attending a couple of costume workshops, having many phone conferences, burning up fifty or so hours of sewing, shelling out more cash, all in loving and eager dedication to the new project.

The beaded belts and tops are fantastic. Where did you get them?

Patti Harsch painstakingly and lovingly created the beaded sets you often see the dancers wear. She made beaded head pieces to match, also. She prefers beading to sewing, and will probably keep making coin and bead accessories until her fingers won’t move any more!

How do you make that sound with your mouth?

A zagarheet is the sound of approval in the Arabic world. “Aiwa” (pronounced “I wah”) means “yes.” “Opah!” is often what the Greeks shout for encouragement. We love to hear from our audiences, so let it out! Try a zagarheet by speaking the sound “lee lee lee lee” as rapidly as your tongue will allow. Once you get some speed, raise it to a higher pitch. Now try smiling as you do it. We often cover our mouths politely when we zagarheet.

What is the instrument you play with your fingers?

The zils are finger cymbals, typically made from brass, we wear on the thumb and middle finger of both hands. We punctuate our dance moves with them. Although it seems like it would be difficult to dance and zil at the same time, with a bit of practice it somehow comes together.

What kind of drum are some of you playing?

The dumbek is a typical Middle Eastern drum with an hourglass shape. It rests on the knee opposite the dominant hand with which you play. There are three basic accents used in playing the dumbek: the dum, the tek, and the ka. The dum is made by striking the drum closer to the center which makes the deepest of the sounds. The tek is played with the dominant hand by striking the “sweet spot” near the rim, which makes a higher pitched, sharper sound. The ka is made with the other hand, again near the rim. There are hundreds of variables in speed, rhythm, volume, etc. in creating the wonderful percussion you hear from the dumbek.

What do the men in your lives think of your dancing?

Our significant others are incredibly supportive of our art. The amount of time that each dancer spends preparing for a performance is considerable, and we have very patient people behind the scenes who dedicate hundreds of hours. We would like to take this opportunity to give our thanks, publicly, for the encouragement. Zagarheet to you!