ONSITE Beginner Belly Dancing w/ Karen Inella

**6:00 – 7:00 pm (EST), on the 1st & 3rd Monday at bliss, 1007 Johnnie Dodds Blvd in Mt. Pleasant, in the Mat Class Mezzanine.** Explore exotic, sacred Belly dance at bliss, embrace the beauty of your unique shape, have fun, and meet other adventurous Participants who aren’t afraid to let it roll. Wear comfy clothes. We have plenty of hip shawls to share. The first five minutes is generally a stretch and warm up of the muscles. Then we explore the way that the different parts of the body express itself with movement… the head, chest, arms, midsection, stomach, hips and of course the legs. Then we will combine these movements with mini combinations and practice simple choreography that everyone can do using authentic music from Egypt, Turkey and other middle eastern countries. Many styles of Middle Eastern dance will be highlighted including Egyptian, Turkish, Folkloric and Moroccan. We will also introduce many props used in Middle Eastern dance including: the veil, zil, sword, cane and silk fans. This class is facilitated by a seasoned dancer and performer who lives to share her art. **Facilitator: Karen Inella, shaktiselenebd@icloud.com** Shakti Selene Shakti started belly dancing at the local YMCA in the South side of Chicago at the age of 16. Her teacher was Jasmine who was a muse of Eddie Kocheck. When she turned 18, she studied Egyptian Cabaret. Performances were made in the Chicago Art Institute where she attended college. She performed at private parties in Chicago Phoenix and Denver. She taught her skills wherever she danced. Her textile business led her to Turkey. Shakti fell in love with Istanbul. She eventually had a house and a dance studio close to the Blue Mosque. Her contacts led to many teaching opportunities, performances and development of a belly dance certification program from Istanbul Dreams. Through them she danced at corporate events, restaurants and taught different styles of belly dance. Performances: Orient house Istanbul, Hilton Nile…