Miami Herald

Belly dancers shimmy up to raise funds for charity

A group of local belly dancers will put their talents to work and
stage an effort to raise money for hurricane victims.

BY RISA BERRIN
Herald Writer

For Jessica Mraz, the best way to help victims of Hurricane Katrina
is by getting on stage.

So on Monday, she and a dozen other belly dancers will gather at
JohnMartin's on Miracle Mile and sway, thrust and shake to gather
donations.

The performance, accompanied by a bazaar, starts at 7:30 p.m. at the
restaurant, 253 Miracle Mile. The money will be directed to relief
efforts along the battered Gulf coast.

''The best way I can contribute is through my performance,'' said
Mraz, 39, who lives in Miami Beach and is the manager of the Mideast
Dance Exchange, a nonprofit organization that provides belly dance
classes. ``Through my dance, I want to reach out to people and
inspire them to give.''

Those dancing Monday will be performing a variety of styles,
including classical Arabic, cabaret, tribal, pop and fusion.

Miami Bellydance, a local gathering of about 40 belly dancers in the
South Florida community organized through the website ''Meetup.com,''
is donating the money raised to the American Red Cross and the Humane
Society.

The group asks that people bring a stuffed animal or coloring book
with crayons for donation.

In addition to the belly dancing performance, local vendors will be
selling everything from housewares to jewelry at the ``belly bazaar.''

Cindy Seip, the organizer of the monthly ''Meetup'' group and a belly
dancer herself, had already reserved the night for the bazaar.

But when Hurricane Katrina struck, she knew the focus of the night
had to change.

''My group was putting up messages on the message board asking `how
can we help?'' said Seip, a freelance graphic designer who lives in
Coral Gables with her husband, Herald photographer Al Diaz. ``Many
people in the group had been affected by Hurricane Andrew. Having
that experience, people wanted to help in any way they could.''

Reaching out to those in need is nothing new to the belly dancing
community.

Mraz says she and her colleagues regularly perform for community
organizations and benefit events.

''I've donated my performances to everything from outdoor festivals
to nursing homes,'' said Mraz, who has been belly dancing for two
years. ``Once, I donated to two Egyptian twins that needed surgery.''

While the focus is to inspire people to give to the Katrina relief
effort, Mraz also hopes the event will inspire people to get involved
in belly dancing.

''Anyone can belly dance. There are no age limits in belly dancing,''
she said. ``We have dancers as young as four and as old as 73. Every
girl is born a belly dancer.''

Seip discovered her inner belly dancer about two years ago when she
popped into the Mideast Dance Exchange, which was right down the hall
from her office on Lincoln Road.

After attending one class, she was hooked.

''The music just takes you over,'' Seip said. ``And the movements are
much more intense than just a regular exercise because you're
exercising from the inside out.''

These intense body movements will be demonstrated at the performance,
which is entitled ``What's In A Name?''

Mraz explains that each belly dancer has a belly dancing name in
addition to her common name.

She says her belly dancing name, ''Azzuri,'' means ''blue,''
symbolizing peace, tranquility and serenity. ''Azzuri'' will be
dancing to a song that embodies her name.

Mraz describes her song as ''soft and flowing,'' which she says is
fitting in light of Hurricane Katrina.

''I really think there is a lot of unrest in the world right now,''
she said. ``So I want to help bring about some peace.''

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