Ever the student herself, Kim continues to seek knowledge of the dance through historical and cultural studies, as well as regularly studying with masters of the dance, which keeps her technique fresh and allows her to share up-to-date and accurate knowledge with her students. Kim became a teacher in 1995, and has been teaching this dance form since 2005. Kim attended Teacher Training with A’isha Azar (2005), has received Level I Certification through Sahra Saeeda’s Journey Through Egypt Certification Program (2008), and also earned a Middle Eastern Dance Teaching Certificate from Tamalyn Dallal (2009). Some of the middle eastern dancers, choreographers and percussionists Kim has studied with include Farida Fahmy, Mona Said, Momo Kadous, Morocco, Amel Tafsout, Sahra Saeeda, Helene Eriksen, Tarik Sultan, Tamalyn Dallal, Karim Nagi, A'isha Azar, Aziza, Dahlia Carella, Cassandra, Jasmine Jahal, Sonya, Ruby Jazayre, Bozenka, Chellcy, Elena Lentini, Jajouka, Yasmina Amal, and others. For more info about Kim, visit her Myspace page or find her on Facebook. If you are interested in hiring Kim for your special event, click here. For reviews of Kim’s classes, click here.

Ever the student herself, Kim continues to seek knowledge of the dance through historical and cultural studies, as well as regularly studying with masters of the dance, which keeps her technique fresh and allows her to share up-to-date and accurate knowledge with her students. Kim became a teacher in 1995, and has been teaching this dance form since 2005.

Kim attended Teacher Training with A’isha Azar (2005), has received Level I Certification through Sahra Saeeda’s Journey Through Egypt Certification Program (2008), and also earned a Middle Eastern Dance Teaching Certificate from Tamalyn Dallal (2009).

Some of the middle eastern dancers, choreographers and percussionists Kim has studied with include Farida Fahmy, Mona Said, Momo Kadous, Morocco, Amel Tafsout, Sahra Saeeda, Helene Eriksen, Tarik Sultan, Tamalyn Dallal, Karim Nagi, A'isha Azar, Aziza, Dahlia Carella, Cassandra, Jasmine Jahal, Sonya, Ruby Jazayre, Bozenka, Chellcy, Elena Lentini, Jajouka, Yasmina Amal, and others.

For more info about Kim, visit her Myspace page or find her on Facebook.

If you are interested in hiring Kim for your special event, click here.

For reviews of Kim’s classes, click here.

Bellydance Kalamazoo is an inclusive, community based middle eastern dance school in south west Michigan whose focus is to promote fun, fitness, cultural awareness, and creativity for people of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes who are interested in Middle Eastern dance, music, and culture. By offering classes, workshops, lectures and performances to the greater Kalamazoo, Michigan community, we hope to create an atmosphere of tolerance, cultural understanding, and appreciation. ©Bellydance Kalamazoo

Kim Patrie (aka Safira) Founder and Artistic Director of Bellydance Kalamazoo, has a background in vocal performance and musical theatre dance. She began her public performance career as a child, and has been onstage performing for over 30 years. She has been studying and performing middle eastern dance since 2002, and has traveled the north american continent to study with many international middle eastern dancers, percussionists, and choreographers. A belief in understanding body mechanics, movement, and body alignment underscores Kim's generous teaching style, and individualized attention is a hallmark of her classes. Kim's warm personality lends itself to sharing the joy of this celebratory dance, while promotion of body awareness and acceptance in her students is a driving force behind her desire to teach. Her experience with Special Needs children gives her a unique perspective on teaching and learning styles.

Photo: Paul R. Solomon

What is Middle Eastern Dance?

Middle eastern dance is so much more than movement! Dance in and of itself is a universal language of expression, a way for people to share their common experiences with one another though their spoken languages may differ. Middle eastern dance (also known as 'belly dance') is an expression of culture, and of individual experience. It's more than a hip drop here, a snake arm there. It is the visual representation of, and complement to, the music (1), which in and of itself is a representation of the culture.

Middle eastern dance, or belly dance, is not a dance about sex, seduction, or virgin harem girls dancing for the sultan; that is total Hollywood! Across the middle east (as in the rest of the world!)

men, women, and children dance to celebrate life's happy occasions: weddings, births, graduations, anniversaries, showers, and other rite of passage events, to name a few. This is the basis of what we do at Bellydance Kalamazoo.

There are over 20 countries in the middle east, and each country has it's own versions of ethnic dances. There are many common line dances and group dances, as well as what people tend to think of as "belly dance": a solo dance in a glitzy costume. Within that genre, there are many different styles, and many different opinions as to what they should be named. At Bellydance Kalamazoo, you will learn a common movement vocabulary that would generally be recognized throughout the middle east. We teach mainly Egyptian/American style, although there will be occasions when a different style is introduced just to keep things interesting. :)

Footnotes:

1. Aisha Azar, http://raqsazar.com/bio.html

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Photo: Paul R. Solomon