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
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. Since 2002 Kim has been studying and performing middle eastern dance, and has traveled the North American continent to study with many international middle eastern dancers, percussionists, and choreographers. Kim became a teacher in 1995, and has been teaching this dance form since 2005.
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, John Compton, Ruby Jazayre, Bozenka, Chellcy, Elena Lentini, Jajouka, Yasmina Amal, and many others.
Click here for Kim’s middle eastern dance educational record.pdf
For more info about Kim, visit her on Facebook .
For reviews of Kim’s classes, click here.
Kim Patrie (aka Safira) Founder and Artistic Director of Bellydance Kalamazoo, has a background in vocal performance and musical theatre. She began her public performance career as a child, and has been onstage performing for over 30 years.
Kim's generous teaching style, coupled with her understanding of body mechanics, movement, and body alignment make for a unique and personal experience in the classroom. Individualized attention is a hallmark of her classes, and Kim's warm personality lends itself to sharing the joy of this celebratory dance. Promotion of body awareness and acceptance in her students is a driving force behind her desire to teach. Her classical music training and experience with Special Needs children gives her a unique perspective on musicality, teaching, and learning styles.
Photo: Paul R. Solomon
Kim completed Teacher Training with A’isha Azar, has received Level II Certification through Sahra Saeeda’s Journey Through Egypt Certification Program, and also earned a Middle Eastern Dance Teaching Certificate from Tamalyn Dallal.
What is Middle Eastern Dance?
Copyright Kim Patrie
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. 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
All text and images on this site, with the exception of visiting artists’ biographies and photos, ©Bellydance Kalamazoo.
All rights reserved. No part of this website may be copied or quoted without the permission of Bellydance Kalamazoo.
Photo: Paul R. Solomon
