BELLY DANCING:
Good for Brain & Body
MIND + BODY
14 MAY 2 0 1 9
By DANIELLE BRODY
I didn’t know what to expect — or what to wear
— walking into my first belly dancing class at
Sol Dance Center. In my mind, belly dancing
involved midriff-baring halters, beaded sashes
and dangling earrings. I hoped my leggings,
tank top and high pony would cut it.
It turned out that the outfits didn’t really matter
that night. Some women in the class wore the right
accessories, like instructor Debbie Despina Cartsos,
who wore a corset-back top and fringed hip scarf
from D.Webb Designs, her own dance and streetwear
collection. However, most of my classmates were
dressed like me. The real focus of the class was to
learn how to make the small, concentrated movements
with our body to build a foundation to perform
a cohesive dance.
The class included a mix of people — from their
dress, to background and experience, who were
all welcoming to newcomers. Both Cartsos and Sol
Dance Studio owner Karla Choko said the belly dance
community is an inclusive one, for all ages, body
types and genders.
Students from teens to adults have always been interested
in the class, as it involves more “openness”
that can feel empowering, Choko said.
“It builds confidence,” Choko said. “It’s good for
your brain and your body.”
Although her studio is known for its Latin classes,
like salsa and bachata, Choko, who was born in Mexico,
has offered belly dancing since the studio opened
10 years ago, along with almost all styles of dance.
Yet belly dancing is as diverse as Queens itself, as the
style has touched many parts of the world.
The dance style originated in Africa and the Middle
East, eventually making its way west, she said. Cartsos,
who is Greek, has been teaching at Sol Dance
Center for the past five years and now leads the program.
She said that growing up, she got hooked on
belly dancing watching performers at Greek nightclubs.
The Greek style of belly dance, which is called
“Tsifteteli,” was mainly brought to Greece by the Asia
Minor Greeks during the population exchange with
Turkey in the early 1900s, she said, adding that it emphasizes
movement of the hips and hands, but has
Photo by Anabella Veress Photography