Susan Senator

I can barely settle down to write, I’m so happy, and so worn out! Ned and I went out to Karoun, an Armenian restaurant in nearby Newton (where, coincidentally we lived when we first came to Massachusetts from Philadelphia). My belly dance teacher Melinda dances there on the weekends. I told the owner I was her student and they gave me a great table, right next to the dance floor with a perfect view.

We ordered and ate while we waited. I had (what else?) a Greek salad, and some other dishes with plenty o’ feta; Ned, (of course), had pork kebobs (“pigs taste good”). Good eatin’.

And then she came in, wrapped in a copper and black veil, with a head piece and coins holding it all in place. She balanced a scimitar on her waist, bent over backwards. She did snake arms while doing that. She then balanced the sword on her head, and did amazing eights with her hips, belly rolls and even some camels (belly undulations while walking forward). Finally, she put the handle end of a curvy dagger between her teeth and balanced the sword on its end!!!! Now I understand what she meant when she said in class, “I have a thing about balancing,” as she makes us do these arabesques and balancing moves on one leg with the other leg up in the air behind us!

I could discern the bell-like rhythm of her zills. I was totally thrilled to be watching and understanding her consummate skill.

And then…! She asked three girls to come up and dance with her, who were obviously her students. She then came over to me and asked me to dance with her.

Oh. My. God.

So I did. I did snake arms for a little bit, and watched her, mezmerized. I started to forget what to do. So I thought and thought. Okay! I would try a camel. I did that. She ooohed! Then she said, “Do the turn,” so I did a hip lift and turned all the way around, in a circle, even remembering my hands. YAY!!! When I came back to where I started she was grinning ear to ear and I said, “I’m sitting down now,” and I blew her a kiss.

The audience clapped! Ned took picture after picture of me beaming. He also had taken a bunch of me dancing. “Your debut,” he said. “Hey, I go out with a belly dancer. Cool.”