Belly dancing
Women wiggle their way to wellness
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By Ann Tormet/ThisWeek
Fariba Mohammadyar leads students in a belly dancing class at Majestic Belly Dancing studio.
Fariba Mohammadyar wants to use an ancient art form to help women break a sweat and have fun doing it.
At her Majestic Belly Dancing studio at 1065 Bethel Road, Mohammadyar teaches Egyptian and Persian styles of dancing to groups or individuals.
"Of course, it's different from any other dancing because they're using muscles they've never used before," said Mohammadyar, who lives in Dublin.
She brings 19 years of teaching experience to Majestic, 11 in Europe and eight in the United States. A native of Iran, Mohammadyar recently moved her business from Kenny Road because she needed a larger, more visible storefront.
"I never thought I was going to do this for my life, but the more I taught the more I loved it," she said.
Expression is an important part of the performance, she said.
"In reality, the art form, it's about you," she said. "It's about women -- how they feel. They're telling their stories by dancing. When I dance and perform, I'm telling a story about the music, myself and my personality."
Dancers must sign up for 10 weeks minimum. Classes, an hour each, are open to women of all ages, body types and skill levels.
"Anybody can do it," she said.
Shawna Huitger of Victorian Village is a student of Mohammadyar's.
"It started when one of my friends thought it would be something fun to do," she said. Four years later, she's still there. She's improved to the point that she's performed at festivals and in front of friends.
"It's fun," she said. "Exercise hidden is fun."
Stars from Shakira to Beyoncé have helped make belly dancing a trend across the United States. In Austin, Texas, instructor Lucila Velez said it's the most popular form of dance in her studio, outranking salsa, meringue and flamenco.
"It's amazing, 20 years ago I was the only one in Austin" teaching belly dancing, she said. "Now everyone wants to do it."
Mohammadyar has seen further evidence of its popularity. In recent weeks, the Columbus Destroyers arena football team had a belly-dancing troupe perform during a halftime show.
"It can get very big," she said.
gseman@thisweeknews.com
