It's fun, it's seductive and it now also boasts an official spot on the Malta Drama Centre curriculum. Ramona Depares meets up with belly-dancing instructor Corinne Turner.

Belly-dancing has always been considered one of the more exotic forms of performance arts. Somewhat shrouded in mystery, many consider it a sensual celebration of femininity and it is only now that the west seems to be getting to grips with the idea that celebrating femininity is, indeed, acceptable. Classes have suddenly mushroomed all over the island and it was with pleasant surprise that I read the announcement that classes leading to a diploma are now also being held at the Malta Drama Centre. I decided to meet up with the instructor, Corinne Turner – known as Cora within dancing circles – to find out more.

How long have you been dancing and what made you pick this performance art?

My mother took me to my first dance lesson at the age of three. The genre was ballet and I did it for a long time before I realised that I wanted to do something more passionate and exotic. I started to take jazz classes and other modern dancing courses and when l I was thirteen. Then I went to Tunisia for a jazz performance and a Tunisian belly dancer(Fatima Hazar) approached me to tell me that I could be a great belly dancer. At that time I was not even sure what "belly dancing" really meant... so rather than me choosing belly dance it was more a case of belly dancing choosing me! I am still so grateful that this happened, because I spent many summers in Tunisia learning how to belly dance while discovering a new me. In fact I still go to Tunisia every year to perform, it has become like my second home now.

How did you get to the point where you are now?

Besides my first years of dancing in Tunisia, I also took other workshops with international belly dancers and choreographers. I have also brought several international artists to Malta over the last years to offer a greater variety and experience to my troupe, the Artemocion belly dancers. Last year we brought Alaa Abu Lelah – a renowned choreographer from Egypt and this year we brought Brazilian belly dancer and Sambaladi fusion teacher Maya Gaorry. Through these workshops the students and I broaden our horizons. My favorite destinations for belly dancing are Egypt and Tunisia, however I learned a lot about Arabic music during my stay in Syria and I fell in love with the Levantine dance, languages and culture. I prefer to go to the source to do certain things and not read them from a book or on-line! This pursuit for perfection in belly dancing has taken me to a variety of fantastic places, which is great because thanks to my shows and lessons I am shimmying-my way around the world! And just in case you're wondering, a shimmie is a well known belly dance move that look like a vibration.

In what way is belly-dancing different from other forms of dancing?

All dance is fulfilling, but belly dance reaches further since it empowers women (and men) and re-connects them with their sensual side. As a woman I can say that sometimes modern society forces us to act like men, in the sense that certain ultra-feminine behaviour (and clothing) is frowned upon in many work places. I feel that this creates a detachment from our sensual feminine side. Through belly dancing, the connection with our femininity is re-discovered. Belly dance is an ancient tradition and women have passed the art through generations to their daughters and friends as a means of socialising and also to prepare for the life of a an adult woman.

I should point out that belly dance represents only one type of Oriental dance. There are many other varieties, some of them for men only. The belly dance that we know today evolved from dances that are usually practiced by women, hence the focus on feminine parts such as the hip movements, which are more obvious when practiced by women. However there is a great variety of movements in belly dance, movements which have evolved from other forms of oriental folklore dance and these forms often include male dancers. Having said that, I should also mention that nowadays many men are also finding joy in belly dance even in the main-stream cabaret belly dance that is usually associated with women. This is a good thing because it shows that belly dance has no limits as to sex , age or body type.

What different types of belly-dancing are there?

You can actually write a whole book about it ! What we normally see is the mainstream belly dance called Classical Egyptian. Of course, sometimes we adapt the movements to suit modern music, in which case it becomes Egyptian Cabaret. Classical Egyptian can be used in choreographed dances but it is also often seen in improvisations – which is a very spontaneous and joyful thing to do! There are also many other Egyptian folkloric dances which fall under the umbrella of belly dancing, such as the Cane dances in the Saaidi style. These are usually referred to as Folkloric Egyptian. Arab countries are well influenced by the Egyptian style since Egyptian television is very popular in all the Arab world, but the also add their twist to it of course. For instance, the Lebanese style is known for its sensuality and audience interaction while the Moroccan style carries a relaxed posture and uses modern music . The Turkish style is also very interesting since it involves belly dance but is also influenced by the west and includes technical moves used in western step-dances. Turkish dancers usually include splits, crabs and also the celebrated Turkish-drop, a movement in which the dancer turns and ends up on the floor. There are also fusion styles such as the American Tribal Style and Tribal fusion: this is a 'darker' form of belly dance with a very earthy style which has been developed in America and has expanded up all over Europe.

How fit do you have to be?

Belly dance embraces all body forms and it is also a great form of exercise because you tone muscles while doing cardio, since you can dance to fast music and make it more aerobic. It's also fun and that helps because people are more keen to get off the couch to dance then to go to the gym and do a repetitive routine.

Belly-dancing has the reputation of being one of the more sensuous forms of dance – do you agree that it is really all about the sex?

This idea of belly dance being a sexy dance and used to attract males is really a Western illusion presented by the media, which often shows a sultry belly dancer dancing in a harem or for a male audience. I could go through the whole history of belly dance to give you reasons why this image is wrong, but I will just give you this scenario instead. In Syria I meet up with a group of female friends at my house and we dance on the terrace for hours. I teach them moves, we practice and no males are involved, we just dance with each other for fun and self-fulfillment. In a society where males and females very often hang out in separate groups, this is often the most likely scenario. Granted, it is a sensual dance – but sexual and sensual have two very different meanings. In fact my troupe does not perform for male-only audiences because we do believe that belly dance is a sacred form of dance and it should not appear as if we are selling a representation of sex. I am often invited to perform in hen's parties , Arab weddings haflas (parties) where families enjoy belly dancing and sometimes even join in! That's the kind of scenario I enjoy.

Now that lessons are available at the Malta Drama Centre, what has been the response? Recently the dance has really been gaining popularity in the West, to what do you attribute this?

The response has been great , I remember when I was thirteen and started giving my first belly dance shows in Malta some people would not even know what style of dancing I am performing! Then Shakira's single, My Hips Don't Lie, hit the charts and people started asking me if this was "a Shakira-like dance". Ten years later, people are more aware and not only come to classes but also invite us to perform in their events. Mario Azzopardi from Malta Drama Centre, has been instrumental in raising awareness about this and it was thanks to him that the first official diploma course was introduced in malta.