SEQUIM — Laura Samperi-Ferdig has been studying belly dance since she was 8 and teaching since she was 16.

“Belly dance is one of the oldest known art forms,” she said. “Its true name is Raks Sharki meaning ‘Oriental dance.’”

Belly dance is an umbrella term to describe a variety of different styles.

“Raks Sharki is more of the Egyptian style of belly dance, but there are other styles, like Turkish, Oriental, folkloric, fusion, tribal fusion and more,” Samperi-Ferdig said.

“Belly dance is performed for many different celebrations, including weddings, birthdays, births and much more. It is known for isolated body movements with detail to musical instrumentation while gracefully traveling the stage in colorful sparkling rhinestone exotic costumes.”

The art form, Samperi-Ferdig said, “is ever-changing, and there’s always something new to learn. Over the last 12 years or so, there has been a lot of Western influences on the dance, creating a much more flashy, prop-driven dance form.”

What makes a good audience?

“Someone who smiles back at the dancers,” Samperi-Ferdig said. “We love when our audience claps and woo-hoos. We are always appreciative of those who come out to watch our performances.”

Shula Azhar

The seats were filled at Studio Bob in Port Angeles for Shula Azhar’s performance on Feb. 21. The Peninsula’s only belly dance troupe, Shula Azhar (Flaming Flowers, in Arabic), took the stage to loud applause.

Samperi-Ferdig, Marie Maxted, Jovi Wilson and Denise Williamson range in experience from 12 to 36 years, “and have learned from teachers in Canada, Egypt and all over the USA,” said Samperi-Ferdig, their leader.

She attended the Cassandra School of Belly Dance in Minneapolis, Minn., after high school and then performed professionally in the San Diego area with other dancers and musicians, “including the world-renowned oudist, John Bilezikjian,” she said.

Also performing that night was special guest Merryn Welch and Raks Halifa (Friends Dance), the troupe’s understudy group “dedicated to learning the history, culture and different styles of belly dance while also learning ins and outs of performing,” Samperi-Ferdig said.

“It is our hope that these ladies will work their way up into the professional level group,” she said.

Lauren Johnson and Jessie Ferdig had a seat right in front of the stage.

“It’s a beautiful art form,” said Johnson, explaining that firmly entrenched misconceptions around belly dancing make it difficult to educate the public on this highly skilled expression of music.

Johnson was one of the people involved in the evolution of the dance on the Peninsula and has known Samperi-Ferdig since she was a child.

Ferdig appreciates belly dancing, too. As Samperi-Ferdig’s husband, he said he’s always been supportive of her professional passion.

Both from Sequim, “we’ve been together for 27 years,” he said, and “it’s always been her goal and dream.”

Samperi-Ferdig said Shula Azhar is a branch from another dance group that was started by her mother called “The North Olympic Beledi Club.”

”Some of us were dancing together way back in the ’90s in that group, so, though Shula Azhar is about 18 years old, we’ve been dancing together a lot longer.”

Music and the human body

Belly dancing, Johnson said, involves “interpreting the music with our bodies so that our body becomes an instrument that adds to the ensemble — that’s what most Middle Eastern musicians would say.”

“The dance is … an expression of the music’s instrumentation,” Samperi-Ferdig said. “The instruments are a mix of traditional and modern from the oud or kanoun to the keyboard or even the occasional electric guitar.

“When the dancer hears a particular instrument or drum rhythm, she pairs her movements to them, bouncing from the rhythms and the melody.”

Samperi-Ferdig said they haven’t found musicians on the Peninsula to perform with yet.

“I’m sure someone who wanted to learn could do so with training,” she said. “Arabic music is played in quarter tones and uses scales called maqams. For dance, the rhythms range between 2/4 to 12/8 for time signatures.”

“It’s important to note just how body positive this form of dance is,” troupe member Maxted said. “The belly dance community is very inclusive and supportive. We celebrate all body types and fitness levels, and celebrate personal empowerment.”

Students

Samperi-Ferdig teaches belly dance at Peninsula College, and she and Jovi Wilson teach classes in Sequim at The Dance Center by Erica Edwards.

“Novice dancers learn about musicality in classes with Ajaya and myself,”Samperi-Ferdig said. “They learn what the instruments look and sound like and what movements pair with them. They learn about some of the basic rhythms used in belly dance music and where the accents are.”

Students range in age, experience and fitness level.

Raks Halifa member Ivy Thompson said she took her first belly dance class in fall 2023 and was instantly hooked.

“I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I did,” she said. “It’s totally addicting.”

“I’m a clothing designer by trade and have always had a project going,” she said. “However, I’m now a mom of two young children and I’ve not had the autonomy or space to create in the way I once did. Belly dance has filled a creative void where I can express and challenge myself in an entirely new way.

“The practice is so feminine and body positive, with a lot of focus on the hips. You really have to engage the tiny muscles in your body that are ignored in our daily, sedentary lives. It really gets you in tune with yourself mentally and physically.”

“Much of the technique depends on our footwork, knees, shoulders, arms and hands,” Maxted said. “It is a full-body workout.”

“Talia and Jovi do an excellent job customizing movement and combinations for their students,” Maxted said. “They offer a range of low- to high-impact exercises suited to everyone. Coordination, balance, core strength, posture, muscle control and flexibility are all practiced.”

“Talia is a fabulous teacher and such a gem for the Peninsula,” Thompson said. “We have a professional belly dancer with 35-plus years of experience who genuinely loves sharing her practice with the community through workshops and monthly performances.”

Shula Azar’s next free performance will be on a to-be-determined date in April at Studio Bob. They also will perform at the Juan de Fuca Festival of Arts from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 23.

For more information, visit shulaazharbellydance.com.

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Emily Matthiessen is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. She can be reached by email at emily.matthiessen@sequimgazette.com.