As I walk into a room on the second floor of the student union, rhythms of Middle Eastern notes fill my ears. I think, “What have I gotten myself into?” Everything I know about belly dancing I learned from Shakira music videos. I am not a natural dancer nor am I particularly good at shaking anything. Nevertheless, I decide I’m going to have fun with it. As the class progressed, I realized my fears had been unfounded. I was met with openness rather than judgment and I found myself having a great time with an awesome group of girls.
The Shimmy Knights are the only belly dancing club at UCF. They take pride in creating an inclusive environment for everyone who attends their meetings, dance experience or not. “I came into it knowing absolutely nothing,” Mickie Garcia, the president of the club, tells me. A cinema studies major, she joined her freshman year in an effort to improve her skills and meet friends. “Going out and performing at different events was really mortifying at first.” It’s hard to imagine her as a beginner, watching her lead the class. But she recounts her audition for her first showcase- the end-of-the-year performance the club puts on. She didn’t make the cut but she took the advice of others and worked to improve her skills. And she did. “Our first performance was so scary…I had so much of me showing. But it was so empowering. I’ve always had stage fright but this has helped me get over that because I kind of force myself to put myself out there.”
While belly dancing itself may seem very “niche”, many (myself included) would be surprised to learn Orlando actually has a vibrant community. “We get to do a lot of events that sometimes people don’t know about,” says Garcia. This includes a local troupe for people with special needs, namely Down Syndrome, that holds fundraisers and invites other local groups to attend. “I don’t think anyone knows [Orlando] has a really big belly dance community…there’s a lot of opportunity to really draw from the experiences and talents of the professionals in the area.” But it’s not just about coin skirts and scimitars. The Shimmy Knights use their platform to spread a message of body positivity and acceptance. They create a judgment-free zone and do not require any type of revealing attire for their general meetings. “We want you to feel as comfortable as possible. But we also want to show you new things you can do with your body that you might not have known before,” Garcia tells me. She also speaks about the overly-sexualized reputation belly dancing often receives. “[Body positivity] is a really important focus of this club. Belly dancing has a stigma against it…it’s funny to me because it’s showing less skin than you would show at the beach and people sexualize it so much…it’s not something for someone else’s pleasure…it’s to empower yourself.” She makes a good point. Belly dancing is an art form; anyone who doesn’t think so should try mastering it in one lesson (spoiler alert: you can’t).
So if you’re looking to meet friends, better your skills, or just try something new, stop by the Shimmy Knights for an awesome bonding and learning experience. Don’t let insecurity hold you back from a great opportunity. Garcia’s parting words sum up the message of the club: “There’s no shape for a belly dancer. Everyone is a belly dancer…it’s the amount of dedication that you put into it.”