04/29/2026
Happy International Dance Day!
On Monday, April 6th I laid back on my yoga mat at a Divine Spark Sound Bath and immediately got a message. A clear one. Even before the crystal bowls started humming. An inner voice said, "Find your people."
Damn if I didn't get tagged April 17th regarding some local belly dance happenings for the next day--April 18th! "WTH is Sharon Kihara doing in Dutton, Virginia????" was my immediate thought. Also where TF is Dutton? Next, I dropped all my plans and drove to Zoll Winery where the workshops and gala show were taking place. I walked into a room full of belly dancers and damn if I didn't feel like I had accomplished the goal: I found my people!!!
I have been on a long hiatus from performing. But when I went to LA in January I realized how much I can't live without dance life. When I have it I feel like my spirit is flourishing inside of me. And when I don't, I feel no spirit at all. What a relief to finally meet and feel welcomed by the locals.
I love fusion bellydance; what I describe as an Americanized interpretation of Middle Eastern dance. I am not a bellydancer, nor have I ever claimed to be. I am a dance collector. I love exploring the vocabulary and essence of this movement in all its forms--across Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, and Gulf nations.
Hey--unless you are Native American--pretty much any dance we could categorize as a American (jazz, tap, square, swing, jive, hip hop) as far as I know can all be traced back to European and/or African roots, soooo Happy International Dance Day--EVERYONE!
P.S. I did swipe some gorgeous photos from the gala show. Please credit photographers and tag away! Thank you all!!!
