This article was originally published on 2/15/2007
In simpler days, that erogenous zone was called a belly —- soft, oval and content. It's now abs, and you must torture it at the gym to avoid ostracism.
But last weekend in Decatur, the belly was happy again. Hundreds of women honored it at a national belly dancing convention devoted to the artistry of trembling midriffs.
The third annual TribalCon gathering drew about 350 masters and novices from all over for an eclectic mix of hands-on workshops.
This wasn't a let's-go-for-Moroccan-tonight-to-see-half-naked-women event. This was serious stuff.
These Betty Friedanians weren't doing it for the men.
"That's the biggest misconception, " said Dawn Bonacquisti, 36, of Atlanta, a consultant for Verizon. "Although we like to do that."
Check out these workshop options. How about Turkish Tunes for Melody Instruments? Or Asian-influenced combos for tribal belly dance? There was also the Hula Fusion class, where a bit of Hawaii met a bit of harem.
Belly dancing goes back to the days of the pharaohs. It has been interpreted as an expression of gratitude to Egyptian deities for the harvest, according to belly-dance.org, the Belly Dance Museum Web site. And the men did it, too.
Fast forward a few millenniums. It's now a worldwide fitness craze. Even housewives in Seoul are doing it.
A collection of workout-at-home videos are available, including one by a blonde American named Dolphina. Amazon sells a video called "Prenatal Belly Dance."
When TribalCon founder Ziah Ali McKinney-Taylor, 38, was in college in Houston, her doctor recommended belly dancing as a way to relieve her knee problems. Sure enough, the joints felt better.
She never stopped. She organized TribalCon three years ago after having gone to many unorganized events for belly dancers.
"I had no intention of performing, " said McKinney-Taylor, who also has formed the Awalim Dance Company.
But years later, she was teaching it. One move was called the Teenager. It fused Orientalism with MTV.
"Try to show as little enthusiasm as possible. Be a bored, sullen teenager, " note McKinney-Taylor's instructions for her workshop at TribalCon.
McKinney-Taylor undulated her flat abs nonstop. She zigzagged. Her arms waved in a serpentine motion. "Out, out, out. In, in, in, " she intoned.
With that command, a hundred varying degrees of protruding bellies pulsated.
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