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Tuesday, November 16, aoio | The Red a Biack
6
Dust off the finger cymbals and prepare to dance
By ADAM CARLSON
The Red & Biack
Get ready to move like it’s
1895: belly dancing Is back or,
more precisely, rising In popular
ity.
"We get everyone,” said
Christy Fricks, owner of local
dance studio Floorspace.
Young or old, Athenian
women seem fascinated by the
dance, she said.
Of course, that may have a lit
tle something to do with the cal
ories burned by the hip-swinging
choreography.
“I think for a lot of women, it
feels like a fun way to get in
shape,” Fricks said.
The dance is also distinct as a
method of exercise for another
reason it doesn’t require
Legion Field show to
fund Uganda bee farm
By MELISSA COHEN
The Red & Black
The week before
Thanksgiving break is tough.
Professors are busy squeezing
in last-minute assignments,
papers and exams, and students
are slowly becoming detached,
craving turkey, mashed potatoes
and football more and more by
the minute.
A fun, convenient and philan
thropic recess from the hectic
week can be spent tonight at
Legion Field as Promote Africa
puts on a battle of the bands.
The entire event goes to a great
cause, and the winner gets to
play at AthFest 2011.
“Promote Africa works to
empower individual African
communities by supporting and
funding developmental pro
grams that directly benefit the
people,” said Jenna Ziesenhene,
a senior international affairs
and psychology major from
Warner Robins and a member of
Promote Africa.
The grants given through var
ious groups within Promote
Africa are called Big Idea
Grants.
The Greek Ambassador’s
Program is hosting the Battle of
the Bands, and its Big Idea is
focused on funding a Ugandan
beekeeping farm.
Appropriately, the show is
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immediate physical prowess to
attempt.
“You don’t have to be a fit
20-year-old," Fricks said.
Having taken over the studio
in March, Fricks who’s been a
dance instructor for 15 years
began expanding the selection of
belly dancing classes Floorspace
offered.
Now, the total is three: tribal,
Egyptian and tribal-improv.
Together, they are by far the
most popular classes Floorspace
offers.
“I get wonderful feedback,”
Fricks said.
One possible explanation is
the ease with which the basic
steps are introduced.
“You don’t have to do this
perfect technique,” Fricks said of
the beginning classes. “It’s more
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
When: Tonight at 8
Where: Legion Field
Price: $2 advance/$3 at door
Bands Performing: The Sunlight
Alchemists, Ghost Lights, The John
King Band, Carla Le Fever & The
Rays, The Gosh Dam Bananas, Mev
and Mel Present: 2 girts one mic and
Stray Days
being promoted to “Bee a solu
tion. Battle poverty."
Rachel Von Waldow, a junior
finance and international busi
ness major from Pittsburg, is the
leader of the Greek
Ambassador’s program for
Promote Africa.
“What we do is pursue proj
ects that promote community
betterment with ways people in
those communities can partici
pate in deciding how,” Von
Waldow said. “A good example
of that is in Namibia. A group of
women who make the pvc
bracelets are set up with mar
kets in the U.S. to sell the
bracelets. This allows them to
have a much more steady
income.”
These affordable bangle
esque bracelets made of PVC
pipes are sold in various sizes on
campus via members of Promote
Africa.
“I love my bracelets,”
VARIETY
HIPS DON’T LIE
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Floorspace
Price: sl2 for one class
More Information: AH levels welcome
to this fun and exotic class.
about having fUn.”
The earliest sessions begin by
demonstrating the basic belly
dancing steps as well as simple
combinations.
After the first few weeks,
Fricks said, students should be
able to do a little belly dancing
themselves.
From there, the instruction
grows more complicated.
The most advanced instruc
tion available at Floorspace
does, unlike in the beginners’
K * 'M: J|| _ .
Proto Cot mn or Tm Sumugbt Alcrihnt*
▲ Based out of Atlanta, The Sunlight Alchemists is one of seven bands performing
tonight at Promote Africa’s Battle of the Bands. The winning band plays AthFest 2011.
Ziesenhene said. “They are all
unique, and the concept is one I
truly support not only are
they environmentally friendly,
but all profits are sent directly
to the disadvantaged artists.”
In addition to selling artwork
and jewelry made>in African
nations, Promote Africa turns to
music-centric promotional and
classes, focus on strong tech
nique.
Additionally, the classes offer
something slightly exotic, in con
trast to other high-energy, high
strung exercise classes.
“It also has a very earthy
appeal,” Fricks said.
In keeping with that, the
attendees’ first Introduction to
belly dancing isn’t set to the typ
ical Middle Eastern rhythms
It’s set to Top 40.
The studio’s Instructors
work to be sure that all dance
students are comfortable In the
space, and also In their own bod
ies.
“We make a lot of jokes in
class,” Fricks said.
Above all, instruction is driv
en by a philosophy of accessibili
ty, of reaching as many interest
fundraising events in Athens.
“I actually performed In the
benefit concert they had at
Herty field last year, and it was a
great turnout,” said Hannah
Toland, a sophomore from
Warner Robins majoring in mass
media arts and music business.
Toland and her band, The
Sunlight Alchemists, are one of
ed people as possible.
In one sense, so tar,
Floorspace has been quite suc
cessful.
“The majority of the women
reflect the Athens population,”
Fricks said.
More broadly, though, the
studio’s work Is succeeding in
Athens In a slightly more reso
nant way.
“We have a lot of unique danc
es geared to any experience
level,” Fricks said.
And the women who have
found themselves attending
and then belly dancing with a
class of three or 15 or 18 other
people have been quite reedy
to share how much that open
ness mattered.
“They say it’s changed their
lives,” Fricks said.
seven bands competing tonight.
“We just started this year in
August and we’re mostly from
Atlanta,” Toland said. “We are
pretty rock-based and we write
our own stuff. I’m working with
all guys, which can be challeng
ing at times with keeping every
one focused and not jamming
the whole time.”