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Wednesday, December 8, aoio | The Red & Black |
8
Women of all ages join
to shake their bellies
By PATRICK HOOPER
The Red & Black
Finals week is a time for
cramming, obsessing and baring
your midriff.
But don’t fret for the ladies
taking the stage tonight at the
40 Watt. They’re trained for this.
“Rak" the 40 Watt gives danc
ers a chance to strut their stuff
after a long semester of belly
busting labor, perfecting the art
of the belly dance. Fortunately,
it’s a labor of love.
“It’s a lot of fUn,” said alumna
Megan Conley. “You get a lot of
cool skills, meet a lot of cool
people. All your friends hear
about you belly dancing, and
then they get to see it.”
Conley said the classes had a
lot of additional benefits, includ
ing being able to wear her belly
dancer costumer on Halloween
after the Halloween show and
incorporating the style into her
dancing when she’s out on the
town.
The instructors of the belly
dancing classes, which are held
in the Ramsey Student Center,
also teach their pupils the cul
tural and global side of the art.
Sophomore Lauren Robinson,
a child and family development
msyor from Ball Ground, said
the instructors educate the stu
dents in different styles of the
dance from all around the world.
The classes even delve into the
cultural differences between the
styles, such as dancers from one
country being frowned upon by
citizens in another country for
being too risque.
“My roommate and I do it
together,” Robinson said. “It’s a
nice thing to de-stress with.”
In keeping with the tone that
mixes excitement and educa
tion, co-instructor Jean Bennett
said the “Rak” in the event’s
title is a play on words.
The Oriental style that most
people associate with the phrase
“belly dance” is called “raks
sharki” in Egypt, according to
Bennett.
40 Watt talent buyer Velena
Vego said the event is an all-ages
show, which nicely reflects the
people on stage, accounting for
any number of ages and styles.
“My first troupe had a
15-year-old and a 57-year-old,”
Bennett said.
This crop of dancers is simi
larly varied, running the gamut
in age and experience. Bennett
said some of the girls have been
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RAK’ THE 40 WATT
BELLYDANCE
When: 7 tonight
Where: 40 Watt
Cost: $5 in advance, $8 for 21+,
$lO for under 21
dancing for six or seven years,
while others have only a few
months of experience under
their non-existent belts.
Thankfully, the program takes
the disparities into account.
Conley said her class was bro
ken up into four or fives groups
of 15 to 16 people, with each
group performing different acts
together based on experience
level and how confident dancers
are with a set.
“They create their own danc
es with just a little bit of input
from me,” Bennett said. “If peo
ple come, they may not see what
they’re expecting.”
She said spectators can
expect to see a certain amount
of the Oriental tradition, but it
will be tempered by a fusion of
old and new, with some of the
girls taking the stage to tracks
from the B-52s and the Modem
Skirts.
“Sometimes, people will do it
to hard rock, which is pretty
funny,” Robinson said.
She said some of her peers
will also be dancing to Moulin
Rouge and Lady Gaga.
A few brave souls will even
take the plunge by putting on an
improvised piece.
However, Conley said break
ing past barriers is part of what
made the class so much fun.
“It’s a boost to self-confi
dence because everyone looks
beautiful doing it,” she said.
“People started showing their
bellies. It was okay.”
The thrill of the dance is
enough that Robinson said she
isn’t worried about having a final
the day sifter the event.
So infectious is the charm
that Robinson said she inspired
one of her sorority sisters to
take the classes.
Conley said even though
some girls take to the style more
quickly than others due to
things like natural rhythm and
strong abdominal muscles, it’s
really a dance anyone can pick
up.
“If you don’t try it, you’ll
never know if you like it,” she
said.
We helped University of Georgia students save more than $205,000 this fall through Rent-A-Text!
Finals Edition
Variety Editor’s Take
Central Florida
If you to take anything from
this season of Fourth &
Forever, let it be this —• behind
that smug, arrogant, skim milk
smile of Zach Dillard is a
panty-wearing sore loser who
will just as easily let the water
works flow as he will stomp his
foot with a quivering lip if
things don’t go his way.
After I won the coin toss,
cementing my right to repre
sent the lackluster Bulldogs in
the Liberty Bowl, I immediate
ly offered Dillard the chance to
make it a “Mascot Mashup”
which evens up the odds.
Dillard said no, of course,
even though the team was
obviously inferior to the
Bulldogs.
“It’s just a game,” he said.
What ensued, like every
other week we played, was an
hour of moaning, whimpering
and shouting when things
didn't go Dillard’s way.
Shrouded over his temper
tantrums was an annoying
dose of hypocrisy that would
sporadically flair up, until
things went his way.
I stopped his drive, forcing a
punt “•*** ***** I hate this
*•** team ***** every time I
***** ****** ***** M
I tackle him in the red zone,
forcing a fumble —• “You just
•••• *••• *••*' j •••• hate
The flipside? Dillard punts it
to my player, who immediately
drops It, therefore turning the
ball back over. My response?
Nothing. IT’S A GAME
remember, Dillard?
This little back and forth
between us progressed the
entire length of the game, just
like it has the entire season.
I’ll be the first to admit that
Dillard is better than I am at
the game —• I’m 4-9. He came
back and won. Nothing to
write home about.
But for dear, sweet Dillard,
there’s nothing to be gained in
actually enjoying our mid-day
virtual battles.
It’s more about preserving
that dwindling pride he has in
himself.
After tonight, the guy is job
less. Nick Parker is taking over
the reins as sports editor, while
I’ll be back in the spring.
Who’s the loser now, Dillard?
//~\\ University of
m Georgia Bookstore
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“ITS WHERE DAWGS SHOP"
VARIETY
Fburth&J^m
The only prediction that actually matters. Kind of.
NCAA Football 11
Central Florida 35, Georgia 31
•* Si
Williams (4-9) wBIm
f ? Zach ►
Dillard (9-4)
STATS
University of Georgia
Passing Yards: 311
Rushing Yards: 76
Total Offense: 387
Turnovers: 4
Passing touchdowns: 4
Rushing touchdowns: 0
3rd Down Conversions: 4-5
University of Central Florida
Passing Yards: 226
Rushing Yards: 195
Total Offense: 421
Turnovers: 1
Passing touchdowns: 2
Rushing touchdowns: 3
3rd Down Conversions: 8-11
Players of the Game
UGA: Aaron Murray, torching the Knights
for 311 yards and three touchdowns
UCF: Ronnie Weaver, running for 195
yards and two scores
Editor’s note: It is war between
sports and variety. The rules are
simple: each week we will flip a
coin to designate who will repre
sent our beautiful university in
NCAA 2011.
Seven-minute quarters and
updates roster changes will set
the table for our epic full-season
battle.
Though it may seem the two
editors are disguising their
friendship with a false bravado of
hatred they are not. It is all
true.
Stay tuned each Friday for the
latest installment of the virtual
bloodbath between the hedges.
Sports Idßor’S Take
Georgia
Ending the year on a posi
tive note Is essential for any
top program, and that was the
goal entering the Bowl Edition
of Fourth & Forever.
It has been a successful year
to date, and for the sports
department to gamer a win
over the variety department
was essential to going into the
winter break on a high note.
What better way to spread holi
day cheer than to decimate Joe
Williams’s hopes to salvage a
disappointing season?
And it happened in the most
heartbreaking of fashions this
time around almost to the
point where you felt bad for the
variety editor.
He had his favorite Bulldog
team. He held the lead the
entire game. He had my
Central Knights frustrated and
floundering, trailing by 10
points in the fourth quarter
and facing a seemingly insur
mountable lead.
Then, Joe got in the
Christmas spirit. It would have
taken only a few first downs on
the ground to win the game,
but greed got in the way.
By greed, I mean a Central
Florida defensive back jumping
in for an unlikely interception.
By continuing to throw the
ball with the game more than
in hand, the variety editor
made his final fatal mistake of
the season. The interception
opened the door —and a quick
strike with 14 seconds remain
ing on the game clock closed it.
The most competitive edi
tion of Fourth & Forever, a nail
biter of the highest degree,
ended in a similar fashion.
Joseph Williams now has
much to consider this holiday
season many questions in
need of answers.
Will anyone still give me gifts
following this tragic end of the
season? Do I deserve any?
Is Santa Claus real? Am I on
his list of the little kids who
actually have a chance at find
ing presents under the tree?
As I look over to Williams in
the next cubicle, it is obvious
the questions are already both
ering him. So don’t tell him
Santa is not real yet I don’t
think he could handle it at this
time in his career.
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By: December 15