Something about the outdoors - the beautiful trees, the breeze, the blue sky, and the hippie/bohemian atmosphere of the Festival always made me feel especially tied to the earth and thankful for the freedoms that we have here in the USA.

This year, Belly Revelations has passed the “bellydance baton” over to two other troupes in the Triangle area: The Moorish Gypsy Tribe and Happy Hips. I think they will do a lovely job of carrying on the tradition of community and inclusiveness that Belly Revelations started at this festival.

This led me to think about the concept of dancing on Independence Day, so I put out a call to all the NC dancers to see who was dancing over the July 4th weekend, and I asked them for their thoughts.

I’ll start with Mara from The Moorish Gypsy Tribe in Cary NC:

Moorish Gypsy and Happy Hips are delighted to have the opportunity to perform at the Eno Festival during this 4th of July holiday!! With the incredible turmoil that is facing our world today, it's important to remember that we live in a country that allows freedom of expression. In our case, it's the freedom to "dance".......

Bellydance is one of the oldest social dances known to man. Its origin stems from parts of the world where many women are not allowed a "voice", let alone allowed to "dance".

I am grateful I have the opportunity to learn this liberating art form and I am grateful to our American soldiers who protect us so that we can live in the land of the free.

Thanks to them, I can raise my children in a happy environment without the oppression of a dictator.

Thanks to them I can vote, go to school, and speak my mind.

Thanks to them I can express myself in a free county, and thanks to them I can keep dancing.........

With love and gratitude to our military on this 4th of July
- Mara, The Moorish Gypsy

Meanwhile, in Wilmington NC, Kaitlyn, Nazneen, Pamela Yvette (Goss), and other dancers will be performing classic Egyptian style bellydance at the Arabian Nights Lounge Hookah Café. They are hoping to coordinate their costumes in patriotic colors.

Nazneen says:

I think of how blessed I am to live in a country that has fought so hard for the freedom of expression. I am so grateful for the freedom to simply dance without fear of being beaten or killed. I would like to thank all the brave men & women who fought & died for my freedom....freedom to live my life, pursue my dreams, and dance from my heart.

Kaitlyn is happy that her daughter will be making her dancing debut on this special holiday:

What I am most excited about is that my daughter Ramayana, who is 2, will be performing for the first time. She will be doing a veil routine to "Chicky" by Oojami. We have been rehearsing for a couple of weeks now and surprisingly, she really loves to practice it and is having a blast every time she dances. I am just so happy she is enjoying the process of performing and I think it is a good idea to relate fun to practicing at an early age.

What I love most about dancing at Arabian Nights on the 4th, is that it will be bringing so many people together for a common goal; the love of Middle Eastern culture and art and the community and frienship that we find with each other that share that love. I find myself fortunate to be able to dance amongst family and friends where Arabic culture is celebrated on an American holiday that celebrates our freedom. I am also glad to be able to expose my daughter that sort of environment and it is my hope that these sorts of events will shape her life for the better.

I will leave the final thoughts to Pamela Yvette (Goss), who feels especially patriotic at this time of the year:

My husband was a paratrooper in the Army for 10 years. I get a lump in my throat every time I see the flag or hear the Star Spangled Banner. I love that I have the freedom to choose what dance style I want to perform. Dancing in itself allows me to express how I feel through the music. No two dances are ever the same. Celebrate and be happy with all the freedoms that are allowed to you. Remember the people who gave their lives and that are right now fighting for those freedoms that we so enjoy. When you dance, think of them.

Happy Independence Day from NCBellydance.org!