Star Newspaper Cover Page - Footscray, Yarraville & Braybrook.
2 April 2013
Swing Shift
This belly dancer has shimmied her way across the world. This Maribyrnong resident Kaylah switched from ballroom dancing to belly dancing more than a decade ago and hasnt looked back.
Dancer shimmers, shines
KAYLAH tells her customers she lives in an Arabian harem. While in reality Maribyrnong is the place she calls home, the belly dancer shimmies and shakes to exotic Middle Eastern tunes every day, and has performed her moves all over the world.
Kaylah started out her dancing career in ballroom, but soon found it was too structured for her. Then she discovered belly dancing more than 10 years ago. “It (ballroom) had to be perfect all the time, and I discovered belly dancing and it looked very free and fun,” she said. Kaylah took up the craft with gusto and was soon picked up by a dance troupe when they saw her moves. She spent a couple of years performing with the troupe before going out on her own.
Today, Kaylah performs up to eight times a week for a range of corporate functions, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, hen’s nights and other events. Last week she took part in the annual Good Friday Appeal with performances at Etihad Stadium.
“Belly dancing is really forgiving when it comes to body size, so women of all shapes and sizes make
beautiful belly dancers,” she said. “It’s really good for your self-esteem. I’ve had some women cry when they dance, because they’re not used to being so in tune with their bodies.”
She also provides one-on-one tuition for people
wanting to get in touch with their inner belly dancer.
Kaylah told Star belly dancing was becoming just as popular among Westerners as Middle Eastern
people.
By CHARLENE MACAULAY
Star News Group
2 April 2013
Swing Shift
This belly dancer has shimmied her way across the world. This Maribyrnong resident Kaylah switched from ballroom dancing to belly dancing more than a decade ago and hasnt looked back.
Dancer shimmers, shines
KAYLAH tells her customers she lives in an Arabian harem. While in reality Maribyrnong is the place she calls home, the belly dancer shimmies and shakes to exotic Middle Eastern tunes every day, and has performed her moves all over the world.
Kaylah started out her dancing career in ballroom, but soon found it was too structured for her. Then she discovered belly dancing more than 10 years ago. “It (ballroom) had to be perfect all the time, and I discovered belly dancing and it looked very free and fun,” she said. Kaylah took up the craft with gusto and was soon picked up by a dance troupe when they saw her moves. She spent a couple of years performing with the troupe before going out on her own.
Today, Kaylah performs up to eight times a week for a range of corporate functions, birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, hen’s nights and other events. Last week she took part in the annual Good Friday Appeal with performances at Etihad Stadium.
“Belly dancing is really forgiving when it comes to body size, so women of all shapes and sizes make
beautiful belly dancers,” she said. “It’s really good for your self-esteem. I’ve had some women cry when they dance, because they’re not used to being so in tune with their bodies.”
She also provides one-on-one tuition for people
wanting to get in touch with their inner belly dancer.
Kaylah told Star belly dancing was becoming just as popular among Westerners as Middle Eastern
people.
By CHARLENE MACAULAY
Star News Group
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