The power of the body to communicate and heal: a bellydancer’s tale

Let this story activate your body’s intelligence and memory to reclaim your magic.

In this episode, I reflect on the power of the communication that occurs between bodies, even beyond conscious awareness, and how this exchange can inspire, move, and heal us. I share my personal experiences as a belly dancer and audience to renowned performers, witnessing the transformative nature of dance and its ability to touch our senses–and a tale channeled through me when I tapped into this age-old exchange.

I delve into the ancient Egyptian women’s dance ritual called the zar, known for its trance-like states and healing effects, and share a story inspired by a true account relayed by Sahra Saeeda, dance mentor and researcher, of women dancing on moonless nights, adding my own imagined/intuited elements.

Seeing Dina’s performance in person allowed me to understand the magic of her dance. I explore the concept of tarab, an ecstatic change in Arabic music, as a way to describe the transformational power of dance and the ability to shift the energy in a room. I draw parallels between the energetic impact of dance and our original roles as dancer priestesses, thinning the veil to the unseen world.