Students at Shippensburg University learned how to belly dance at the Activities Program Board-hosted event last Thursday night at 8 p.m.
The professional belly dance instructor, Deborah Colley, of Shippensburg, began the night by introducing the students to the basic steps of fitness belly dance. She instructed the students to move their hips and their upper bodies.
“There are many different styles of belly dance, but I have studied primarily Egyptian. I have travelled across the country, taking classes with different instructors and I’ve learned that the best teachers are lifelong students,” Colley said.
Shedding their shoes and layers, the students gathered around Colley with eager expressions as she began the lesson. With techno Egyptian music playing in the background, the students learned how to use their entire bodies in the art of belly dance. Near the end of the event, the students choreographed an entire dance based on what they had learned.
“The students really seemed to enjoy it, in both an exercise sense and also just for the fun of it,” said Lauren Uleau, APB board member.
Colley was not always a belly dance instructor. Previously, she taught Zumba and the importance of fitness.
“I decided to do belly dancing when I was turning 40. I wanted to find an activity I could do on my own and something that was outside of my comfort zone,” Colley said.
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