Professor Loves to Belly Dance

Professors at Berry perform together in dance troupe

Her hips don’t lie.

English professor Lara Whelan both performs and teaches belly dancing, saying she's always been interested in dance.

“I was a dance minor in college,” Whelan said.

At first, the costumes attracted her attention, and belly dancing seemed like a less strenuous dance than jazz or ballet.

“It turns out, it is very demanding technically and physically. The costumes are the least part of it,” she said, laughing. “I still love it. There is something soothing about it.”

Lara Whelan performs at the
Irish Cellar in downtown Rome.
Photo by Brittany Hannah

Understanding and teaching the art of belly dance
Whelan said she took classes in New York in the early '90s, and when she came to Berry, she took classes until about 2004.

The students from her class put together a performance group, which continues to perform. They named their group Sundari, which is Sanskrit for "beautiful woman."

Whelan wanted to reengage Rome's community so she began teaching belly dance classes at Club Fitness and The Dance Centre in 2006. She currently teaches a class at Georgia Highlands but does not teach any at Berry.

Sophomore Leigh-Ann McKenzie was a student in one of Whelan’s belly dancing classes last year.

“Coming from a dance background, I had always wanted to try it. It is a unique type of dance that I’ve never experienced before.”

Background of belly dancing
Whelan said that she enjoys being a part of a bigger picture.

“I’m tapped into tradition that goes back thousands of years,” she said.

This tradition began in the Middle East where the term belly dancing is not used. Whelan said that the term belly dancing is most likely a mistranslation of "beladi," which means “dance of the people.” Traditionally, belly dancing was a folk dance by women, for women. When its popularity spread from Egypt to America, it became more performance based.

There are two major styles: Cabaret and American Tribal. The Cabaret style is distinguished by the beads and more exposed skin. The American Tribal style has more of a folk dance feel to it; dancers wear heavier cloth and turbans while dancing in a group.

Sundari performs with other musically talented professors
Sundari often performs with Devidasa, a band made up of mainly Berry professors who play Middle Eastern music. English professor James Watkins is the guitarist in the band.

Watkins admires the grace and attractiveness of the dance and enjoys it when they perform together. A fellow band member told Watkins that watching the dancers can help the band remember the changes in the song. However, Watkins said he gets distracted when he plays, so he keeps his eyes shut.

He said he enjoys having the privilege of working with Whelan in the two different settings.

“She is a wonderful colleague," he said. "I am proud to work in the same department. But it’s really fun to see the other side of her and to get to know her in that way."

Watkins is pleased that Whelan has taken the responsibility of teaching belly dancing.

“It’s nice to see she’s kept the classes going and that she can combine her love of dancing with her talents as a teacher,” Watkins said.

Students interested in exploring the possibility of starting a belly dancing group at Berry should contact Whelan via e-mail at lwhelan@berry.edu.

To register online for her belly dance class, visit Georgia Highlands Continuing Education.

{M. F.}