My first reaction included a mix of emotions – nervous, uncomfortable, hesitant, but also… curious! What was about to happen here? She was dressed in the costume most people would recognize a bellydancer in: a bedlah (a bra/belt/skirt) and lots of shiny jewelry. Her hair was long and the thing I remember most about her was her confidence. So very confident!

She danced for a while and then started circling the audience looking for some participation. I was actually *praying* she did *not* come to our table!  Whether it was my introversion, my genuine fear of being in front of a crowd, or something else, that was my first reaction. But lo and behold, in a packed restaurant, she did come to our table and… picked me!

She pulled me up to the center of the restaurant where there was a small stage and she asked me to do some hip and shoulder shimmies. Although I originally wasn’t interested in standing in front of a bunch of people, awkwardly moving my body, I noticed that something changed inside of me. What I was doing felt… good!

Instead of shying away from moving my body (and remaining stiff as a board like I normally did in front of any audience), I started having fun and found myself smiling. She soon sat me down back at my table and, within days, I was googling belly dance classes in Orlando. Little did I know that one encounter would change my life, leading me to where I am today.

I quickly found an amazing dance studio and the day before I started college, I started belly dancing. All it took was one class for me to know that this dance was for me. My perfect match. Love at first shimmy!