Two weeks ago,  Vermont canceled all health and dancing classes because of the pandemic. Maria’s belly dancing class didn’t skip a single meeting.

They just moved to Zoom. The group is unstoppable.

Maria asked me to take photos of her dancing in her studio so she could see how she was doing.

This was a gift to me.

Men are not especially welcome at belly dancing class. In fact, they are not welcome at all. Belly dancing is not about pleasing men, it is about women glorying in their own bodies and strength.

They do it for themselves, and, I think for one another.

The dancers are all strong and independent and proud. A pandemic is just a bump in the road.

Maria and I were captivated when we were invited to a  belly dancing performance in Bennington, Vt. three or four years ago.

The dancing touched Maria in a deep and immediate way.

She saw her real self in it, and she was right. She often asks me why I think she loves it so much, and the answer is obvious to me: it reflects the real person. That’s who she is.

The other Maria was a representation of other people’s feelings and demands.

Maria is shy in so many ways, in some ways she was always ashamed of her very beautiful body and stomach. Women are often made to feel their bodies are ugly, or inadequate.

She isn’t shy anymore.

I’m not sure I ever saw her belly when we first got together. She shows it quite comfortably now. Belly dancing isn’t about pleasing or titillating men or meeting their expectations.

It takes discipline, hard physical labor, and a willingness to work with others.

To me, it is an affirmation of the human spirit, a chance for these proud and independent women to get together and celebrate being women.

I’m happy to be able to share this with you and hope to take a photo every week that Maria permits.