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Why Bellydance?

Many women find belly dancing a great way to get in shape while getting in touch with their bodies and deepening their spiritual connection with the universe. Belly dance is a low impact aerobic workout with fluid movements that are easy on the joints. With bellydance, you increase range of motion of your spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hips using graceful, beautiful moves. With proper dance posture and form, you gain core strength without situps. Shimmies and traveling moves increase your energy and stamina without the jarring of jumping.

All of this combined improves your balance and grace which leads to improved self-image and body acceptance.

Learning the dance combinations and choreography improves your cognitive functions as you are learning new things and have to remember the combinations but in a fun way. When breathing in sync with the movements, you develop a mindful movement flow that can lead to reduced stress and depression.

Belly dance classes can promote social connection in a supportive environment to provide a fitness alternative that can be as fulfilling as yoga.

For those on a weightloss program, bellydance is a fun way to introduce movement into that program and because it is fun you are more likely to stick with it.

Why Moonlight Bellydance?

Moonlight Bellydance has been in the Charlotte area since 2007. We have taught classes at various locations in Indian Trail, Monroe, and Waxhaw, North Carolina. We have taught classes at CPCC Levine and Center City campuses. We are an American Cabaret Oriental dance group with heavy influence from Egyptian Cabaret and folkloric dances (Raks Sharqi and Raks Assaya in particular). We have performed with many of the other Charlotte, NC and Fort Mill, SC bellydance groups both with various troupes and at many local and regional haflas and shows. We have hosted local events and pictures from these events can be seen in the Events section of this site. We also organized and hosted Charlotte Bellydance Meetup from 2010-2011.

Teaching Philosophy

Our goal is to assist the recreational dance student in her embracing the power and beauty she has within her. We do this in a relaxed, encouraging and fun environment. The studio becomes the safe place for her to gain confidence while learning a new skill. The poise, grace, self-awareness and strength she learns through movement will extend out into her life outside the dance studio.

Sapphire (Sharon Ross)

I started dance, as many girls did, in a ballet class when I was in elementary school. Although I do have a gap in formal training, in 2002, I discovered bellydance with a mommy friend. We went to class as a way to reconnect with our selves after having children.

From that class, I allowed myself to fall in love with Dance again, to do something just for me. I have taken classes both from my teacher and from guest teachers from around the world. I have ran practice sessions with my fellow students, lead technique classes, filled in for my teacher and formed a troupe.

My love of choreography and encouragement of my dance-mates led me to teach classes. I have had the privilege to teach classes at CPCC in addition to my personally arranged classes.

Cane Choreography

It is a fun, flirty Raks Assaya piece.