Belly dancing came to Mackay, {rhymes with eye}
about 1996.
Zaida teaches a class of
older women, who are discovering the health benefits of Belly
Zaida's Jacarandas frequently perform as a troupe and experience the adrenalin flow of dancing for an audience. I try to encourage my dancers to share the joy of dance with people who can no longer dance; for instance residents of aged care residences.
Enid, a
professional ballet teacher, who was also experienced in many forms of dance,
in 1996 introduced us to this particular form of dance and ignited a flame,
which has grown and grown.
Nancy and one of her students made the
journey to
There are now two other commercial studios in
Mackay –
And there is another group called
‘Katz’ in an old church hall in
Ladies come to classes and try out the dance
form. Some stay, some are never seen again, but all of them take away with them
a better understanding of bellydancing.
Teachers are careful to explain the structure and the background of bellydancing, so the information is slowly filtering through the community.
Mackay is a long, long way from the bigger
cities in
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a small hamlet North of Mackay.
In June 1999, Diana, who taught in Mackay for
two years,
travelled to
She returned with a plethora of new ideas for her students.
Rasheeda, from just
north of
One lady travelled from an inland town about 8 hours’ driving time from Mackay, because there was no bellydancing in her home town.
Yasmin Asar, teacher/performer
conducted a workshop in Seaforth, near Mackay
in May 2000, and a second workshop for Zaida's
Jacarandas in Mackay on 14th November 2001.
Yasmin is HIGHLY recommended to students in
Yasmin has an instructional video for sale; her website is
There might even be something in the local newspaper.