Belly dancing workshop with Deniz Ünal

Initiated by Muslim Sisterhood, Deniz Ünal will host a belly dancing workshop and group activity exploring the relationships between desire, joy, health and healing with the first workshop focusing inwards to our bodies through using belly dancing as our tool and the second focusing on the collective experience by holding discussions and integrating therapeutic and movement led group activities.

The workshop (6^th Nov ) will be a practical belly dancing workshop; learning and practicing movements used in belly dancing as a way to embrace and care for our bodies, practicing creating joy and pleasure through isolation of belly and hip movements. As well as discussing the history of belly dancing as part of orientalist and colonial discourse and sharing examples of well-known belly dancers and styles from around the world.

The group activity (7^th Nov) will focus on the collective and interpersonal experience of care, sensuality and eroticism, drawing from exercises and activities used in BDSM, therapy and theatre. This workshop will involve touch and body contact.

The artist will draw from the activities and discussions in both workshops for her upcoming performance at Camden Art Centre.

This event is for all cis and Trans women, and non-binary people.

Image © artist, Screen grab of video of 1981 Yılbaşı Gecesi – Dansöz Nesrin Topkapı