Learning Middle Eastern dance

If you don't want to insult her, by all means, don't call her a belly dancer.

Morocco, a teacher and performer of Middle Eastern dance, is returning to Juneau to conduct a dance workshop and perform at this week's Concert in the Park.

The Daughters of the New Moon, the local Middle Eastern dance troop, and the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council are the sponsors of a four-day dance workshop with one of the premier teachers of the art.

``Morocco is probably one of the cornerstones of Middle Eastern dance in the United States. She has given her life to studying and teaching the dance and sharing her knowledge all over the world,'' said Kathleen Gamble, co-leader of the Daughters of the New Moon.

This will be the fourth visit to Juneau for Morocco, who lives in New York City, where she owns the Academy of Mideastern Dance. She has also taught mideastern dance and culture at the State University of New York.

``This is the oldest evolving dance form on the face of the earth. It's a folk dance that is older than dirt,'' Morocco said.

The literal Arabic translation for the art known as belly dancing is ``dance orientale'' and the politically correct name is ``Middle Eastern dance.'' The belly dance misnomer is not only incorrect, but as insulting as a racial epitaph, according to Morocco, who was originally known as Carolina Varga Dinicu.

``This dance uses the entire body. It not only looks good to the eye of the beholder, but it is good for you. You use every muscle in your body and some muscles you didn't even know you had,'' she said.

Morocco fell in love with Middle Eastern dancing in the 1960s, well before the dance style became a fad in the mid 1970s.

``I was a flamenco dancer who was introduced to the music and was lucky enough to work with some of the best Arabic, Turkish, Greek and Armenian musicians. I learned to dance from the grannies and aunties in a family setting. They would take me home and we'd boogie,'' said the dancer, who was born in Romania and speaks 11 languages.

Tonight's workshop runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and costs $37.50. Saturday's workshop, for $75, includes lunch and will be from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday's workshop costs $30 and will run from noon to 2 p.m. All workshops are at the American Legion Hall in Auke Bay. The first two workshops will introduce dance routines and Sunday's workshop will be a review of the material covered in prior sessions.

Morocco will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at the Concert in the Park in Marine Park, along with members of the Daughters of the New Moon. For information on the workshop, call 780-4387.