This winter, add belly dancing in southern Israel's beach town of Eilat to your list of hot hedonistic options.
As always, there will be hedonistic vacations for singles in the Caribbean, Disney cruises for families and kids, and Cancun madness to break the monotony this winter. But have you heard of Israel's option for a winter getaway – a belly-dancing vacation in Eilat?
The seventh annual International Belly Dance Festival is due to take place this winter from January 5th to 8th in the sunny southern Israeli city of Eilat. For amateur belly shakers, or professional ones looking to brush up on the Oriental dance, the four-day event – complete with a "belly flight" from Tel Aviv to Eilat – promises to be a colorful and energetic alternative to a standard winter holiday.
About 1,000 belly dancers and teachers from as far away as Japan will turn up in gold sequins to strut their stuff in Israel's southernmost city on the Red Sea coast. Among the attendees will be some of the world's most celebrated belly dancers, including one of Israel's own, Orit Mafstir.
While it will certainly be about belly dancing fun in the sun, with Egyptian style belly dancing the dominant theme, headlining belly dancing teachers and acts will include a cast of characters from countries such as Egypt, the Ukraine, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and France.
While it will certainly be about belly dancing fun in the sun, with Egyptian style belly dancing the dominant theme, headlining belly dancing teachers and acts will include a cast of characters from countries such as Egypt, the Ukraine, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and France.
Pulling the veil off the peace process
A worldwide "belly" celebrity in her own right, the festival is being organized by belly dancer extraordinaire Mafstir, who travels, teaches and performs across the globe. While not explicitly mentioned, the event is also a time for Arab and Jewish Israelis to unite and dance with Arab belly dancers from the region.
While people tend to think of the Jewish homeland as exclusively a place for Jewish Ashkenazi (European) culture, you may be surprised to learn that about half of all Israeli Jews come from Latin or Arab countries. For many of them, belly dancing is their very much their style, too.
"Every year we have a number of Arabs attending the event," says Mafstir. "And every year a number of the teachers are Arab as well, who come from other Middle East countries. We are Muslims, Jews and Christians; it's a completely non-political event, and we invite everyone to be under one roof together."
Taking it outside around the pool, Mafstir also invites spectators to come and see some belly dancing events in the tent constructed for the event being held at Eilat's Club Hotel.
"The majority of people come for the same thing - the love of dance. It's a powerful bonding experience, especially for the majority of us who are women," she continues.
"Of course you can look from the outside and see that Israel is doing something very Egyptian-oriented, but we have to remember that Israel is a Middle Eastern country. Whether you are Jewish or Arab it's all the same; because Arabic music is a part of our culture just like anything else."
Wave those hip scarves
One highlight will be a performance by a popular flamboyant male Arab dancer from Hadera, Israel, named Samir. Another highlight is an Arabic orchestra from Egypt. Fusion dancing (with the belly of course), will point up the influence of world music on the belly sport as well. Ataf Salah, a government official from Egypt, will be this year's MC.
Many of the dancers and visitors buy a plane ticket with the intention of only going to the dance, after which they fly straight back to Korea, China, Japan, or Europe – wherever they came from, says Mafstir whose festival offers a good price point too. It's significantly cheaper than similar festivals held in nearby Egypt – at about $570, including hotel fees.
"But people are coming mainly because this belly dance festival is so professional. We are not replacing the others, but it's a good alternative," she says.
Security concerns for Israelis in Egypt in recent years are what prompted her to make the fun festival in Israel where visa issues aren't an issue for Israeli dancers.
Workshops, parties and a bazaar will be held and Indian dance classes, daily feasts of food, meditation, yoga, and lectures will complement the high-energy festival.
The main event is a belly-dancing contest, where belly shakers will wiggle their midriffs and wave their scarves in gold and lamé for prizes and acclaim.
