Boheme Belly Dance

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!

We are so excited to announce none other than fusion legend SHARON KIHARA as our headliner for Ooky Spooky 2026!! We will also be featuring our own Midwest muse, Mae the Bellydancer in a fun workshop!

Join us for two days of workshops and a stellar Saturday evening showcase!

Saturday Showcase details
(scroll down for workshops)
Doors open at 7:30pm, show at 8pm
Tickets: $20

All workshops and showcase are held at:
Dormouse Theater
1030 Portage Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan

WORKSHOP PRICING
- Full Weekend Package $185 (early bird only, ends Jul 15th)

À la Carte Pricing:
Mae the Belly Dancer Saturday 9am
$45 early bird/$55 after

Sharon Kihara Drum Solo Saturday
$90 early bird/$100 after

Sharon Kihara Return to Center Sunday
$45 early bird/$55 after

Sharon Kihara Dance Your Darkness Sun
$45 early bird/$55 after

To register, please send payment via PayPal to [email protected]. Be sure to list your choices in the notes, as well as attendee names if you are ordering for multiple students. All workshops are non-refundable.

SATURDAY
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9am-11am
COMPELLING PERFORMANCES w/ MAE THE BELLYDANCER

11:15am-4:30pm
DRUM SOLO with SHARON KIHARA: Staging Percussive Movement for Dynamic Groups! Learn a drum solo choreo and perform with Sharon Kihara in the Saturday Ooky Spooky showcase!

SUNDAY
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9am-11am
SHARON KIHARA - Return to the Center: Let’s Just Dance, OK?!

11:15-1:15pm
SHARON KIHARA - Ankoku Butoh no Kokomo: Dance Your Darkness

Full workshop descriptions available on our FB event posting!

Ooky Spooky 2026 feat SHARON KIHARA

I am talking about how it is viewed in the west. I get asked all the time if men belly dance. Of course, those of us immersed in the community not only enjoy performances by men, but study and learn from them regularly! But it is viewed as a female dance, which also lends itself to the latent (and often overt) sexism that tells us anything feminine is not as valuable. But even that is not all. We also insist -subconsciously or otherwise- that in order for it to reach some gold standard, it must be westernized. While it is true Reda style is heavily influenced by ballet, modern Egyptian dance is more and more becoming replaced by ballroom aesthetics- as if there is no grace, athleticism, or art without these western elements.

Earlier today I was watching a video of a dancer performing Bharatnatyam, and as usual, marveling at the strength and dexterity to execute the ancient style, and I got wondering why THAT isn’t the dance style outside of Turkish and Egyptian styles we should be training to enhance our belly dance.

My Thursday morning thoughts. 💙🧿

Photoshoot funtimes for Boheme Blend! Huge thanks to .colors.8 and for your time and talent