. As her students file in, wearing shimmering hip skirts over leggings, she greets them warmly — often by name — encouraging them to grab a spot and begin warming up. As we get started, I feel gangly, overly aware of my long, stiff limbs. But it doesn’t last long; after demonstrating a few classic movements, Issis leads us in aset to a single instrument, and after a few rounds of improvising, I feel reasonably prepared to move on to the choreographed piece.
The goal, as Issis puts it, is for everyone, whether they’re a beginner or have been coming for years, to end the class feeling more confident than when they walked in: “Some students take class because they have sexual trauma and they want to feel confident. Some students take class because they were told they could never be sexy, that they’re making themselves a target, that they can’t express themselves that way because it’s not safe.
Whether it’s sparkly performance outfits like the one shown here or a simple hip skirt paired with workout clothes, the clothing worn by Issis and her dancers has a special significance. “In her environment, she always has something positive to say about my outfits,” says Jude. “I can be my full self, and she’s only going to bring light out of it rather than water it down … That touched me personally because growing up, it was always like, ‘Cover up.’ She brings the sunlight out of you.
“I love photographing dancers. They’re aware of their bodies and how they move, so it feels like such a breeze to photograph because I also feel like photography is a dance,” says Santiago. “You could feel that the community there was so accepting and warm … Now I feel like I need to continue on with it. It’s developed into such a beautiful thing.”
In class, Issis’s students range vastly in age, and belly dancing suits all of them — including Fukuko, a 75-year-old dancer and retiree who takes a different style of dance class every day. When she started coming to belly-dancing classes, she took to them right away. “I’ve had nine surgeries: two hip replacements, one knee replacement — all the metal,” says Fukuko. “So many hardships on my body. But belly dancing is the least taxing. I only see the benefits.
Jude and Gabriela first met in school, where both were studying acting. Taking Issis’s class together cemented their friendship, and Gabriela feels deeply connected not just to Jude but to all of her fellow dancers. “I really recommend having a shared hobby with your friend. It was a mutual thing that we would talk about or practice together,” Gabriela says. “Especially once we had finished school and were still very close. It gave us a third place to see each other.
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