For Nancy Kuo, belly dancing is in her soul. Such devotion led her to become a champion dancer at Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, an international belly dance competition held by the renowned dancer Raqia Hassan in Egypt--also rumored to be the birthplace of the art. Defeating over 200 competitors from around the world, Kuo was crowned "queen" July 8, at the end of the five-day event--the first Asian dancer to be awarded such an honor.
"It was beyond my wildest expectations," Kuo said. "I couldn't believe it when my name was announced." The belly dancer explained that her performance left the locals speechless, with many telling her they could see the essence of raqs sharqi, which means "dance of the East" in her performance.
Kuo took the plunge into the world of belly dancing only five years ago and attributes her success to a solid grounding in modern dance and a determination to perform at the highest level. "I've spent almost all my life onstage," she said, adding that her dancing career began when she was just three years old. With the goal of becoming a professional dancer, she majored in ballet and modern dance at Chinese Culture University in Taipei City, and in 1995, pursued further studies in Germany.
But her formal training has never prevented Kuo from exploring other genres of dance. "I never set limits for myself," she said, "Whether it's ballet, modern or ethnic dances, I believe a dancer can always benefit from crossing borders."
Kuo's first encounter with belly dancing took place in Egypt while on a dance tour. "Watching the famous Munique Neith dancing, I was at first attracted by her glamorous costume and then by her amazing movements," Kuo stated. Fascinated by the performance, she prolonged her stay in order to learn more about the genre's cultural background.
Following this experience, Kuo began learning how to belly dance, but it was not until 2006 that she resolved to devote herself to the exotic art. "I started to realize how widespread belly dancing was after taking in performances at the Tribal Fusion Festival in the United States," Kuo said. "And after that, I couldn't resist the lure of returning to Egypt and immersing myself in this new world."
While Kuo's body may be as supple as a reed, her will is made of something far stronger. "I flew to Egypt three times a year to learn from world-renowned masters such as Sorraya and Raqia Hassan," she said. During the 20 days Kuo stayed in Cairo, the only time she left her modest hotel room was to attend class. "For the rest of the time, I just kept practicing."
Living on pizza sent up from the restaurant downstairs, Kuo would often work on perfecting just one movement for an entire day. "The sun set and then rose again and I was still dancing," she smiled. "Was I tired? Of course, but I could not live with imperfection."
In 2007, Kuo began to be recognized as a rising star in the performing art. She won prizes at the Taiwan Belly Dance Open Competition as well as the Asia edition. Later the same year, she also bagged bronze at the Nagwa Fouad Cup held in Seoul, South Korea. However, plaudits from the Middle East still remained tantalizingly out of reach. "I didn't win any prizes when I went to Ahlan Wa Sahlan for the first time in 2007," Kuo said, "While I watched other dancers performing, I thought although there is only one or two meters between me and the stage, it felt as if I would have to spend 100 years to cross the distance."
But much to everyone's surprise, including her own, just 12 months later, Kuo is now lauded as the queen of the belly dancing community. "I didn't feel too much at the time when I was crowned, but after several days, I was overwhelmed with emotion when talking to my teacher, Raqia Hassan," Kuo said. "Suddenly, the memories of all the hard times I endured flashed before my eyes."
Having reached this milestone in her career, Kuo's next goal is to concentrate on teaching local students and helping bring them up to international standard. As a proud teacher, Kuo led two of her pupils, Gary Chao and Chris Shao to the 2008 Nagwa Fouad Cup in October, and Chao won a bronze medal as a professional soloist.
Chao, originally a hip-hop dancer, had followed Kuo's career for many years. Like his teacher, Chao is also open-minded about learning different genres of dance. While the public, including his own parents, questioned whether men should be belly dancing at all, Chao decided to thumb his nose at convention. "It's just because everyone says men cannot do this that I wanted to give it a try," he said.
While training to perfect his own technique, Chao discovered that the way men express themselves when belly dancing is completely different to that of women. "While female dancers rely on hip rotations, male dancers demonstrate their masculinity and strength through the chest and shoulders," he said. And after several months of belly dancing, Chao discovered that his fitness increased dramatically. "As a dancer, I had muscles but my body lines were stiff," he explained, "But belly dancing helps create a proportioned body due to the fact that it requires more strength from the inner muscles than the exterior ones."
Shao echoed Chao's sentiments and stated that after he turned to belly dancing, his body became thinner and more streamlined. As a ballroom dancer who specialized in Latin dance, Shao did not have much difficulty adapting to the movements of belly dancing. In addition, he found it a more touching genre than others. Having visited Egypt and seen belly dancing performed by veteran exponents firsthand, Shao was surprised that local Middle Eastern dancers were so relaxed when twirling, "It is the way that belly dance should be--flowing from the bottom of your heart rather than poses," he said.
With a shared passion for belly dancing, the three dancers are now focusing on promoting the art by giving classes. "More and more people want to learn, including men and women of all ages," Shao pointed out. Indeed, studios have popped up everywhere and classes in gyms are packed with enthusiasts. And a belly-dancing troupe never fails to win the audience's attention in popular television dance competition.
"[Belly dancing] is not only a hit in Taiwan, but all over Asia," Kuo said. "Such mania for the dance is also seen in Korea and China. There are already a considerable number of professional dancers in these two countries."
So why is belly dancing such a hit? According to Kuo, the answer is simple: "Everyone can belly dance." She explained that unlike ballet or other genres, which require a slim figure and strength, belly dancing emphasizes on muscular articulations and body isolations, which can be achieved by training. As a recreational sport, belly dancing can sculpt bodylines, especially the abdominal, hip and waist areas, according to Kuo. "You will build up muscular strength and yet develop a soft, seductive silhouette," she said, citing herself as an example.
Commencing to dance once more, Kuo's flawless spins and twirling long hair highlight the boundless passion she can call on at a whim to burn up the dance floor. With belly dancing the true embodiment of her soul, it is difficult to resist becoming a true believer when she states, "This dance is not about seduction. It is a celebration of your body and entire life."
Write to Amber Wu at amber0207@mail.gio.gov.tw