The Science of Sisterhood
by Babanesh

For me, belly dance has been a welcome change from my overwhelmingly male dominated day job. Female colleagues in the physical sciences cling to each other like life rafts in a sea of male hormones. How do we ensure prettier faces in scientific conference rooms? My tiny effort is to tutor math and science one hour per week- no boys allowed!

Meeting a new group of the science-challenged I expect to be welcomed as a clan mother. Instead, I'm accidentally transported to a foreign and hostile culture. There's a skinny girl with creatively placed piercings and another with breasts dangerously bulging from a scoop neck top. I should really spend more time thinking before acting.

Another Wednesday with the reluctant girl scientists and there's that mantra "I'll never do this; it's too hard! And what use is Euclidean geometry anyway?" I look up to see which face is chanting that negative refrain. And there are those breasts still bulging from a tank top meant for a five-year-old. The kind of breasts belly dancers dream of. "Girls, maybe you'd rather learn belly dancing?"

Looks of amazement turn to fear. The white-woman is insane! I get everyone up; they are too frightened to object. Teach them to shimmy, but no music. I speak the drum rhythm "dum dum teka tek dum teka tek teka". Looks of fear turn to terror. Time's up, thank God! I should really spend more time thinking before acting!

Embarrassed at giving up, I'm determined to resume the tutoring and pretend nothing had happened. In the last 15 minutes, the shy one asks, "Have we done enough? Can we dance now?" In the following weeks there are more new faces and homework is finished earlier and earlier in the hour leaving more time for dance.

Escaping work early, I arrive to find a dozen young women engrossed in their studies. It wasn't the quiet intake of knowledge and facts but the raucous sound of minds exhilarated with shared "Ah Ha!" moments. Mesmerized by the turn of events, I stood eavesdropping. Buried in discussions of mitochondria, obtuse angles and cubed X's was the sound of the strong patiently guiding the challenged into those "Ah Ha!" moments. Motivated by their love of the dance, they learned to get there together or not at all. While I had taught them science and belly dancing between 6 and 7:00, they had learned the rewards of sisterhood between 5 and 6:00.

Author's note- While it may not be as practical as math and science, we've all gained so much from ME dance. It makes sense that others could benefit as well. Besides teaching Belly dance to "at risk" teen-age girls, I've volunteered to teach a short course to cancer survivors and to a Brownie Troupe, and like many dancers, have performed free for nursing homes and charitable organiz-ations. I hope you consider sharing your joy of the dance with those less fortunate. Very often, it's more fun than the paying gigs.