Event

Hotter Than July Benefit

Hotter Than July Bellydance is a celebration and benefit for the 2013 Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image Summer Program. The event features Bay Area professional bellydance treasures OREET, Ahava, Monica Berini, Shabnam Dance Company, Raks al Khalil, special performances from summer program participants, Girls Raks and event producers, Raks Africa.

The Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image Program is a fiscally sponsored project of Dancers' Group. Now in its fourth year, the Oakland, California based Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image Program is a fun, engaging program for girls ages 13-19. The program provides proactive tools for girls of all shapes and sizes who may struggle with body image and self-esteem. Girls Raks gives teenage girls an opportunity to have a body-positive experience, free of judgment and competition. Course work includes the teaching of choreography and bellydance history, as well as meditation and writing exercises focused on self-awareness and connection to others. At the close of the summer program, students perform in the Hotter Than July benefit show along with professional Bay Area bellydancers and other performers at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley.