BaltimoreBellyDance.com
Title
Baltimore Belly Dance
Description
This organization was started in 2001 by Nerissa and Zahirah at the suggestion of their dance teacher, Piper. From the beginning, it was designed to be a service to the Middle Eastern dance community – an organization that would not promote just one belly dancer, but all belly dancers and all bellydance events in the Baltimore/Washington DC corridor. Over the years the organization has grown tremendously. In its first month, it had four teacher members and circulated just under 200 newsletters. At its peak in 2005, the newsletter had about 2000 readers and this website was getting an average of 5,000 hits each week.
In 2004 Zahirah left the organization and was replaced in 2005 by Lisa Zahiya, who has also now moved on to other ventures. However the site and newsletter remain as strong as ever and Nerissa is still on board as editor and owner. Despite financial difficulties in 2005, Baltimore Bellydance is beginning 2006 with an exciting new look created by Rachel Cowgill of MooFish Design and will start producing an e-newsletter for its readers to replace the former printed newsletter.
Even with the many change in the past years, Baltimore Bellydance remains committed to the mission of being a comprehensive resource for all belly dancers in the region and still hopes to expand and fortify the Middle Eastern Dance community in the Baltimore/Washington DC area even more in the years to come.
