I am a very lucky belly dancer. On many Saturday and Sunday afternoons I am "Queen Esma". I put my costume on and go over to some night club (that's right, at one o'clock in the afternoon). I get asked "Queen Esma can I get you a soda?" Or "Queen Esma, can we do the car song again?" I eat Chicken McNuggets (this is certainly NOT a plug for McDonald's), mac and cheese and little hot dogs. I put on my belly jewels that light up in the dark and stick a crown on my head. In short, I get to be a kid again.

Middle Eastern dancing has taken me to many places and this is one of the most wonderful. I love teaching and performing for children ranging from 4 to 12 years old. Dancing for kids is , obviously, a lot different from my cabaret show.
Deb Wasser of "Deb's Family Disco" is listed in New York Magazine "Best of New York" issue for kids events. She says "We invite all different kinds of dancers to lead Family Disco but Esma's belly dancing is unique. Imagine a room full of little 7 year old disco divas and boisterous baby boys and super cool teens. The Family Disco ballroom is usually very very loud. But as soon as Esma starts her magic, it's extraordinary how quiet the room becomes. Esma is able to fascinate the entire crowd in the truest sense of that word."

How do I get a comment like that? Here are some helpful hints.
I only come out after everyone is seated in a circle. The show has to be a lot shorter. You have to capture your audience the second you go on stage. I try to do one song by myself. Kids respond well to props. Veil, zils, all recommended. Kids seem to respond the best to Wings of Isis. I see their faces transform right before me. I know this is not "kosher" but Aladdin is a good song to use here. Then I may cut to an audience participation song. (Already? Yes!) Perhaps I will bring out another child dancer at that point and we get everyone to dance. I have had 3 dancers share one song. The idea is *short and attention getting* (no taqsims or mahwals). Kids love songs like Chicky (Oojami), Amani Mish Aa (Amani), Marriage Egyptien (Farafish), Shabaka (Keti). I have test-driven these songs for you, and parents even jump in. When one of my students or another dancer will perform, my show gets even shorter! I end with the good old drum solo with the kids all around me. If it's a birthday occasion I give the child recognition. I bring flowers, crowns, tambourines, confetti (ask first), maracas to name some stuff. I live in the 30's near Broadway where there are wholesale novelty stores and there is always eBay.

Serena Nicole, 7 years old, says "I like Deb's disco because they give you a goody bag. A lot of people liked me when I danced. They liked my dancing! I love the kids and making them happy. It's fun and crazy and really cool there. Esma is so nice. Esma is a queen and I am a princess."

Now I will share about teaching technique.
Much of an adult class is taught through example and imitation. The only time the teacher speaks is for "breaking down" the movement, encouragement and correction. Choreography has to be explained. There are long periods of the class where not a word is uttered.

When teaching these little angels you must speak.
I use several different teaching techniques. One is association. I have them pretend to be doing something. So that when I say , for example, "princess walk," they know to move across the floor gracefully with hip lifts. Or when I say "chicken wings" they will do snake arms. You will be amazed at how naturally the movement comes to most children. Saavy, my 5 year old student, says "I like when we do silly stuff like "washing the windows" and "shaking off kisses". I bet you never knew belly dancing could be so funny."

Another technique I use is visualization. I might pretend to have them take a walk in the forest and I create a story. When they use the veil (downsized for kids) I tell them they are a bird. I show them through imitation and I say "be the bird." When they get flustered I do it with them, but I let them dance on their own within the raqs parameters.

Lastly , this all has to be great fun. Choice of music (variation combined with steady tempo ,funny sounds and jokes!) It all comes into play. This is a dance that comes naturally. There are no harsh movements in Middle Eastern dance. Children who start early can have better carriage and skill later on. It will be internalized in their bodies. They will remember you for the rest of their lives.