Saturday, March 13, 2010

Shimmy Success

By Andrea Schoellkopf
Journal Staff Writer
          They shake. They shimmy. And they're smart.
        The newest club at Rio Grande High is turning heads and teaching the Middle Eastern art of belly dancing.
        Freshman Joselyne Miramontes, a precocious young dance instructor who commands the attention and respect of her students and club-mates, decided last year that she wanted to start a belly dancing club once she got to high school. Miramontes said people didn't believe her — until she applied to the Rio Grande Student Council for permission to form a club.
        "They just gasped," she said. "They asked me a lot of questions."
        Rio Grande's activities director, James Chavez, said his first reaction was one of worry when the new student approached him at registration about starting the club.
        He said his own stereotypes of belly dancing have been changed, and there's been no complaints of inappropriateness or bad behavior.
        "They basically have taken the school by storm," Chavez said. "When they perform at our assemblies or our games, I notice at halftime when everybody (normally) leaves, they stay," Chavez said.
        Miramontes said she was young when she saw a neighbor belly dance. She decided to take lessons while at Ernie Pyle Middle School, which had a club led by a teacher.
        "I used to dance folklorico," she said. "When I went to Ernie Pyle and took belly dancing, I loved it."
        She learns routines by watching other dancers on YouTube.com and choreographs the dances for the Rio Grande club. She has dreams of making national belly dancing teams and takes workshops whenever she can.
        Chavez credits Miramontes for the group's success and said unlike other student-organized clubs that have started out strong but disintegrated by internal strife, the girls have done a good job governing themselves.
        "If somebody doesn't practice, they have a conversation with them," Chavez said.
        Good students
        As part of the school's restructuring, teachers this year were given a $5,000 stipend to work with reforms and receive extra training. Additionally, the teachers must commit to offering at least one hour outside of school time for student interests.
        The result, Chavez said, is an increase in activities like guitar lessons or dancing, but only two new clubs have been formed: a gay and straight alliance club and the belly dancing club. Clubs must have at least 10 members, as well as a faculty sponsor.
        English teacher Tanya Kuhnee, who co-sponsors the club with instructional coach Judy Vidal, said their job has been easy, with the level of discipline in the mostly freshmen and sophomores participants.
        "I don't know why I even bother to grade check anymore," Kuhnee said. "These girls in here are A and B students."
        Many of the girls divide their time between orchestra, Student Senate, basketball, tennis or other activities.
        The costumes were kept modest — no bellies showing, for instance — and the girls picked the school colors of black and red. Like cheerleaders, they wear their costumes on the days of assemblies. They also perform during assemblies, although they cover themselves in a long veil.
        "Belly dancers (traditionally) are not allowed to show their costumes before they perform," Kuhnee said.
        Breanna Caffey, 15, said her father was a bit worried when she first showed interest in belly dancing.
        "He doesn't like the way the guys gawk," Caffey said.
        Admittedly, the shoulder shimmy was a big moment for the former cheerleader and middle school ROTC cadet.
        Karen Granados, a quiet girl who plays the cello in orchestra, said it's her love of performance that drew her to the dancing.
        "It looked really fun," said Granados, 14.
        The club has its own fans, as boys come to watch the practices.
        Miramontes takes it in stride, telling them they have to leave if they distract the dancers — or else face being recruited for a routine.
       

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