Belly Dancing: Perfection in Imperfection

Jaime Emond, volunteer workshop facilitator at the Women’s Centre, has found a way to blend her love for dance with her passion for giving back to the community. According to Jaime, belly dancing is a great way to bring people together and break down barriers in how we view our bodies.

“It is an unfortunate fact that the world we live in often makes women feel as if they are in competition with each other. This really comes into play with physical appearance as we are constantly bombarded with images of unrealistic body types,” says Jaime.

She continues: “Belly dance is a beautiful way to break down these walls as we celebrate our individuality, every curve, jiggle and wiggle”.

Jaime’s approach to teaching dance shares some common ground with her personal definition of feminism: “To me, feminism is standing up for the right every woman should have to find, cultivate, and express her true self…without fear of judgment, persecution or suppression”.

During her women’s-only belly dancing classes at the Centre, Jaime focuses on the importance of making sure everyone feels comfortable.

“Through belly dance, we can learn to feel comfortable in our own skin, and learn to love the perfectness of our imperfections,” says Jaime.

Jaime Emond has been volunteering at the Women’s Centre for the last three years as an evening workshop facilitator. During the summer months, she also leads belly dancing sessions at the Women’s Centre’s Girl Power summer camps.

With a five-week workshop currently underway, Jaime welcomes dancers of all skill levels to join her on Monday evenings at the Women’s Centre from now until the end of February.

To register for one of Jaime’s belly dancing workshop, please visit our online workshop calendar