Almaden Resident

Community

Photograph by Diana Diroy

Meaningful Moves: The Hala Dance Troupe opened up the Dec. 3 fundraising gala held to benefit Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence with a reenactment of a typical Egyptian wedding procession known as 'zaffa.'

Women belly dance to raise funding for local domestic violence program

By Eli Segall

A group of South Bay women recently took center stage to bring awareness to a problem that is often kept secret but has impacted tens of thousands of residents this year alone.

Once on stage, they belly danced the night away, using elaborate costumes and sultry movements to raise funds for Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence.

While the two groups may appear to make unlikely partners, the Bay Area chapter of the Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association has held an annual belly dance benefit show for the San Jose-based support group for the past seven years.

"Belly dancing is a female-dominated art form, and with domestic violence, it's women who suffer most," said Karen Stevens, president of Bay Area MECDA. "The two go hand in hand."

A number of dancers said stalking is a very serious concern for them because as performers, they must smile and form connections with the audience to personalize a show.

As a result, the possibility of attracting unwanted and potentially dangerous attention is a concern that keeps performers on guard. Nashwa Ahlam, who performed at the MECDA gala, said she has experienced one stalker in her 10 years as a dancer.

"There are people who come to every performance, show up at your home or call you all the time," Ahlam said.

MECDA, founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, came to Northern California in 2000 and has held annual fundraisers for the group ever since.

"Our national charter is to stop domestic violence," said Bay Area MECDA treasurer Alisha Westerfeld. "Every local chapter tries do its part, so once we formed here, we contacted Next Door."

Members of the dance group say they believe passionately in Next Door and see the center as critical to countless San Jose residents.

Last year alone, Next Door took 23,000 phone calls through its crisis hotline and saw more than 10,000 walk-ins.

Next Door offers a host of support services to Santa Clara County residents, with almost nine out of 10 clients coming from San Jose. Next Door provides 24-hour crisis assistance and emergency shelters, counseling, legal aid, transitional living facilities and intervention services.

"Domestic violence knows no limits in terms of age, race, income or education level," said Next Door executive director Kathleen Krenek. "We're delighted community groups such as MECDA put forth this kind of effort, because it's a community issue and it needs community support."

People came from all over Northern California for the Dec. 3 event at Santa Clara's Mission City Center for Performing Arts. The fundraiser featured dance workshops, vendors selling dance apparel and more than a dozen performances by local dancers.

Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence is located at 234 E. Gish Road, San Jose. For more information, call 408.501.7550 or visit www.nextdoor.org.