Global Village hosting Belly Dance Night

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Global Village belly dancers pose for a photo while looking forward to Saturday’s event.

Belly dancing is quickly becoming a global art, and Okinawa’s enthusiasts are lining up for an evening show to demonstrate the dancers’ skills on Saturday.

The evening program takes place at the Global Village International Center + Café, led by Aimee Machiels, an international performer and teacher trained in Hula, Classical Orissi Dance, Yoga and Belly Dance. Doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday for the 8:30 p.m. show. Advance tickets are ¥1,800 at Global Village.. Tickets at the door, which include one drink, are ¥2,000. Global Village is located in Ginowan City.

Machiels shows the right moves to women who want to learn.

The Belly Dance Night is one of a series of events at Global Village that attract participants from around the globe. Global Village leaders describe the programs as a perfect opportunity for making international friends. On top of that, it’s not every day that students have an opportunity for a non-traditional learning experience.

The special event features Machiels, a woman born and raised in Hawaii. The quarter-Okinawan entertainer’s mother and grandmother are Okinawan, from Urasoe City. That’s only the beginning of Aimee’s roots; her great-grandfather is the famous Yuko Majikina, designated the honor of Living Treasure for Okinawa Dance Arts and Kumiodori Classical Play.

Aimee’s belly dance troupe performs around Okinawa, but has also spanned the globe in exotic locales like Costa Rica, India, Italy, Rwanda and the United States. The Global Village language school, which offers classes in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, and Italian as well as English, both in groups and private one-on-one settings decided the students needed a special incentive. Owner Eriko Kuwahata seized upon the excitement of dance.

The Global Village International Center and Café is located at 2-2-3 Futenma in Ginowan City. From Camp Foster Legion Gate, turn right onto Route 330 and then left at the intersection in front of Futenma Shrine, and then right again at the traffic light before the MCAS Futenma back gate. Global Village is on the right about 200 meters from the intersection on the right.