A group of women will be shake-shake-shaking their hips in flash mobs here and around the world this weekend in an effort to raise money for local women's shelters.
The Shimmy Mob on May 12 will see about 40 women performing a nearly five-minute bellydancing routine in two Tri-City locations to raise money for Tri-City Transitions.
Another 1,600 dancers will perform in 113 cities in countries around the world, including the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Chile, Vietnam and New Zealand, with each group raising funds for a local women's organization.
"The first one we did in 2011 was very successful," said Leslie Sakata, a dance instructor at Port Coquitlam's Confidance who is leading the Tri-City bellydancers.
That year, word of what the local dancers were doing spread through social media and by the time the event happened there were just over 500 dancers participating in 35 cities around the world.
"There were so many cities involved we decided to do it again," Sakata added (several videos of the events are posted on YouTube). The local dancers will once again be raising money for Tri-City Transitions, and are aiming to beat last year's $1,400 effort.
Dancers around the world will be performing the same routine, which they could learn from home through an online choreography lesson, and practiced in scheduled group rehearsals.
Sakata said most of the women performing in the Tri-City locations are seasoned dancers, but there are simplified versions of the routine for non-dancers as well.
"It's a great thing because people who dance regularly get exposed to different styles of bellydance," Sakata said, noting the routine will feature Egyptian, tribal and fusion styles of bellydance.
The flash mob event, in addition to raising money for a good cause, also celebrates World Bellydance Day on May 12.
The Shimmy Mobs take place at Canadian Tire (2125 Hawkins St., PoCo) at 10:30 a.m. and at Coquitlam Centre at noon. Visit www.shimmymob.com for more information and clips from last year's event.
